Study Skills for Life

1. Study Skills for Life

2. Why Study Skills? This class will help all students: • overcome study issues • identify common study problems • develop better study patterns

3. Learning is an active process. If you don’t participate in learning, you will not be successful. Each step in the learning process takes effort on your part.

4. Do you, as a student: • Have goals you want to achieve? • Know how to study? • Understand your learning style? • Understand time management? • Use a calendar or planner? • Plan to attend all classes?

5. 7. Maintain an organized notebook or binder? • Know how to take notes? • Read the text books effectively? 10. Memorize class material and are recallit for tests? 11.Take tests successfully?

6. What is covered in Study Skills classes? • Goal Setting • What YOU want • How to ACHIEVE it • Effective Study Habits • When • Where • How much, daily • Identify Your Learning Style • Visual • Auditory • Kinesthetic • Time Management • Use a planner or calendar • Attend all classes • Organization • Notebook or Binder • Tabs • Critical Thinking • Taking Notes • How to take notes • What to listen for • How to use your notes • Read a Text Book • Reading speed • Skimming • Scanning • Memorization • How to effectively memorize material • Mnemonic aides • Test Taking • True/False • Multiple Choice • Fill-in-the-Blank • Essay

7. Goals College Degree Trade School Certified Job Management Position More Money …..

9. Goal Setting What do YOUwant? A goalis something you want to achieve. It can be either short-term or long-term. • Short-term goal - something you want to achieve soon. • Set short-term goals for yourself • Today • This week • This month • Long-term goals– something you want to achieve in the distant future. • Set long-term goals for yourself • Complete college? • New Job? • New Car? • New House?

10. Characteristics of Appropriate Goals Your goals should be: • within your skills and abilities. • realistic. • flexible. • measurable. • within your control.

11. Let’s Set Some Goals! To set a goal, you should state WHAT you will do and WHEN you will do it. Implied in each goal is your WILL (determination) to do it. • Short-term Goals Today, Tomorrow, This Month… • Goal 1 - ________________________________________________ • Goal 2 - ________________________________________________ • Goal 3 - ________________________________________________ • Long-term Goals College, Job, Car, House, etc. • Goal 1 - ________________________________________________ • Goal 2 - ________________________________________________ • Goal 3 - ________________________________________________

12. How do I get there from here? • Set Goals and Update Often • Goals must be updated often . • Some may take more time than you planned, so don’t give up! • When goals are accomplished, add new ones. • Seek Support • Spouse or Significant Other • Children • Parents • Employer • Eliminate Transportation Issues • Have a car, GREAT! • Ride with a classmate you can depend on • Have a support group member drive you • Take a bus

13. It’s Study Time!

14. Effective Study Habits Study Time: • Find a place to study that is best for you • Have everything you need to study, nearby while you study. • Reward yourself for hard work. • Create a checklist of all the tasks you need to do before you begin to study. • Keep a “worry pad” while you study.

15. Procrastination! What is procrastination? – Putting off or avoiding to do something that must be done. • Its natural to procrastinate occasionally. However, excessive procrastination can result in guilt feelings and anxiety about not doing a task when it should be done. • Procrastination can interfere with school and personal success.

16. Procrastination! Why do students procrastinate? • Perfectionism • Fear of Failure • Confusion • Poor Motivation • Task Difficulty • Difficulty Concentrating • Task Unpleasantness • Lack of priorities

17. How to Eliminate procrastination! Motivate yourself to work on a task. Tell yourself things such as: “There’s no time like the present.” or “The quicker I start, the quicker I’m finished.” Prioritize the tasks you have to do. Commit your self to completing a task once you’ve started it. Reward yourself when the task is complete. Work on tasks at the times you work best. Break large tasks down into small, manageable parts. Make a schedule of the tasks you have to do and stick to it. Work on the smaller tasks first. This leaves more time for the difficult and time consuming tasks. Find a good place to work that is free of distractions. Take breaks when working on a task so you don’t wear down.

18. Use a Study System Break large assignments, such as essays or research papers, into smaller tasks. Study least difficult subjects first. Take breaks. Reward yourself. Study from YOUROWN textbooks! Do Not share books with a friend.

