By Debra Fazio
Dec 23, 2015
For Effective Study Strategies you need to:Be open-mindedMake learning meaningfulHave the desire to practice and improve your retention
Learn how to learn
Effective Study Strategies Need:Open-Mindedness – keeping your
mind free and clear of distractions
Meaningful learning– you must take responsibility for your learning
Practice – review your learning experiences often
Effective Study Strategies Need:Concentration - can be increased by
developing your study habits, using time efficiently, & become involved with the learning task quickly
Making sense – relate learning to real world or to our own experiences
Critical thinking – question, summarize, & redefine new concepts and ideas
Studying involves:Reading TextbooksTaking NotesListeningHow you go about studyingConcentration and MemoryMotivation
Taking NotesMake notes briefPut notes in your own wordsOutlines help organize major and minor thoughts
Use the Cornell Note taking method
ListeningBe ready for the messageListen for the main ideasListen for new ideasUnderstand what your hearingRepeat mentallyAsk questionsListen to the whole messageRespect all ideasDecide what is important and what is notSort, organize, and categorize
Concentration and MemoryHave a routine study environmentStudy as early in the day as possible
Deal with distracters and interferences
Set time goalsTake breaks
MotivationSet study goalsLearn activelyPlan out your study timeWork with study groups or with one other person
Myths about Studying1. Studying more/longer results in good
grades.2. There’s one study system everyone can
use.3. Knowing the course material is enough.4. Cramming the night before will keep
material fresh.5. Writing has very little impact on
learning.
Smart StudentsAre not the most talented or the hardest
workingKnow the rules of good gradesLearn more in less time, & get more
satisfaction out of the learning processKnow you can teach yourself better than
anyone else can
Cyber LearningProcess by which you take control of your
own educationBegins w/ dialogingAsk about purpose, prior knowledge, big
picture, expert questions, summarize information, picture, & hooks for remembering
Five Rules to Improve your Grades
1. You must want to achieve better grades.
2. Identify your strengths and weaknesses.3. Studying requires a daily commitment.4. Get help early when you need it.
5. Set reasonable and achievable goals.
Five Tips from Students1. Study in small chunks instead of one long
period.2. Review guide sheets and assignments from
which test questions will be taken from.3. Develop a system that works for you.4. Learn what the professor/teacher expects.5. Maintain a healthy brain (through physical
exercise, mental exercise, good nutrition, and stress management).
GPA of SuccessoGoal – reflects your wants and needs
oPlan – route you plan to take to reach your goal. It should be effective and specific.
oAction – brings your plan to life. Requires self-discipline & power over procrastination
Manage your TimeoYou must develop time management skills! o If you want to enjoy your life, give time to
your family &/or friends, & fulfill your responsibilities; you need to have control over your schedule.
oFive – ten minutes each day, plug in your schedule.
oYou need a daily calendar and a paper to update your daily list.
Update Calendar Each MorningRecord all your to-dos & deadlines on
your calendar.Jot down new tasks & assignments on
your list during the day.Next morning transfer these new
items from your list onto your calendar.Then take a couple of minutes to plan
your day.
Sample ListWednesday, January 12, 2011Today’s Schedule Things to Remember8-9:40 – DEV 064 Reading - copy handouts for
Thursday classes10:00 – 11:40 DEV 065 Reading - grade papers 12-1 p.m. – Study Skills Workshop - send out messages to
missing students3 – check w/ family - get food ready for tomorrows
dinner- Where everyone needs to be5-5:45 – prepare dinner7:15 - take daughter to gymnastics
A.S.P.I.R.E.Approach – positive attitude, avoiding
distractions, & making time for studySelect – studying in reasonable chunks of time,
selecting key materials to reviewPiece together - summarize material you’re
studyingInvestigate – find alternative sources for
information you don’t understandReflect – apply the concepts your learning to
make them more interesting & easier to remember
Evaluate – examining your performance
Mind-mappingMind maps are created around a central word, idea, or theme
Create branches to other major concepts related to the central word
From there continue to create branches from every word or concept you add to the map
MnemonicsTechniques that help you remember thingsMemory hooksSimply gimmicksCome in handy when you have masses of
information to memorizeThey help you remember information, but
they do not help you understand it.
Using MnemonicsRead out loud.Write it down.Create acronyms.Create acrostics.Use rhythms, rhymes, and jingles.Make associations.Create mental and key word
images.
© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
M.U.R.D.E.R.Mood – right attitude &environmentUnderstanding – marking what you don’t
understand so you can go back to it laterRecall – bring to mind key informationDigest – going back to the material you did
not understand, & try to comprehend it Expand - apply the concepts you’re learning
to make them more interesting and easier to remember
Review – going over material until you are confident that you know it
P.O.R.P.E.Predict – determine the most important
concepts & formulate questions to deepen you understanding of the material
Organize – summarizing key information and outline answers to your predicted questions
Rehearse – reciting aloud key information & quizzing your memory of the material
Practice – answering predicted questions from memory
Evaluate – assessing answers to make sure they contain critical information and concrete examples
Dialogue With the AuthorCreate a dialogue with the author, even
thought the author doesn’t talk backTake an active role in your reading of the textQuestion the author’s reasoning and
informationMay get answers to your questions several
pages laterMakes learning interestingGets you thinking and keeps you focused
SQ3RSurvey – gathering, skimming, and reviewing
the informationQuestion – raising issues as you are surveyingRead – rereading material & looking for
answers to the questions you raised previouslyRecite – Rereading material & putting
concepts into your own wordsReview – going over material until you know it
4Rs SystemReducing – organizing all course information &
condensing it into small chunks Reciting – speaking aloud about reduced
material without looking at it – talking through ideas in your own words
Reflecting – thinking about what you learned and connecting it with what your prior knowledge
Reviewing – going through your notes, several more times, concentrating on areas of weakness, until you understand all the material
3Rs SystemRead – read the material once
Recite – as much as you can remember
Review – read & skim material again to get key concepts and major details
Flash CardsGood for classes with a lot of terminology
or vocabularyHelpful for remembering materialReal strength of flash cards is testing
yourself on the conceptsAn alternative to words on one side and
definitions on the other is questions on one side and answers on the other
Use them to quiz yourself
Study GroupsBenefitsSee the material from different perspectivesStay motivated because the group needs youCommit more time to studyingGroup discussions help you learn the
materialShare class notes and other materialPick up new study tips & habits
Develop your own study planAction What it Entails
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BibliographyBooksBergreen, Gary. Copying with Study Strategies.
New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 1990. Print.
Fry, Ron. How to Study. New York: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2005. Print.
Gardner, John N.; and Barefoot, Betsy O. Step by Step to College and Career Success. 3rd Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. Print.
Geoffrion, Sondra. Get Smart Fast: A Handbook for Academic Success. Saratoga, CA: R & E Publishers, 1986. Print.
BibliographyHansen, Katharine; & Hansen, Randall S. Study
Skills. New York: Alpha Books. 2008. Print.Learning Express. Test-Taking Power Strategies.
New York: Learning Express LLC: New York, 2007. Print.
Newport, Cal. How to Become a Straight – A Student. New York: Broadway Books. 2007. Print.
Robinson, Adam. What Smart Students Know. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1993. Print.
Smith, Brenda. Bridging the Gap. New York: Pearson Longman. 2008. Print.