Successful Habit #5 - Studying Notes After Each Class

If there is one habit you can follow that will make a major difference in your grades, it is to review and start to learn your lecture notes after each class.  This might seem like a lot of work, but in fact this strategy will lessen the total amount of time you have to spend studying in the long run.   Rereading your notes is only the beginning, there are several more strategies you need to add that will help you actually learn and understand the information.

Here is what you need to do as soon as possible after each lecture class and definitely before the next class:

• Reread your lecture notes.  At this time make sure they make sense!  Correct spellings, add more words if needed so that they are very clear, identify any questions, reread sections of the textbook if that would clear up any confusion, etc.
• Make an effort while doing this to see the organization of the material and, if needed, highlight or somehow identify the main categories.  
• You can add information from the textbook if that will help your understanding.
• Of course, if your notes are a disaster (possibly through no fault of yours if the professor is very unorganized) you will have to rewrite them.  Many students always do this and find it very effective. 
• Then go back to the beginning and reread each logical section – not the entire set of notes at once.  At the end of each section, cover up the notes and try to restate the information in your own words from memory.  If you can, move on to the next section.  If you cannot, reread and try again.
• If appropriate, transfer the information onto to note cards.
• You can also make a study guide (concept map, review chart, time line, etc.) to help you understand the information.

The important thing is to do more with your notes than just reread.  You also will occasionally need to study ALL the notes that will be on the next exam.  You cannot just wait until the night before!

The idea here is to get into the HABIT of doing this after EVERY class.  If it is the norm for you to either go to the library after class or go somewhere else to study your notes, it will not seem like that much work at all. 

The next blog will look at another habit related to your classes – reading the textbook BEFORE class!

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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.