PLEASE share your study

Saysfaa · Sep 7, 2010

Study tips:

- stay ahead of the curve (in other words: don't play catch-up)

- keep in mind what the prof wants (both what is important info and what he likes/dislikes in his classroom and in the work done for him)

- work "smart" as much as "hard" (don't spend a gazillion hours on something that isn't worth much and not have enough time to get something that is worth a lot).

- use multiple methods to study.

Organization:

- I put the syllabus, calendar and/or outlines of what will be covered before the next test into clear page protectors and use them as dividers in my three ring binder that has all the handouts and notes. I use pocket dividers in the three ring binder for some classes.

- I decorate the paper I slide into the front cover of the binder with the most important thing to learn for that section. I write/draw big enough to see it easily.

- I might put more than one class into one binder. I'd rather switch papers around at home than carry everything all the time. Not at the expense of doing well in a class, though. Some classes need all the info available all the time.

- I usually take a pocket folder too, just in case, but I use the binders a lot more.

Time management:

- my grandma used to say "the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get", Swenson put it "leave margin" in your schedule, your finances, your diet, your energy level, etc. I plan enough time to get things done or else trim out or move enough that I can get done without hurrying (with margin). Which doesn't mean I never hurry. Life happens sometimes but this way there is room for it to happen without sinking me.

- The 80/20 rule is surprisingly accurate in everything from what time of day I study to which things I spend my time on when I study.

soxgirl2008 · Sep 7, 2010

- Read the material BEFORE the class. (Example: If you know your Wednesday lecture is going to be on chapter 2, read chapter 2 before Wednesday) It helps you understand it at least a little so it's not completely foreign to you when the professor is going over it.

gtshin30303 · Sep 7, 2010

3 steps to studying

1. Read the chapter in the textbook before the lecture. That way, the material in the lecture will be familiar.

2. After class, rewrite the lecture notes. Make flashcards or cover parts of the notes with one hand and try to recite the covered parts. This step takes the longest.

3. Practice questions from old tests or quizzes from previous semesters, from the book, or from the study guides on the internet.