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Study Skills. You too can succeed in college with helpful and innovative study skills. Active Learning. The key to succeeding in any class requires: Effective note-taking Active listening Active studying Active reading Daily study/reading. Active Learning. Preparing for class
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Study Skills You too can succeed in college with helpful and innovative study skills.
Active Learning • The key to succeeding in any class requires: • Effective note-taking • Active listening • Active studying • Active reading • Daily study/reading
Active Learning • Preparing for class • Be well-rested for class. • Arrive on time with a note-book, writing implement, textbook, and all other requisite materials. • Avoid distractions by leaving your phone (and similar devices) in your car, or set to silent and keep in pocket/bag.
Active Learning • Be Prepared • Instructors usually always post important documents in Moodle. Always check them BEFORE class. • Print out PowerPoint slides before class to annotate them as the lecture occurs. • Read the syllabus and all other important documents on the first day of the semester. Print out schedules and due date lists.
Active Listening • Remove headphones from your ears. • Face your instructor. • Sit near the front of the room. • Make eye contact with your instructor. • In groups, follow the same guidelines.
Active Learning • Effective Note-taking • One note-book per class (taking notes on computer rarely works; and on the phone NEVER works). • Date each set of notes. • Focus on writing only important information: • Copy info the instructor repeats or writes on the board. • Write down corresponding textbook pages from lectures and/or PowerPoint slides to read later. • Make sure to write down major discussion topics and important details.
Active Studying • Study Cards • Write down vocabulary words, formulas, major words or ideas on one side of an index card. • Write down definitions, answers, and supporting details on the other. • Review the cards daily by saying them aloud. • Ask a partner to flash the cards to you so you can answer them. • Flip through these quickly before tests.
Active Reading • Your textbook is there to help! • Make sure you read what is assigned. • Read entire chapters as instructors often will not give specific pages, only chapter numbers. • Be an active reader by highlighting, underlining, circling, and otherwise annotating your text as you read.
Active Reading • Set reading goals • Pre-reading • Why am I reading this? • What questions do I have? • What do I want to learn? • What will be on my test?
Active Reading • Reading • Make notes as you read. • Highlight and underline relevant information. • Repeat the main ideas of a paragraph after reading it for a comprehension check. • Answer questions as you read.
Active Reading • Post-reading • What questions do you have after reading? • What questions have been answered? • What else do you need to read to understand the main idea? • What research do you need to complete?
Active Studying • Mnemonic Devices • “Material that is difficult to master can be organized by finding key words in each point, noting the first letter, and arranging them into a valid or nonsense word” (Algier n.p). • Example: What are the common conjunctions in the English language? FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) • What are the formulas for Sine, Cosign, and Tangent? (Some Old Hippie Caught Another Hippie Tripping On Acid) Sine = Opposite ÷ Hypotenuse; Cosine = Adjacent ÷ Hypotenuse; Tangent = Opposite ÷ Adjacent
Active Studying • Memory • Association is key to memory • You remember about 10% of what you read. • You remember about 20% of what you hear. • You remember about 30% of what you see. • You remember about 50% of what you hear/see together. • You remember about 70% of what you say. • You remember about 90% of what you do. (Algier n.p.).
Active Studying • Final Tips • You will not learn through osmosis; be active in class! • Always ask questions when you do not understand. • Visit your professor during his/her office hours. • Form study groups with peers. • Read what you are required to read.
Active Studying • Final Tips Continued • Do not skip classes. • Stay organized (date notes, keep folders, etc.). • Seek tutoring as soon as possible, if needed. • Review notes and study cards every day, not just the day before a test (cramming the day before will only stress you and you may do poorly).
Works Cited • Algier, Ann. Everything You Need To Know About Studying. www.dartmouth.edu. n.p. n.d. Print.
Works Referenced • Deese, James and Ellin K. Deese. How To Study And Other Skills For College, 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994.Print. • Gardener, John N. and Betsey O. Barefoot. Step By Step To College and Career Success, 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. Print. • Greene, Lawrence J. StudyWise: A Program for Maximizing Your Learning Potential. New Jersey: Pearson, 2004. Print.
Works Referenced • Piscitelli, Steve. Study Skills: Do I Really Need This Stuff? New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2004. Print. • Stone, Megan. Study Strategies. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print.