Learning how to study in college

[The Graduate]

In this day and age, high schools around the country have a core curriculum they have to follow, and whether a teacher wants to add to that curriculum to enrich their classrooms is up to them. This curriculum is made to try to cover the basic knowledge a student will need to be successful in the future, and some teachers decide to do only what is required. This leads to what many students believe to be an “easy high school career.” When high school is so “easy” and unchallenging, college can be a huge shock to incoming freshmen. With complicated subject matter and brilliant minds at the teaching helm, learning can become very difficult due to lack of preparation and structure enforced by high school administration. This means that the students do not, or did not, learn how to correctly study prior to college. This can lead to lower grades and higher stress levels for students, something definitely not in low supply on a college campus. While learning the class material, many students also find out that they need to learn how to study. When students first come to college, they quickly realize that the same information lacking type of high school studying and note taking tactics will not get them through any class with a respectable grade. A few minutes looking over notes before a test or speed reading a chapter before class usually doesn’t reap good results, and innocent cheating from those high school days will usually end a student’s college career. Actually working on studying will help students learn the material and raise grades. There are lots of tips on how to improve study time, and actually applying them will help raise grades and lower stress levels. • Schedule your day so you have classes, meals, breaks, and study time mapped out. Having this to look at, at any given time, will help make separating school and social obligations easier.
• Taking breaks every 30- 45 minutes during study time can help students stay motivated and less tired. “Collegetips.com”says “you need to take short breaks to allow your brain to process and retain the information. Otherwise, you may confuse yourself or forget something you have already studied. Be sure to take only a short break, otherwise, it may be hard to go back to studying. When you begin studying again, review the material you have already studied, then, move on to something new.”
• “ Adprima.com” has a study skill that can make retaining information easier. It is the “SQ3R” method, which stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.
Survey - get the best overall picture of what you're going to study BEFORE you study it in any detail. It's like looking at a road map before going on a trip. If you don't know the territory, studying a map is the best way to begin.
Question - ask questions for learning. The important things to learn are usually answers to questions. Questions should lead to emphasis on the what, why, how, when, who and where of study content. Ask yourself questions as you read or study. As you answer them, you will help to make sense of the material and remember it more easily because the process will make an impression on you. Those things that make impressions are more meaningful, and therefore more easily remembered. Don't be afraid to write your questions in the margins of textbooks, on lecture notes, or wherever it makes sense.
Read - Reading is NOT running your eyes over a textbook. When you read, read actively. Read to answer questions you have asked yourself or questions the instructor or author has asked. Always be alert to bold or italicized print. The authors intend that this material receive special emphasis. Also, when you read, be sure to read everything, including tables, graphs and illustrations. Often times tables, graphs and illustrations can convey an idea more powerfully than written text.
Recite - When you recite, you stop reading periodically to recall what you have read. Try to recall main headings, important ideas of concepts presented in bold or italicized type, and what graphs charts or illustrations indicate. Try to develop an overall concept of what you have read in your own words and thoughts. Try to connect things you have just read to things you already know. When you do this periodically, the chances are you will remember much more and be able to recall material for papers, essays and objective tests.
Review - A review is a survey of what you have covered. It is a review of what you are supposed to accomplish, not what you are going to do. Rereading is an important part of the review process. Reread with the idea that you are measuring what you have gained from the process. During review, it's a good time to go over notes you have taken to help clarify points you may have missed or don't understand. The best time to review is when you have just finished studying something. Don't wait until just before an examination to begin the review process. Before an examination, do a final review. If you manage your time, the final review can be thought of as a "fine-tuning" of your knowledge of the material. Thousands of high school and college students have followed the SQ3R steps to achieve higher grades with less stress.
Also remember that studying in groups and bouncing questions off of one another is an excellent way to study. As long as the group focuses on the academic aspect of the time spent, and uses it wisely, then having someone to help you with something you can’t quite grasp and vice versa really pays off.
Doing SQ3R, or any other tips your professors might give will surely assist in the completion of a class with a high mark. What do you think about the subject? Do you have any study tips that you try or tried? How did you make it happen? Comments, questions, ideas?