How to Learn - A Mid Semester Review

As you head into spring and the second half of the semester, here is a review of what you need to do to learn:

Review – Be sure you are reviewing your notes after every class.  This starts the learning process.  Read over the notes and make corrections, add information from the textbook, identify any confusions, and be sure the notes are clear enough to be understood later.

Rework – Once your notes are in good shape, do something else with them such as rewriting, making a study guide, making study cards, highlighting main topics, adding color, etc.

Repetition – Learning does not happen in one session, you need to go over and over the information, doing different things with it, not just rereading!

Reflect – Learning also takes time to get securely into your long-term memory.  Start early (as soon as you get the information) and space your learning over time.

Recitation – One very important part of the learning process is to practice recalling the information just like you will do on the exam.   You can do this by covering up your notes and restating the information in your own words from memory, taking practice quizzes (either one you created or ones provided by textbook or professor), forming a study group and explaining the information to each other or quizzing each other, putting the information on study cards and using those to test yourself.  Be creative – there are many fun ways to do this!

Learning is not an act – it is a process that takes time!  Be sure to start early and study often!

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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 amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right  link.

Mid Semester Check-up

At most institutions the semester is about half over, so this is a good time to pause and see how things are going.  Consider these things:

Check your grades – it may be a few more weeks until you receive your mid-term grades, but in many classes, you have an idea of how things are going.   If you have not been keeping your own record (change this next semester!) you can ask your professor.  There may be some “eye-rolling” because you should be doing this yourself!    

If you are in a class that only has a mid-term and a final, make sure you have all the information you need well before the midterm exam.

Check your attendance – Especially if a class has an attendance policy, make sure you know how many classes you have missed.  Hopefully this is none! If you are perilously close to a cutoff point, be sure go to all remaining meetings of the class!

If there is no attendance policy, that still means you should attend all classes.  Be sure you are doing so!

Check your study habits – How are you spending your time?  Are you making the best possible use of your time?    If anything needs improved, now is the time.  The remainder of the semester will fly by, but there is still time to be sure you are doing your best work possible.

Check your over-all health – are you getting enough sleep, exercising, eating regularly and properly?  Make any changes needed!

It is always a good idea to occasionally pause and reflect and evaluate how things are going, and the middle of the semester is the perfect time.    If something needs fine tuning, you can do that and definitely see the results in your final grades.

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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 amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.   Click on the upper right link.

eBooks - Technology in Learning 5 of 5

One final impact of technology is with textbooks.  As a professor, I feel textbooks are crucial to your learning.    Most professors will expect that you have read and understand the information in the book and then will build on that in their lecture and class.  The price of textbooks is skyrocketing and many professors are working to control the cost to students through eBooks and online articles.  This presents many positives and negatives.

The benefits:

• You, the student, will save money.
• You will not have to carry around very heavy books – all you will need is your portable device.
• Publishers are refining eBooks to aid in your learning: enabling you to take margin notes, highlighting, inserting quizzes as you read, definitions, additional information, etc.

The negatives:

• At the end of the semester the book will disappear from your device.   You cannot keep it for future reference.  You cannot share with a student or sell it back at the end of the semester.
• As a reader you will have to work harder to be actively involved with the material.  As mentioned above, many eBooks now enable you to have a split screen – the text on one side and the ability to take notes on the other.  You can also take separate notes.
• In some cases, it is harder to leaf through the entire chapter and get an overview of the organization.
• Distractions are a major problem.  It is too easy to flip to email, twitter, or whatever the most current social network is.  Consider turning those off while you are studying!
• Of course, there is always the chance your devices will malfunction.   Your school should have a technology office to help you!

There is one thing we know – things will always be changing.   Be aware of how you learn and what you can do to make the newest change work in your favor!

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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 amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.