Maximizing Your Learning Efforts, Part 3 of 6

One thing I have noticed about many freshmen students is that they do not know exactly what to do when they are studying beyond rereading.  Many students on academic probation will tell me that they plan to"study more" or "study harder," but they don't know any concrete activities to implement.  The following study strategies involve concrete, hands-on activities that will help you retain and understand the material:

• Rewrite your notes.  I know this sounds boring, but it is very effective.  While you are doing this you can reorganize them, add more information and identify anything you do not understand.
• Turn your lecture notes and textbook material into a study guide.  Again, you are reorganizing and rethinking the information.  Types of study guides include study cards, outlines, questions and answers, concept maps, review charts, time lines and Venn Diagrams.
• When reading your textbooks take margin notes (annotation) and/or separate notes.
• Add sound such as reading your notes out loud or singing them to a beat.
• Form a study group and take turns explaining the information to each other.
• Use recitation - restating the information in our own words from memory.  This is a very important strategy as you are practicing what you will be expected to do on the exam.  If you try to do this and cannot, that means you do no know the information well enough.

All of these strategies involve concrete, hands-on interaction with the information.  The strategies are not limited to this list.  Be creative!
The next blog will discuss repetition and why it is also important to learning.
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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com.  Click on the upper right link.