Get into the HABIT of learning

Learning requires repetition and variety spaced out over time.   This is one of the first things I tell my students in the Learning Strategies classes I teach each spring.   Students often think they can take lecture notes but then never look at the notes again until a day or two before the exam.  This does not work!   One way to practice this repetition is to follow this study cycle each time the class meets:

Ø  Go to class >>

Ø  Review and start to learn notes >>

Ø  Read textbook (either to prepare for next class or review what the lecture covered) >>

Ø  Briefly review the notes again before the next class.

This works best for a Monday/Wednesday/Friday class.  If the class only meets once or twice a week, review and learn notes at least two or three times during the week.

Of course this is just the beginning, but by getting into this habit you have incorporated both repetition and spacing out over time into your schedule.  (Habit is an important word – do this all the time and it will be second nature and not at all a chore.)

The next blog will address variety – what are different strategies you can use with learning notes to help your understanding and retention.

***

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Start the New Semester With Success

One thing I like about academics is that you work hard, finish the semester and get your results (your grades!) and then get a fresh start to do it all over again.  Here are some things to think about as you start a new semester:

• As far as your learning strategies, what worked and what did not work last semester?  Exactly WHAT did you do that worked when you sat down to study?   This is a major problem for many students on academic probation.  They will tell me they are going to study MORE or HARDER, but they do not have any idea about what to actually do.  Future blogs will focus specifically on this, but here are some early tips:
• Before you start to learn it, make sure the information is organized.  If this means you have to rewrite your lecture notes, do so.  It is not busy work but will enhance your learning.
• Consider putting the information into some form of a study guide.   Any way you actively work with the information is getting it more strongly into your memory.  
• Test yourself – after you have read a section in your textbook or lecture notes, see if you can restate the information in your own words.  If yes, go to next section.  If no, reread and repeat.   
• How did you manage your time?  How can you improve on that?   Did you use a planner?  How did you record your assignments?
• Be sure you have a clear picture of your priorities.  This will greatly affect your time management.  You need to be spending the bulk of your time and energy on what is important to you.

Watch for future blogs that look into each of these topics in more detail.  In the meantime, get a solid start on the semester.  It goes by fast and it is hard to catch up after a poor beginning.

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.