Think of Learning as a Process

What you do before and after a learning experience makes a difference in how effective you are. 

Before you are preparing your mind to take in the information. 

After you are helping the information become secured in your memory.

 Here are some ideas:

Reading textbooks

Before

Preview the information by leafing through looking for the organization, bold print, etc.
Read the Learning Objectives
Read the Conclusion at the end

After

Read the Learning Objectives and supply the information
Go back through the chapter and read your margin notes, highlighting or heading and bold print
Take any quiz available and review ones you miss
Make a study guide from the information

Taking lecture notes

Before

Read corresponding textbook chapter
Print out and read the power points or lecture notes professor has posted on-line
Review previous notes

After

Reread notes, make corrections and fill in missing information
Use recitation (restate in your own words from memory) to see how much of the information you can remember
Turn notes into a study guide