Common Mix-ups

I have spent the weekend reading student papers for my Learning Strategies class and ran across words that students commonly confuse:

Quiet – not noisy

Quite – completely or to a considerable extent

Due – a date when something should be completed

Do – an action or a task

Their – possession

There – location
They’re – contraction of “they are”

To – in the direction of

Too – more than enough or also
Two – the number 2

Suite – two or more rooms

Sweet – a sugary taste or pleasant

Keep these in mind the next time you are writing a paper.    Your professor will have an easier time following your ideas if their comprehension is not interrupted by incorrect words. 

 

Studying Over Spring Break

Most schools have a week off sometime around the middle of the spring semester.  One week is a long time to go without reviewing what you are learning in your classes – forgetting happens quickly!  Here are some suggestions for keeping your class information fresh and still having time to relax:

• Before you go home, plan when you will study and review.  Perhaps even write it in your planner.  Then, of course, stick to the schedule!
• Prepare some study cards or review charts so that you have something quick to study.
• Remember Distributed Practice.  If you have a difficult class, review for 15 or 20 minutes several times during the break.
•  If you never studied at home before, pick one location (dining room table, desk in your room?) where you will always study. 
• Go somewhere with an “academic” atmosphere - your local library, Starbucks, local coffee shop.

If you have an exam scheduled one or two days after your return to campus you will have to spend a bit more time, but the above suggestions still apply.

Relax, have fun, and return to your studies ready to work hard for the rest of the semester!

Homework and Assignments vs. Studying

Many college students don’t understand the difference between homework and assignments and studying.    Generally there are very few assignments in college where your work is graded.   So it might seem that you do not have that much work to do.  What no one mentions is that you are expected to be studying all the time and that studying is your “homework.”

So what should you do when studying?  Here are some ideas:

• Review your notes as soon as possible after each class.
• Once a week review all of the notes that will be on the next exam.
• Read the textbook for the class.  Maybe take some notes from the book or add information to your lecture notes.
• If available, do practice problems, take practice tests.
• Use recitation – after reviewing you notes, close your notebook and see what you can remember. Then check and correct your information.
• Make study guides such as concept maps, study cards, review charts.

It is important to use a variety of strategies and to study each subject several times during the week.

The work is hard but the reward is great!