The Last Three Requirements for Learning – Recitation, Repetition and Timing

In the last blog we looked at different ways to add variety to your learning through various senses (visual, auditory and touch/movement).  There are three more things to consider that are vitally important:

 Repetition
Learning does not happen after just one exposure to the material – it takes many!  You already know this – before auto dial on our cell phones, how often did you have to dial someone’s number before you could remember it?  And now, because you do not have to repeatedly dial the number you probably don’t know anyone’s from memory!  Adding repetition is easy:

·         Review your notes after every class. 
·         Periodically review all the notes that will be on the test. 
·         Use different strategies as you study.
·         Make study cards for the most difficult information and review them 20 minutes almost every day. 
·         Go to tutoring.
·         Go to all of your classes. 

Timing – It takes repetition spaced out over time for the information to get firmly in your long- term memory.  Again:

·         Review your notes after every class. 
·         Start to actively study about a week before an exam.
·         Take advantage of any review opportunity offered by your professor.
·         Go to tutoring or Supplemental Instruction sessions.

Recitation – this is “restating the information in your own words from memory.”  You must practice getting the information out of your long-term memory just like you will have to do on the exam.  So rereading is not enough – you have to actively test yourself.  How? 

·         Study cards (look at front, think about the information on the back, check yourself, keep going over the ones you missed, tomorrow do it again). 
·         When you are reviewing your notes, cover the page you just read and see what you can remember.  Check yourself and do it again if nor correct or complete. 
·         Join a study group and quiz each other. 
·         Make practice tests and share with friends. 
·         Make a study guide and then cover the information and recall.

These strategies really are quite easy and logical.  All you need is to manage your time and your priorities so that you do them!  Sounds easy, but sometimes it is hard.  Next week we will look at how to make sure you are doing the important things that will lead you to success!

*****

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.

Adding Variety to Your Study Routine

Last week’s blog discussed the uses and benefits of study cards as an effective study strategy.  One key to learning is to do a variety of things with the information you want to learn so that you know it in a variety of settings and circumstances.  One of those is study cards, but there are many others.  In my classes I have students brainstorm and think about various ways to study that involve sight, sound and movement.  The more senses you involve the better you will know the material.  Here are some of their favorite ideas:

Sight

·         Add color – use different color pens, highlight you notes

·         Pictures/movies - watch movies about the subject, watch Kahn Academy so see a different person explaining a concept, draw or look at pictures

·         Diagram or chart out the information in a different format

Sound

·         Go to Supplemental Instruction or tutoring and hear someone else explain a concept

·         Form a study group and explain the information to each other

·         Read your book/notes out loud

·         Sing your notes to a rap beat (I had a student who did this and she was very successful!)

·         Talk through something you are struggling with to someone who knows nothing about the subject.

Movement (this can be large or small muscle)

·         Study cards because you can manipulate them

·         Drawing charts and graphs – small muscle

·         Record your notes and listen to them while exercising

·         Study notes in a different location than normal

·         Find a spare classroom and diagram the information on the white or chalk board

The idea is to interact with the information in a variety of ways in order to get it firmly implanted in your memory.   An added benefit is that the variety helps break up the studying and can be fun!  Next week we will look at the importance of repetition and studying over time.

*****
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.

One Effective Study Strategy - Study Cards

Students in my classes are preparing for mid-term exams.  I asked them exactly what they did when they sat down to study and all I saw were blank stares.  A few students volunteered that they read the textbook and reread their notes, but that was it. 

When you study you need to use a variety of active strategies.  Just reading and rereading is not enough!  One strategy that is perfect is flash cards or study cards.  There are multiple reasons why they are so effective:

·         You rethink the material as you are making them.

·         They involve actually writing the material again.

·         If you like color you can color-code the cards.

·         You can be creative.  One student in an Art History class pasted pictures of the artwork on the front of the card and the information she needed to know on the back.

·         You can mix them up to be sure you are learning the information in different orders.  This is important as the exam questions may not be in the same order as the lecture notes.

·         You use movement by manipulating them, shuffling them, reordering them, etc.

·         They are portable, you can study them when you have a few extra minutes where ever you are.

·         You use the cards to test yourself and practice remembering the information.   This is critical – this is when the actual learning happens.  

When studying from the cards, don’t just read the front and read the back.  Use them as a self-test. Read the front, think about the answer and then check yourself.  Put the ones you know in one pile and the ones you do not know in another.  Keep going through the ones you don’t know until you can get them all.  Then, tomorrow, do it again.

You can also try Quizlet, an app that lets you make cards on your smart phone.  The program will shuffle the cards for you to vary the order and make various quizzes to test your learning.

The next two blogs will have more information about studying and learning.  Next week will be other strategies you can use when studying and the following one will be about the importance of repetition and spacing your studying over time.

