By Debra Fazio

For Effective Study Strategies you need to:Be open-mindedMake learning meaningfulHave the desire to practice and improve your retention

Learn how to learn

Effective Study Strategies Need:Open-Mindedness – keeping your

mind free and clear of distractions

Meaningful learning– you must take responsibility for your learning

Practice – review your learning experiences often

Effective Study Strategies Need:Concentration - can be increased by

developing your study habits, using time efficiently, & become involved with the learning task quickly

Making sense – relate learning to real world or to our own experiences

Critical thinking – question, summarize, & redefine new concepts and ideas

Studying involves:Reading TextbooksTaking NotesListeningHow you go about studyingConcentration and MemoryMotivation

Reading TextbooksLearn to Speed ReadSkim and ScanSQ3R

Taking NotesMake notes briefPut notes in your own wordsOutlines help organize major and minor thoughts

Use the Cornell Note taking method

ListeningBe ready for the messageListen for the main ideasListen for new ideasUnderstand what your hearingRepeat mentallyAsk questionsListen to the whole messageRespect all ideasDecide what is important and what is notSort, organize, and categorize

How you StudyOriginal learningEarly reviewIntermediate reviewFinal review

Concentration and MemoryHave a routine study environmentStudy as early in the day as possible

Deal with distracters and interferences

Set time goalsTake breaks

MotivationSet study goalsLearn activelyPlan out your study timeWork with study groups or with one other person

Myths about Studying1. Studying more/longer results in good

grades.2. There’s one study system everyone can

use.3. Knowing the course material is enough.4. Cramming the night before will keep

material fresh.5. Writing has very little impact on

learning.

Smart StudentsAre not the most talented or the hardest

workingKnow the rules of good gradesLearn more in less time, & get more

satisfaction out of the learning processKnow you can teach yourself better than

anyone else can

Cyber LearningProcess by which you take control of your

own educationBegins w/ dialogingAsk about purpose, prior knowledge, big

picture, expert questions, summarize information, picture, & hooks for remembering

Five Rules to Improve your Grades

1. You must want to achieve better grades.

2. Identify your strengths and weaknesses.3. Studying requires a daily commitment.4. Get help early when you need it.

5. Set reasonable and achievable goals.

Five Tips from Students1. Study in small chunks instead of one long

period.2. Review guide sheets and assignments from

which test questions will be taken from.3. Develop a system that works for you.4. Learn what the professor/teacher expects.5. Maintain a healthy brain (through physical

exercise, mental exercise, good nutrition, and stress management).

GPA of SuccessoGoal – reflects your wants and needs

oPlan – route you plan to take to reach your goal. It should be effective and specific.

oAction – brings your plan to life. Requires self-discipline & power over procrastination

Manage your TimeoYou must develop time management skills! o If you want to enjoy your life, give time to

your family &/or friends, & fulfill your responsibilities; you need to have control over your schedule.

oFive – ten minutes each day, plug in your schedule.

oYou need a daily calendar and a paper to update your daily list.

Update Calendar Each MorningRecord all your to-dos & deadlines on

your calendar.Jot down new tasks & assignments on

your list during the day.Next morning transfer these new

items from your list onto your calendar.Then take a couple of minutes to plan

your day.

Sample ListWednesday, January 12, 2011Today’s Schedule Things to Remember8-9:40 – DEV 064 Reading - copy handouts for

Thursday classes10:00 – 11:40 DEV 065 Reading - grade papers 12-1 p.m. – Study Skills Workshop - send out messages to

missing students3 – check w/ family - get food ready for tomorrows

dinner- Where everyone needs to be5-5:45 – prepare dinner7:15 - take daughter to gymnastics

Study Plans

A.S.P.I.R.E.Approach – positive attitude, avoiding

distractions, & making time for studySelect – studying in reasonable chunks of time,

selecting key materials to reviewPiece together - summarize material you’re

studyingInvestigate – find alternative sources for

information you don’t understandReflect – apply the concepts your learning to

make them more interesting & easier to remember

Evaluate – examining your performance

Mind-mappingMind maps are created around a central word, idea, or theme

Create branches to other major concepts related to the central word

From there continue to create branches from every word or concept you add to the map

MnemonicsTechniques that help you remember thingsMemory hooksSimply gimmicksCome in handy when you have masses of

information to memorizeThey help you remember information, but

they do not help you understand it.

Using MnemonicsRead out loud.Write it down.Create acronyms.Create acrostics.Use rhythms, rhymes, and jingles.Make associations.Create mental and key word

images.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

M.U.R.D.E.R.Mood – right attitude &environmentUnderstanding – marking what you don’t

understand so you can go back to it laterRecall – bring to mind key informationDigest – going back to the material you did

not understand, & try to comprehend it Expand - apply the concepts you’re learning

to make them more interesting and easier to remember

Review – going over material until you are confident that you know it

P.O.R.P.E.Predict – determine the most important

concepts & formulate questions to deepen you understanding of the material

Organize – summarizing key information and outline answers to your predicted questions

Rehearse – reciting aloud key information & quizzing your memory of the material

Practice – answering predicted questions from memory

Evaluate – assessing answers to make sure they contain critical information and concrete examples

Dialogue With the AuthorCreate a dialogue with the author, even

thought the author doesn’t talk backTake an active role in your reading of the textQuestion the author’s reasoning and

informationMay get answers to your questions several

pages laterMakes learning interestingGets you thinking and keeps you focused

SQ3RSurvey – gathering, skimming, and reviewing

the informationQuestion – raising issues as you are surveyingRead – rereading material & looking for

answers to the questions you raised previouslyRecite – Rereading material & putting

concepts into your own wordsReview – going over material until you know it

4Rs SystemReducing – organizing all course information &

condensing it into small chunks Reciting – speaking aloud about reduced

material without looking at it – talking through ideas in your own words

Reflecting – thinking about what you learned and connecting it with what your prior knowledge

Reviewing – going through your notes, several more times, concentrating on areas of weakness, until you understand all the material

3Rs SystemRead – read the material once

Recite – as much as you can remember

Review – read & skim material again to get key concepts and major details

Flash CardsGood for classes with a lot of terminology

or vocabularyHelpful for remembering materialReal strength of flash cards is testing

yourself on the conceptsAn alternative to words on one side and

definitions on the other is questions on one side and answers on the other

Use them to quiz yourself

Study GroupsBenefitsSee the material from different perspectivesStay motivated because the group needs youCommit more time to studyingGroup discussions help you learn the

materialShare class notes and other materialPick up new study tips & habits

Review SessionsProfessor heldChance to ask questions

Participate in discussions

Develop your own study planAction What it Entails

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BibliographyBooksBergreen, Gary. Copying with Study Strategies.

New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 1990. Print.

Fry, Ron. How to Study. New York: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2005. Print.

Gardner, John N.; and Barefoot, Betsy O. Step by Step to College and Career Success. 3rd Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. Print.

Geoffrion, Sondra. Get Smart Fast: A Handbook for Academic Success. Saratoga, CA: R & E Publishers, 1986. Print.

BibliographyHansen, Katharine; & Hansen, Randall S. Study

Skills. New York: Alpha Books. 2008. Print.Learning Express. Test-Taking Power Strategies.

New York: Learning Express LLC: New York, 2007. Print.

Newport, Cal. How to Become a Straight – A Student. New York: Broadway Books. 2007. Print.

Robinson, Adam. What Smart Students Know. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1993. Print.

Smith, Brenda. Bridging the Gap. New York: Pearson Longman. 2008. Print.