Study Habits of Effective Students

7 Habits of Highly Effective Students Winning Attitude Organization Time Management Good Listening & Note Taking Study Strategies Test Preparation and Test Taking Stress Management

Cultivating a Winning Attitude

Take a Personal Inventory Define short term and long term life goals -

where does college and my current classes fit in this plan?

What are my personal and academic strengths and weaknesses?

How does my self-talk interfere with studying & academic success?

Studying is My #1 Job!

most of us take our paying job seriously. We know if we don't show up for work we won't get paid. If we slack off - we could lose our jobs or get a poor evaluation.

you're not getting paid for this “school” job now but it's an investment in your future. No one is watching to see if you punch the study time clock but your grades are evidence of how well you're doing THIS job.

thinking of school as a job is a reminder that you're accountable to the boss - YOURSELF! and that school needs to be prioritized along with our life roles (e.g., parent, partner, worker)

Fear Factor

It’s too much!

What if I fail?

I can’t do this…

I’m so behind…

This is a lot of material but I CAN handle it!

I WILL pass this test!

I CAN learn this material!

Giddee-up - let get this study-athon started!

Get Organized

What does the state of your backpack/purse/desk/binders say about your organization habits?

Good organization improves efficiency and decreases stress.

Evaluating & developing your own organization system

Making organization a daily habit

Your Personal Procrastination Profile What are your areas of academic

procrastination? What do you say to yourself to justify

procrastinating? How do you procrastinate?

What you need to do…

Take out your REAL and IDEAL schedules

Uncovering Time Bandits

When do I waste time? When do others waste my time? What time of day am I most and least

productive? What unnecessary tasks can I eliminate to

gain time? When are my big and small chunks of “free”

time?

Time Management Tool Kit

Weekly Schedule (Time Budget Sheet)

Semester CalendarTo Do Lists

Tool #1 - Time Budget Sheet

Block out your sleep time Write in all activities with set/fixed times

(e.g., class, work, meals, meetings). Schedule study time Schedule social and personal time

Time Budget Sheet

6 7 I 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

To Do List:

History

Dev. Rdg.

English

Algebra

IFAS

Consumer Ed.

Scheduling Study Time

Estimate daily study time Match study hours with your most

productive times Schedule toughest subjects at peak

productive times and easier subjects at less productive times

Try to limit your study blocks to 2 hours or less & consider optimal places to study

Tool #2 - Semester Calendar

Big wall calendar Daily/Weekly/Monthly Planner Record major events (e.g., tests, paper

deadlines, application deadlines) As major events approach, plan your study

blocks accordingly

Tool #3 - To Do List

Jot down your list before you go to bed or first thing in the morning

Prioritize items (* may use ABC system) Beware of urge to do lower priority items &

neglect higher priority items Cross off tasks as you complete them Transfer “leftover” items to next day list

To Do List:

Conquering Procrastination

5 Minute Plan Reward yourself for progress -

“Work before you play” Avoid avoiding - feel

the resistance and do it anyway!

Listening & Note Taking

Prepare before lecture (review notes from previous class, check today’s syllabus, preview text material)

Attend class and be on time Develop your own short hand system Listen for major points Learn phrases that signal new topic or

summarize what has been said

After Lecture

Review/clarify/fill in gaps in notes Fill in gaps by additional reading or

questioning professor or other students Identify the main points Review notes regularly to promote long

term memory storage

Reading

Work on increasing your reading speed Beware of Yellow Highlighter syndrome -

it’s easy to highlight material & not remember it. Be selective when highlighting or better yet take notes using your own words.

Make flash cards, carry them with you to review when you have spare time

Reading - SQ3R Method

Survey (think about title, read intro, read summary, read main headings)

Question (use questions at beginning or end of chapter, formulate your own questions by changing headings & subheadings into questions)

Read to answer the questions. Move quickly.

SQ3R Method (continued)

Recite. After each section, stop and see if you can answer your questions from memory using your own words. If not, look back but don’t proceed to next section until you can recite.

Review. At end of chapter, go back over all the questions - see if you can answer them. If not, look back & refresh your memory

Test Preparation

Try to predict questions Don’t reread - skim and stop at material that

you don’t know well The night before the exam: Don’t read

anything for the 1st time or recopy your notes; Do get a good night’s sleep

Don’t cram the night before the exam - start studying early!

Test Taking Strategies

Manage anxiety - deep breathing, reassuring self-talk

Read all directions and questions carefully If you get blocked on a question, move on &

come back to it later Answer easy questions 1st Don’t be concerned with what other students

are doing

Test Taking (continued)

In multiple choice questions, try to eliminate as many responses as you can then make an educated guess

Be aware of potential recall bias - you recognize a term & automatically select it -these questions can be tricky

Write down formulas, equations 1st Check answers if time permits

Stress Management

Recognize Potential Signs of Stress Identify Sources of Stress in Your Life

(e.g., environmental factors, physical factors, your thoughts)

Take steps to manage & reduce stress (deep breathing, exercise, healthy diet, adequate sleep, time management, self-care, relaxing/fun activities, support network)

Stress Management