Study Harder: How to Study

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How to “Study Harder”

How to Study

Some tips on how to study:

Find a study partner. For subjects like math and science, it really pays. If you can explain a process, formula or define vocabulary to another person (your partner) then you don’t have to rely totally on memorization as you truly now understand the concept.
Do your toughest subject first. If you have homework in Biology and Algebra, which you love, and History, which you hate, do the History homework first. Your mind will be fresher and you’ll get through it quicker.
Prepare a snack before you start studying. You would be amazed at how much time you can waste going back and forth to the fridge.
Acronyms can be created by students to remember a specific item .You form acronyms by using each first letter from a group of words to form a new word. This is particularly useful when remembering words in a specified order. Acronyms are very common in ordinary language and in many fields. Some examples of common acronyms include:
- SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
- LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation).
SENTENCES/ACROSTICS. Like acronyms, you use the first letter of each word you are trying to remember. Instead of making a new word, though, you use the letters to make a sentence. Here are some examples:
- Mom and dad bought you apples and strawberries (The mathematical order of operations: Multiply and Divide before you Add and Subtract)
- King Phil Came Over for the Genes Special (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus, Species.)

SQ3R - A READING/STUDY SYSTEM

SURVEY: Gather the information necessary to focus and formulate goals.

Read the title. Help your mind prepare to receive the subject at hand.
Read the introduction and/or summary. Orient yourself to how this chapter fits the author’s purposes, and focus on the author’s statement of most important points.
Notice each boldface heading and subheading. Organize your mind before you begin to read. Build a structure for the thoughts and details to come.
Notice any graphics—charts, maps, diagrams, etc. are there to make a point. Don’t miss them.
Notice reading aids. Italics, bold face print, chapter objective, end-of-chapter questions are all included to help you sort, comprehend, and remember.

QUESTION: Help your mind engage and concentrate.
One section at a time, turn the boldface heading into as many questions as you think will be answered in that section. The better the questions, the better your comprehension is likely to be. You may always add further questions as you proceed. When your mind is actively searching for answers to questions it becomes engaged in learning.

READ: Fill in the information around the mental structures you’ve been building. Read each section (one at a time) with your questions in mind. Look for the answers, and notice if you need to make up some new questions.

RECITE: Retrain your mind to concentrate and learn as it reads. After each section, stop, recall your questions, and see if you can answer them from memory. If not, look back again (as often as necessary) but don’t go on to the next section until you can recite.

REVIEW: Refine your mental organization and begin building memory. Once you’ve finished the entire chapter using the preceding steps, go back over all the questions from all the headings. See if you can still answer them. If not, look back and refresh your memory, then continue.

Where to study.

What to study.

When to study.

How to engage your brain.

Problems with perfectionism.

Relaxation techniques.

Stories about pressures and responsibilities.

Resources dealing with pressures and responsibilities.

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