Study Skills

Hi 705!

Here's the notes from our conversation on study skills. Hope it helps, and remember these are skills that need to be learned and practiced. The more consistently you apply them the more studying will become a relaxing, contemplative process. See you tomorrow!

Mr. B


The Set-up

1. Study in a quiet room free from distractions. Your bedroom with the door closed is probably your best option. If you enjoy listening to music while you work, make sure it's music without lyrics.

2. Work on a clean desk without a lot of clutter in your visual field. That means your desk should be free of everything but what you need to study. The wall in front of you should be clear as well. This will help keep you focused.

3. You'll need your text book, your notes, a pen/pencil, and a highlighter can be handy.



The Process

1. Make sure all of your notes are complete. Go through your sheets and fill in any blanks you missed and answer any questions you were assigned that you didn't finish.

2. Read through your glossary. Read the terms and their definitions and highlight all the ones you are unsure of. Keep your glossary out of your binder and beside you as you study.

3. Read through your notes. Go chronologically through your notes (that means start with the earliest notes and work towards the most recent ones). As you read through your notes, have your textbook open to the pages that have the same information, look at the illustrations and examples and try to think of some of your own. When you get to one of the terms you highlighted on your glossary, read the explanation in your notes AND in the text. If you still don't quite get in, put a star beside it, go online and do a bit of extra research.

4. Have someone quiz you. This is REALLY helpful in studying. Have someone read a term to you from the glossary that you then have to define. Or have them read you a definition and you have to say the term. Also, have them go through your notes and ask you more detailed questions. Ex. Explain the cycle of water. This will force you to rely on your memory for the information.

5. Go back and look at the things that you had a hard time explaining while you were being tested.



* Remember, it's better to study for shorter periods more frequently. So set a timer and put it behind you. Study for thirty minutes, then take a break. Come back later and study for another thirty minutes. Do that a few times and before you know if you've studied for two hours... or more!