*****

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.

Making the Best Use of Your Time

My freshman students said that one thing that surprised them about college was the large amount of “free time” they had.   Given that they are spending only about 15 – 16 hours a week in class that is understandable.  The danger is that, with so much time, students won’t do anything because it is too easy to put off whatever you do not want to do.

The general rule of thumb is that you should be studying about 2 hours outside of class for every hour in class.  If that is the case, your 15 credit load suddenly has become 45 hours of work – equal to a full time job!

Here are some ways to make the best use of your time:

·         Get into the habit of studying first before you do anything else.  Go to the Library after class.  Review the notes from class that day and start to learn them.

·         Keep a master calendar where you record every major exam, project, paper, etc.  That way you can look ahead and start early to prepare or complete the project.

·         Set early, false deadlines for projects and papers.  There is always a last-minute problem such as no printer ink, no money to pay for printing, etc.

·         Work ahead on reading assignments.  Different times during the semester you will feel swamped, so it is nice to have a cushion.

·         Start to study for exams about a week prior to the date.

·         Consider getting a part-time job or volunteering in your field.  Having more to do will make you manage your time better and either one will give your resume a boost.

Remember that as the semester progresses you will have more work and more material to learn.  Don’t get lulled into a false sense of security at the beginning when you seem to have so much time on your hands.

Next week – what to do when you sit down to “study.”

*****

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.

Surprises During the First Three Weeks of College

During this third week of classes I asked my freshman students what was the most surprising thing they had found during their first weeks in college.  Here are their answers:

• How much free time they had.  This was expressed by all three classes!
• How much information they were expected to go on line and get themselves.
• How fast the classes move.
• People are more diverse than at home.
• It is harder to make friends than they thought it would be. 
• Their priorities have changed – they are much more focused on their academics than in high school and are a much more serious student. 
• They are motivated to study.   They are partying and wasting time much less than they thought they would.
• The professors are nice, but sometimes make things difficult for the students.

I thought this was an interesting list and was pleased with the thoughtfulness and dedication of my students to their academics.

Regarding making friends, I suggested the students look into some organizations where they can meet people with similar interests.  I also cautioned them not to commit to a friendship too quickly just because they are looking for friends.  They have a lot of potential and they want friends who will enhance that, not tempt them down the wrong path!

The next blog will tackle the number one issue – the large amount of time when not in class and how to wisely manage it.
*****
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.

Advise for Freshmen from Upperclassmen

In the spring of each semester I work with upper-class students who are on academic probation for a variety of reasons.  At the end of our work together I always ask them what advice they would give to a freshman just starting their academic journey.  Here are the most common responses:

·       Go to class.

·       Don’t party too much.

·       Keep your priorities straight.

·       Review your notes after class.

·       Manage your time.

·       Actually study.  (One of my favorites!)

It seems pretty simple, but all of these are crucial decisions.  It is important to get into good habits at the very beginning of the semester and these are great guidelines!   Enjoy the semester and your success!

*****
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.

Challenges for College Freshmen - Part 6 of 6

One major change in college compared to high school is the amount of reading you are expected to master.  You are expected to learn the information you are reading on your own, it often is not repeated in class. Multiple other blogs have addressed how to read and learn, but a brief overview is to:

1. Preview what you are reading.  Look at the entire selection and see what the topic is, how it is organized, and what help is offered in the book (learning objectives, bold print, definitions. Etc.)
2. Be an active reader.  Monitor your comprehension.   Stop periodically and restate in your own words what you just read.   Take margin notes or separate notes.  Look for the organization.  Be alert for signals from the author.
3. After you are done, take a few minutes to go back and review what you have read and your notes.

Another major change both in high school and college is the number of eBooks replacing paper books.  There several benefits (more portable and lower cost) and problems (harder to read and comprehend).  You will find a wide range of “friendliness” with eBooks.  In some cases, you will be able to see all the pages in the section while you are reading one page.  This is very helpful with seeing the big picture and how the information all fits together.  In other cases, you just see the page you are reading.  Some strategies you can use to successfully learn from eBooks and articles on-screen are:

• Preview entire selection so you see the overall organization even if you have to scroll the entire chapter before starting to read.
• Use the same active strategies as when reading print – monitor comprehension, restate information in your own words after each section, reread if not able to restate the information, etc.
• If you are having trouble retaining the information, take separate notes.
• Consider printing out some of the material and annotating.

At my institution the fall semester is about to begin. Next week I am teaching a one-week freshman orientation program.  One thing I share with students in the program is advice from upperclassmen who were on academic probation and what they learned about how to be successful in college.  I will also share this advice in the next blog.  Enjoy the end of summer!

*****
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.