19. I like your Learning Style! Visual Auditory Tactile

20. Discover and Use Your Learning Style It is the key to successful learning. Like everything else about you, your learning style is uniquely your own, different from anyone else’s. It is the conditions under which you find it easiest and most pleasant to learn and work.

21. VISUALLearner • Prefer visual sense. • Must seeto understand. • Learns best by reading and watching.

22. AUDITORYLearner • Prefers auditory sense. • Must hearto understand. • Learns best by listening to an explanation.

23. TACTILELearner • Prefers tactile sense. • Must touchorfeelto understand. • Learns best by engaging in hands-on activity.

24. What are your learning preferences? I learn best by reading on my own. I get the best results from listening to lectures. I enjoy courses where there is some physical activity. I can learn how to do something by watching a demonstration of how it’s done. Class discussions are helpful to me. I like to type and to use the computer. Illustrations, charts, and diagrams improve my understanding. I’d rather listen to the teacher’s explanation than to do the assigned reading.

25. 9. I get more out of lab classes than lectures because of the hands-on approach. • How-to manuals and printed directions are helpful to me. • I like to use audio lessons and exercises. • I’d rather work with machines and equipment than listen to or read explanations. • I can learn to do something if someone shows me how. • I can follow directions best when someone reads them to me. • It’s not enough to show me; I have to do it myself.

26. What these say about me… • If you checked 1, 4, 7, 10, and 13 you have the characteristics of a VISUAL LEARNER. • If you checked 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14 you have the characteristics of an AUDITORY LEARNER. • If you checked 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 you have the characteristics of a TACTILE LEARNER. *If your checks spread evenly among 2 or more categories, you may be equally comfortable using one or more of your senses when learning.

27. Let’s Experiment . .

28. Learning Style Experiment . . . Fold your hands. Look at which thumb is on top. Left or Right? Now, fold your hands again so that the other thumb is on top. Does this position feel comfortable to you? Fold your hands your preferred way and notice any difference in feeling.

29. Let’s ADAPT . . . Lecture (Auditory) Media presentations- use of visual aids (Visual) Hands-on activity (Tactile) Take notes.(tactile & visual) Watch for visual cues such as gestures & facial expressions that emphasize important points.(visual) Pay attention to visual aids or written information on the board. (visual) Listen to instructor’s explanations or comments and COPY them into your notes. (auditory & tactile) Summarize presentation in your notes & read it aloud to review. (auditory & visual) Listen to any explanation that accompanies the activity. (auditory)

30. What enables you to put two and two together? How do you know what you know? It’s the magic of CRITICAL THINKING!!!

31. What is “Critical Thinking?” When you think critically you areconscious and aware that you are thinking with a purpose. You areconstructing and evaluating meaning in a logical way that helps you analyze everything you read, see and hear. Critical thinking also involves self-reflection, examining your actions, the consequences and determining whether changes are needed. There are 4 steps to critical thinking: Examine your assumptions Make predictions Sharpen your interpretations Evaluate what you learn.

32. Assumption - is an idea or belief taken for granted. It is based on what we know or have experienced. Assumptions are compelling. Your beliefs, the ideas you take for granted, shape your thoughts and actions. This chart shows how you can examine your assumptions to use them forCritical Thinking. Reading Writing Math Problem Solving Determine what Brainstorm to Determine what Determine what you you already know generate ideas. is given in a assume or believe to be about a topic; build ideas. problem. true about the problem, background for what you think you can reading. or cannot do.

33. Assumption Exercise

34. Assumption Exercise • What can you assume about this man based on his clothing? • What time of day do you assume it is? • Based on his expression, what can you assume about what he is doing? • How do your assumptions about the man in the picture relate to your own experiences?

35. Predictions… Prediction - is a decision made beforehand about the outcome of an event. Predictions are based on assumptions. Because you believe that certain things are true, you expect or believe that certain things will happen. They are usually the result of asking yourself questions and looking for answers. Make Predictions: How you can use Critical Thinking to Make Predictions. Reading Writing Math All Decision Courses Making Turn headings Have a Determine Anticipate Look ahead into questions purpose for the kind of exam questions to the outcome. to guide your writing. Have answer you and make What do you readings. a plan to need: practice tests. think will happen? follow. a fraction? a percent?

