Study Tips

Successful students have good study habits.  Try to make this part of your life.
Study sessions:

• Divide your study material into digestible portions.

Try not to do too much studying at one time. Research shows that you will learn more if you study a topic for a short period on three separate occasions rather than studying for a longer period just once. Taking short breaks will restore your mental energy.

• Plan specific times for studying.
  Try to study at the same times each day - this establishes a routine that becomes a regular part of your life, just like sleeping and eating. 
• Set specific goals for study times.
  Goals will help you stay focused and monitor your progress. Simply sitting down to study has little value. You must be very clear about what you want to accomplish during your study times.


• Start studying when planned.
  Don’t delay starting your studying because you don't like an assignment or think it is too hard. You may rush to make up the time you wasted getting started, resulting in careless work and errors.


• Work on the assignment you find most difficult first.

Start with your most difficult assignment since this is when you have the most mental energy.

• Get rid of distractions that can interrupt you

Eliminate or minimize noise and visual distractions. If need be, study away from the window, ask your housemates to ignore you and shut off your phone, ipod, television, radio etc.

• Create an appropriate study environment.
  Many students have a difficult time keeping up with their studies merely because they feel frustrated and uncomfortable when they sit down to begin.  In order to have a productive session, you must be in an environment that allows for full concentration. The bed is probably not the best choice... Also look at things like lighting, orderly desk space, comfortable seating and adequate stationary.

 
Taking good notes:

• For each of your classes, spend a few minutes going over the notes you took that day – filling in gaps, clarifying points, thinking about the major concepts.
• Use a two-column system for taking notes, with headings or questions to the left and details on the right. When it's time to study, cover the right side of the notes and quiz yourself.
• Stop at the end of a paragraph or section to highlight a phrase or to write a brief note in the margin.
• Focus on charts, diagrams, and outlines, especially in the sciences.
• If the textbook is very difficult, buy a review book or look online for a summary of the material.

Do more than memorise:

• Most courses require that you do more than simply fill your head with isolated facts. Be sure to paraphrase ideas and relate one idea to another. For example look for similarities and differences.
• Study with another student or with a group. Having to tell them your ideas and facts out loud will help to deepen your understanding.
• Focus on examples because they frequently help you understand complex ideas.
• Visualize the information if you can. (Half of your brain works in pictures, so use that half.)
• Actively look for areas of confusion. Talk with teachers after class and ask them to explain whatever you find confusing.

Decide What to Learn:

• Narrow your focus. If you try to learn everything that might possibly be tested, you may spread yourself too thin and not be able to learn anything thoroughly.
• Ask yourself what you would test if you were the teacher.
• Pay close attention to the following: study guides, review sessions, topics mentioned in the class before the exam, material written on the board or overhead.
• Ask other students what they think will be on the exam. Talk to the teacher.

Review Tools:

• Develop summary sheets, charts, or diagrams to help with review. Be brief. You don't want to simply recopy your notes; you are trying to condense and shorten.
• Use flashcards sparingly. Some students spend hours making cards but don't allow enough time to actually use them. Cards can be useful for memorizing isolated facts, but they are not as helpful for learning ideas. 

How to remember what you study:

• Don't simply stuff your head with facts; think of a method for recalling each idea or fact. Relate the new information to something you already know.
• Write concepts on a board (the large size seems to help).
• Walk around while reciting your notes or quizzing yourself.
• Avoid marathon study sessions; instead, review frequently and in small time periods with plenty of breaks.
• Each time you sit down to study, use a mixture of study activities. For example, you might read your textbook for a while, then apply the concepts to a few problems, and finally memorize a set of terms or formulas.

Practice Examinations:

• Spend a significant amount of study time on testing yourself. Retrieval helps cement material into your memory. The other advantage is that you will be able to tell how well you know the material and how much more time you need to spend studying.
• Ask the teacher or older students for a copy of an old exam or at least a few sample questions. See how he/she words questions and which questions occurs regularly in exam papers.
• Give yourself 2 to 4 practice exams before taking an exam in a problem solving course such as math, physics, or chemistry. If the teacher makes a practice exam available, use that as a model and write your own additional exams. Also use questions at the end of a chapter.

Do at least one timed practice exam. Many exams can be difficult to finish in time, so you need to practice working under time constraints.