Our student study expert has compiled a list of the top
ten things you can do to help you study better to prepare
for college:
Studying is not necessarily one of the easiest steps
of the learning process. Some people have learned how
they should memorize and study material, but other people
have never figured out how to actually do it. A lot
of how you should study depends on how you actually
learn. There are tests available to tell you whether
you are a bodily kinesic learner, a verbally linguistic
learner, an auditory learner, etc. Perhaps you learn
best by hearing something, or maybe itās by writing
it. Based on whatever style fits you, you should make
this the foundation of your study habits.
Regardless of your learning style, there are steps
and tips to studying something that can help just about
everyone. It would behoove you to follow them no matter
how you learn, because it generally makes the entire
process much easier. Here they are:
1). Cramming isnāt a good idea. Thereās no
way you can learn an entire test worth of material in
one night, and if you try, you might stress yourself
out enough that you canāt absorb any of it. Then youāre
left with the same situation when finals come around
(oh those dreaded tests that some demented person thought
up) and thatās a big fat ick. Reviewing what youāve
been doing on a daily, or even a weekly basis could
solve these problems come test time.
2). Donāt go for that old gimmick of an upright
chair, a noiseless atmosphere and a pot of coffee to
stay awake. Perhaps those arenāt the best conditions
for you. Yeah, music is OK to study with. In fact, I
sometimes think that reviewing works best when youāre
not as stressed by so such hard concentration. You just
might learn better when youāre more relaxed. Concentration
can break easier when itās been held for a long period
of time on one thing. But be cautious, being too comfortable
doesnāt help either!
3). Yes, highlighters do work. These little
guys come in handy when youāre using note cards or highly
detailed notes for study guides and youāve got an exam
on nothing but facts coming soon. Get rid of useless
details and highlight MAIN POINTS. Your life will be
much easier.
4). If youāre really having trouble, take whatever
you have to memorize with you. Maybe at school you can
take them to different classes and when thereās down
time, review. If you step outside, take them along and
maybe you can catch a glance at them. In your spare
time youāre probably relaxed and awake enough to remember
what you try to study.
5). Do not cause yourself unnecessary stress.
Stress is the student's worst enemy. If you donāt think
you have to study for a test, then donāt. Causing your
mind to fatigue decreases your level of concentration
and that hurts you during test-taking conditions. Only
study if there is material you havenāt yet totally understood,
that way you dontā waste any time.
6). Use all the resources you have available.
If you still donāt understand any notes or information
you have, make use of all of those resources. Thereās
the Internet, libraries, encyclopedias, tutoring programs
(at your school or on computers) and of course, your
friends and teachers. They can explain it to you in
greater depth if you need it.
7). Remember your own human limitations. You
cannot possibly remember everything you study. The human
brain doesnāt have that kind of power. You canāt memorize
every bone in the human body in one day, so donāt try.
Accepting the fact that there are some things outside
your brainās reach is OK. Donāt study for twelve hours
on finals weeks because you donāt remember the middle
names of the first 15 presidents. Just do the best you
can, sorry for the cliche'.
8). OK, youāll probably think I sound like
my teacher is hanging over my shoulder, but I mean it
when I say doing your homework does help. Usually instructors
design your assignments in hopes that theyāll help you
remember and learn material. If you donāt do them, learning
everything is basically up to you and whatever bits
you can get from your teachers during class.
9). If you study with friends, you can recite
material in front of them and vice versa, thus helping
you if you are an auditory learner. They can also explain
things in greater depth if they understand something
better than you. Itās quite a plus if you have compatible
learning styles, like auditory or intrapersonal. These
styles work very well with partners.
10). Motivation is the key for making you want
to study. Put your goal at a higher GPA than what you
got on your last report card. Think of how you could
possibly reward yourself if you make your goal. Make
sure itās incredibly tempting. This may sound like one
of the corniest suggestions on this list, but in reality
itās sometimes the only thing that can make people actually
bother to sit down and study.
Studying is not fun. If it is, perhaps you arenāt
doing it thoroughly enough. But, if you concentrate
on your purpose and you learn something, it will become
much easier and less stressful. As a 12-year veteran
of the entire process, believe me when I say you want
to make it as easy as possible. Do it right the first
time and your worries could be laid to rest. Now, Iām
going to go slowly rip apart my textbooks; care to join
me?
Article
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Our student study expert has compiled a list of the top
ten things you can do to help you study better to prepare
for college:
Advisor