WHAT To Do When You Are Studying

Last week I wrote about scheduling the time to study.  This week's blog is about exactly what to do when studying.  It is one thing to put in enough time, but you also need to do things that will help you understand and retain the information.  So--once you are sitting down with your notes and book, here are some strategies:

• First, read your notes and be sure they are clear and complete.
• If there is a section you are not clear about, look up that information in the textbook and reread that.
• If your notes are unorganized or unclear, rewrite them so they make sense to you.  If you are unsure of the organization you can follow that of the textbook.  (This is not busy work.  Many successful students do this on a regular basis.)
• Then, divide the notes into logical sections, reread, close your notebook and restate the information in your own words ,
• from memory.  If you can do this, move on to the next section.  If not, go back and reread, then repeat restating until you are successful.
• Pull out specific topics and put that information into study guides.
• Put vocabulary or other information on study cards.  Take these with you and use spare minutes to study from them.  Remember that the best strategy is to read the front, restate the information on the back from memory, and then check yourself.  Keep going over the ones you don't know until you know them.  Then tomorrow do it again!
• Step back from the specific information and look at the big picture.  What are the various topics covered, how do they fit together, how do the book and your lecture notes fit together?

I am sure you noticed that many of these strategies involve either organizing or practicing remembering the information.  On the exam or on the job you need to be able to recall the information without the help of books or notes, so practice this when you are studying.


The next blog will give you some ideas to deal with distractions - one of the major challenges for any learner in this electronic age.
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First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.