Tips on how to Improve YOUR Grades!

1. Tips on how to Improve YOUR Grades! Danielle Handsor Educational Development Centre, Dillon Hall

2. Presentation Overview • Note Taking • Reviewing Your Class Notes • Reading Textbooks • Studying and Test Taking • Your GPA

3. Note Taking

4. Active Listening • It is impossible to write down everything your professor says therefore you must listen actively and distinguish the important material covered

5. Active vs. Passive Listening

6. Note Taking • Why take notes? • To become an active part of the listening process • To have written criteria to follow when studying • Some situations when you should be taking notes: • When the instructor is making a major point • When the material is presented on an overhead, chalkboard, whiteboard or similar medium • If your professor distributes a handout, it is usually a good idea to take notes on it as the professor reviews.

7. Note Taking • Tips for effective note taking: • Attend class- there is no substitute • Come to class prepared- E.g. Have assigned readings completed. It is easier to take notes when you are already familiar with the material that will be discussed. • Bring the proper materials- E.g. Textbook, pen, highlighter etc. • Ask questions and participate in class!

8. Note Taking • Principles for basic note taking: • Always date your notes • Keep notes from each class separate (E.g. Use dividers) • Use your own shorthand system • Incorporate related handouts with appropriate notes • Write on one side of the page only • Mark main ideas with a star • Take down examples that are given

9. Reviewing Your Class Notes

10. Reviewing Your Class Notes • Reviewing your class notes on the same day you take them! • Look over your class notes and make sure that they are complete and accurate • Make note of anything that was confusing

11. Reviewing Your Class Notes • Based on a 1 hour lecture • Day 1- Leave the lecture knowing 100% of what you know • Day 2- If you have done nothing with the information you will have lost 50-80% of what you learned • Day 7- We remember even less • Day 30- We only retain about 2-3% of the original hour

12. Reviewing Your Class Notes • Day 2- If you spend 10 minutes reviewing after the lecture you will raise the curve to 100% • Day 7- It only takes 5 minutes to re-activate the material • Day 30- You will only need 2-4 minutes to reactive the material • If you don’t review it will take you 40-50 minutes to re-learn each hour of material

13. Reading Textbooks

14. Reading Textbooks • Reading is an active process • Use the Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review (SQ3R) reading method: • Survey: Pre-read an assigned chapter (headings, vocabulary, illustrations, tables, chapter summary). Surveying also includes reading the first and last sentence in a paragraph. • Question: Who, what, when, where and why? If you cannot answer the questions, you should find the answers as you read along.

15. Reading Textbooks • Read: Read slowly and carefully. Cannot skip this step even though it is time consuming. Do not move ahead if you don’t understand the previous section. Take notes and highlight. Several methods of taking notes include: charts, outlines, key words, mind maps, flash cards, summaries and time lines. • Recite: Discuss the material you just read with a friend or recite the information aloud • Review:Survey the chapter once more. Look at highlighted areas and notes. This step will help you store and retain this information in long-term memory.

16. Studying & Test Taking

17. Studying • Before you begin studying find out the format of your test and what it will cover (E.g. Is the entire exam short answer? Is the exam cumulative?). • Go through your notes, texts, related primary sources and handouts, and then set aside materials you don’t need • Seek information from people who have already taken the course: • how difficult the instructor’s tests are, whether they focus primarily on assigned readings or on class notes etc.

18. Studying • Prepare a study schedule- consider your study materials, the number of days until the test, and the time you can study each day • Use the 3Q3R reading method when reviewing your materials • Take a pretest- E.g. Some textbooks have questions at the end of every chapter. If this is not the case create your own test questions.

19. Studying • There are many benefits to studying with others- whether it is one other person or a group • Study buddies can help you to: • Enhance understanding of your course material • Master key concepts • Review for tests and exams • Work with others with whom you feel comfortable and whom you believe to be dependable • Assign work and a set schedule

20. Studying • How to prepare physically: • Get adequate amounts of sleep- adequate amounts of sleep have an impact on your memory • Eat healthy- Avoid foods high in sugar. • Avoid large amounts caffeine- Too much caffeine can make it difficult to focus • 3 meals a day- Eating nothing leaves you drained, and eating too much food can make you sleepy

21. Test Taking • General strategies to help you succeed on tests: • Write down key facts- Before you even look at the exam write down key information (E.g. Formulas, definitions etc) • Begin with an overview of the exam- Take a few minutes and look through the exam. Take into consideration the number of questions in each section, and their point values. Use this information to schedule your time.

22. Test Taking • Read test directions- (E.g. Only answer 80 of the 100 multiple choice questions) • Begin with the easy questions- Begin with those that seem easiest to you. You can answer these questions quickly, leaving more time for questions that require greater effort. • Watch the clock- keep track of how much time is left and how you are progressing

23. Communicating With Your Professors • At the beginning of every semester you should drop by your professors office, during his/her office hours and introduce yourself • Take advantage of your professor's and teaching assistants (T.A.) office hours • If you are having difficulty with the course material meet immediately with your professor or T.A.

24. What Is Your GPA? • The marks obtained in all courses taken at the University of Windsor are used to calculate your cumulative average • How can you improve your GPA? • Repeat failed or low grade courses: • If you repeat a course the second grade counts, even if you receive a lower grade in your second attempt • You are only allowed to repeat a course once • Remember to select “Repeat” from the drop down menu when registering for courses on SIS

25. Voluntary Withdrawal • What is voluntary withdrawal (VW)? • Students have 9 weeks at the beginning of a new semester to withdraw from a course (see important dates on the SIS system) • Students who fail to withdraw from a course before the VW date remain registered in the course and must take grades as assigned • On your transcript a VW is preferred over a low grade • Students who VW from a required course are encouraged to repeat the course as soon as possible, when the learned material is still fresh in their memory • Students who VW from an optional course may try re-taking the course with another professor in a different semester

26. References Carter., Bishop., Kravits., Maurin. (2004). Keys to success (3rd Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON: Prentice- Hall Canada Inc. Casady. (2002). Getting the college edge. Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. Montgomery, R., Moody, P., Sherfield, R., Fraser, L., & Fraser, D. (1997). Cornerstone building on your best (Canadian ed.).Scarborough, ON: Prentice- Hall Canada Inc. University of Waterloo (n.d.). Curve of forgetting. Retrieved November 13, 2008, from http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocs/study/curve.html