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Academic Start
Tulane University
(avoid these at all costs)
- Don't have the appropriate materials that you'll
need. This will allow you to get in a lot of
conversations with others who live on your hall. - Realize after you begin studying that you need to
go to the bathroom, or are hungry, or that you
need to write a letter, or that you aren't clear about
an assignment, or that you have to find out the
details of a friend's date. - Dwell on how dull the course is and thoroughly
believe that if you just had a half-way decent
instructor all the material would be easier to
understand and be more interesting. - Plan to study all the time and schedule no
recreational time. This will allow you to feel
virtuous and help keep you from seeing that you
actually put in very little productive study time. - Develop a kind of smug, superior attitude that can
be used to impress others with the fact that you
don't need to study, that it somehow is beneath
your dignity and that it is not worth your serious
consideration. - Only study in your residence hall room with the
door open. This will assure you of being there if
friends call or drop in. - When people do come and interrupt your study,
don't send them away because you'll hurt their
feelings. - If your room is too quiet, find a place to study in
the library where there is a lively social gathering.
(An alternative to the library would be in the snack
bar, next to the TV, and sitting at a table with a
group of people playing cards.) Why be bored
when you study? - Remember and practice the things you learned
about studying when you were in high school.
College isn't any different. - Always drink beer while you study. It helps you
relax, and popping all those cans builds strength
in your hands and arms. - Remember that "A clean and uncluttered desk is
a sign of a sick mind." - Never study material you don't enjoy since you'll
obviously never use it anyway. - Always remember that people will think you're
smarter if you flunk a test because you didn't
study rather than flunking it when you did study.
How%20to%20Avoid%20Study.htm
Scheduling
Texas Woman's
University
Study Habits
Edinboro University
Villanova University
Studying
University of
North Carolina
Studying and Self-testing
York University
Check List
Texas A&M University
Concentration While Studying
Texas Woman's University
- Location, location, location...
Serious about getting work done? Find a good location.
Use the libraries, study rooms, or empty classrooms. - Make It a Habit: Do Coursework Every Day
Cramming is not conducive to understanding and
retaining large amounts of information. Time on your
courses each day is the best way to learn. Use the time
between classes to stay on top of readings. - Help Exists! Seek It Out and Improve Your Grades
Whether you're an 'A' student or a 'D' student, you can
strengthen your skills. Check out SDS' Learning Skills
Services. Get to know your professors and tutorial
assistants. Use study guides and help centres. - Write It Down
Use a day planner or wall calendar. Plan time for
coursework. Plan ahead for assignments and exam
periods. - Get Energized - Eat, Exercise, Sleep
Fatigue and stress weaken memory and comprehension.
Eat properly, exercise regularly, and get adequate sleep. - Perform Like a Pro: Go to Class Prepared and Take
Thorough Note
Don't miss class. Someone else's notes aren't going to
be as good as having gone to the lecture yourself. While
taking notes, listen for emphases and examples.
Questions after the lecture? Go to your professor's or
tutorial assistant's office hours. Learn as you go and you
won't find yourself unprepared the night before an exam. - Lectures and Textbooks: What's the BIG Picture?
University learning requires understanding how pieces of
information fit together to form a "big picture." Use course
outlines, tables of content, and headings and
subheadings to organize information. - Do Something to Remember Key Information
Be active! Generate examples, create mnemonics, make
summary notes, identify key words, highlight textbooks, or
add margin notes. Improve your memory by being creative
and interested. - Think You'll Remember Key Points? Prove It.
No matter how well you understand something, without
practice forgetting will occur. Before a test, recall
information without looking at notes or textbooks and by
doing practice questions. - Be Test Smart
Don't lose marks because of test-writing errors. Use
strategies to tackle different types of tests (e.g., multiple-
choice). Read instructions, budget time to marks, and do
less difficult questions first to build confidence.
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/index.html?tentt
- Set aside a place for study and study only!
Find a specific place (or places) that you can use
for studying (for example, the campus libraries,
vacant classrooms, quiet areas in the student
center, bedroom at home, etc.)
Make a place specific to studying. You are trying to
build a habit of studying when you are in this
place. So, don't use your study space for social
conversations, writing letters, daydreaming, etc.
Insure that your study area has the following:
ventilation
a comfortable chair, but not too comfortable
a desk large enough to spread out your
materials
Insure that your study area does not have the
following:
a distracting view of other activities that you
want to be involved in
a telephone
a loud stereo
a 27-inch color TV
a roommate or friend who wants to talk a lot
a refrigerator stocked with goodies
- Divide your work into small, short-range goals.
Don't set a goal as vague and large as ... "I am
going to spend all day Saturday studying!" You will
only set yourself up for failure and
discouragement.
Take the time block that you have scheduled for
study and set a reachable study goal. (for
example: finish reading 3 sections of chapter
seven in my Psych. text, or complete one math
problem, or write the rough draft of the
introduction to my English paper, etc.)
Set your goal when you sit down to study but
before you begin to work.
Set a goal that you can reach. You may, in fact, do
more than your goal but set a reasonable goal
even if it seems too easy.
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/concentr.html
- Set your goals and priorities for the semester and then develop a plan for achieving each goal.
Some of your goals may relate to your education; others may concern such areas as personal
growth, physical fitness, relationships, etc.
B. Example Plan
1. Attend all classes.
2. Turn in all homework on time.
3. Study 4 hours daily.
- Gain control of your study environment.
there but study.
B. Arrange to study regularly; allot some time each day for study.
- Learn to manage your time effectively.
B. Make a daily list of things to do. Assign each item a priority rating, and assign each "A" priority a
time slot.
1. "A" priority is assigned to tasks that have high value to you. These are tasks that you want to
do because they will help you meet your goals. Also included in this category are tasks that
have immediate deadlines.
2. "B" priority is assigned to tasks that have medium value.
3. "C" priority is assigned to tasks that have low value; these tasks can be put off or left
undone entirely.
C. Recognize that priorities can change. What was a "C" task last week may become an "A" or "B"
task because the deadline is approaching.
D. Ask yourself two questions.
1. "Is what I'm doing now helping me achieve my goals?"
2. "What will happen if I don't do this?"
- Encourage yourself to study through rational thinking.
example, "There's not time for both study and fun" can be changed to "There's plenty of time for
both study and fun when I use my time effectively."
B. Eliminate thinking that results in procrastination. For example, statements like "I have plenty of
time to do my project" often result in putting the project off until the last minute.
C. Develop a positive attitude toward schoolwork.
1. View school work as helping you achieve your long range goals.
2. Look for points of interest and practical application in each subject.
3. Get to know each of your professors. Knowing your profs will help you become more
positive about your courses, and it will make it easier to seek help from them if you need it.
Source: Texas A&M University, http://ccvillage.buffalo.edu/vpc.html