36. Predict…

37. Predict… 1. What do you think will happen next? 2. What do you think caused this emotion? 3. What will the outcome be? 4. How did you come up with your answer?

38. Interpretations Interpretation - occurs on 2 levels: literal that is the stated meaning, the author’s or speaker’s main idea and details, and implied that is the suggested meaning-what you can guess or conclude from what is said or deliberately been left out or is unsaid. Interpretations: How you can use interpretations in Critical Thinking. Reading Writing Math Science Decision Making Read for Develop your Identify both Determine Gather facts, learn literal and ideas logically what is significance from experience, implied meaning. and draw valid known and of research and decide, what conclusions. what is findings or you want to do. unknown. lab results.

39. Interpretation… Deep in the Maine woods, On a starless September night, Lights flicker, then go out. Miles from any incandescence, I sit in the middle of fear, Black, thoroughly, And mourn the sudden loss of sight As if it were not temporary. The mind adjusts, takes its measure Of eternity. My book lies open in the dark; I read by lights I cannot see. A writing by Carol Kanar about reading a favorite poem.

40. Interpretation… Deep in the Maine woods, On a starless September night, Lights flicker, then go out. Miles from any incandescence, I sit in the middle of fear, Black, thoroughly, And mourn the sudden loss of sight As if it were not temporary. The mind adjusts, takes its measure Of eternity. My book lies open in the dark; I read by lights I cannot see. A writing by Carol Kanar about reading a favorite poem. • What was the author’s or speaker’s meaning in this writing? • What is implied in the writing? • Are there any unfamiliar words or passages? • What is implied in this writing?

41. Evaluate what you learned. Evaluate- This means you determine the worth or value, and you will judge whether you something is right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair. You use this critical thinking strategy in every aspect of your life. It is a measurement of worth in continuing or stopping an action or situation. Evaluate what you are learning: This is Critical to Thinking and Learning! Reading Writing Math All Problem Courses Solving Determine Evaluate your Use a Learn from Evaluate the reliability writing/work. formula or your mistakes. your plan. Is objectivity, and Proofread to system for Determine why it working? usefulness of find errors; checking you make them Revise plan as online and revise for content your work. and how you can needed, or printed sources. and organization, overcome them. make new plan. edit grammar, etc.

42. To Evaluate… Reliability: Who says so? What are his or her qualifications? How does he or she know? Objectivity What is the purpose? Are all sides of the issue presented? Is the language free of slanted or manipulative words? Usefulness What have I learned? Will I use what I have learned either now or in the future? Does the new knowledge relate to my course of study? Having learned the material, am I now more interested in the topic?

43. What TIME is it? Make your time work for YOU!

44. Time Management Control your time, don’t let it control you. Don’t procrastinate, “get’r done” ! Make effective use of time spent studying.

45. The G.R.A.B. Method “G”Goal Set a goal. “R”Responsibilities Determine your responsibilities. “A”Analysis Analyze where your time goes. “B”Balance Balance work, class, studying, and leisure time.

46. I Love It When a “PLAN” Comes Together!

47. Plan to Work & Work your Plan Use a planner or calendar Schedule everything - school, work, family, etc. Don’t forget anything by writing it in the planner Write assignments, tests and projects in planner by when they are due

48. It all starts NOW…. Enter when classes begin and end, work schedule, special events, other important dates Review the instructor’s syllabus and write in the dates listed, especially tests and assignment due dates Enter any other information, events, or activities you want to include. For example: sporting events, holidays, birthdays, etc. Be sure to leave enough space in square to add items as the month goes on. Consider using differentcolorpens or pencils for the importance of the events you list.

49. Attendance

50. Attendance Don’t miss class! When you miss class, you miss instruction. Skills for each class are taught in sequence. Each lesson builds on the last. Regular attendance lets you know what to expect in order to be successful in the class. Punctuality is essential! If you arrive late, or leave early, you miss instruction.