Study Tips
Studying effectively is a process, not an event. The process leads to success!
10 Tips for Meaningful Learning- Break up study sessions into smaller amounts of time rather than a large block of time right before the test.
- Focus your attention; remove as many distractions as you can.
- Study in a way that is similar to the way you will be tested. Study in an environment that mimics the test environment.
- Learning is accumulative. New ideas must be incorporated with previous material from lectures, readings, and any other assignments such as labs. You have to continuously make the connection in your mind from new material to previously learned material and/or experiences.
- Find ways to effectively organize information in readings and in your notes so they make sense to you. If something is confusing….ask questions!! (Note Taking tips)
- Use tree diagrams, charts and mnemonic devices.
- Rhyme. A rhyme is a poem or verse that uses words that end with the same sound. Example: Thirty days has September, April, June, and November. All the rest have thirty-one except February which has twenty-eight.
- Acronym. An acronym is a word that can be pronounced that is made by using the first letter of other words. Example: The names of the five Great Lakes in the U.S. form the acronym HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).
- Abbreviation. An abbreviation is a group of letters made from the first letter of each word to be remembered. Example: FBI is an abbreviation for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- Acrostic. An acrostic sentence or phrase is formed by words beginning with the first letter of each word to be remembered. Example: The phrase very active cat might be used to recall the three typed of blood vessels in the human body: veins, arteries, capillaries.
- Pegwords. A pegword is a word that helps you remember something by forming a picture in your mind. Pegwords are used to remember lists of things. Each pegword helps you remember one thing. If you memorize 10 pegwords, then you can use them to remember 10 things. If you memorize 20 pegwords, you can remember 20 things.
- Use flashcards and carry them with you to review while you wait in line, at the doctor’s office, etc.
- Strive to over-learn!!
- Teach someone else what you are learning. It is the perfect way to see if you really know the material.
- Don’t forget to take study breaks. For every 30 to 40 minute study session take a 5 minute break. Get up, walk around, stretch, drink some water. Taking regular breaks refreshes your mind so you can concentrate better and retain more.
When studying it is important make meaningful connections to what you already know.
Just remember there is no point in re-reading something if you have no idea what you are reading!!!
Four Ways to Forget- Disuse. Information not periodically used withers and disappears. Do you remember all of your previous telephone numbers?
- Interference. It is easy to confuse materials that are similar and related. When confused, we are more likely to forget which is which. Learning two similar foreign languages at the same time may present some problems.
- Repression. We have very strong systems of belief. Sometimes what we learn doesn't fit with what we believe. When in conflict, odds are our beliefs will win. Believing that we are no good at remembering names will make it all that much more difficult to learn new names.
- Not learning it in the first place. This is probably the number one culprit in forgetting. Even if we've been exposed to something, unless we solidify the learning we are not likely to remember it.
- 10% of what we read
- 20% of what we hear
- 30% of what we see
- 50% of what we see and hear
- 70% of what we talk about with others
- 80% of what we experience personally
- 95% of what we teach to others