How to “Study Harder”

What to Study

OK, you have this really cool place to study, now what the heck do you do there?

Your Notes:

Your notes are a key, but the key only opens the door if you take good notes to begin with.Here is one system: The Cornell System for taking notes is designed to save time and to be highly efficient.

1. First Step - PREPARATION

Use a large, loose-leaf notebook. Use only one side of the paper. (You then can lay your notes out to see the direction of a class.) Draw a vertical line 2 1/2 inches from the left side of you paper. This is the recall column. Notes will be taken to the right of this margin. Later key words or phrases can be written in the recall column.

2. Second Step - DURING THE CLASS

Record notes in paragraph form in the right-hand column. Capture general ideas, not illustrative ideas. Skip lines to show end of ideas or thoughts. Using abbreviations will save time. Write legibly.

3. Third Step - AFTER THE CLASS

Read through your notes and make it more legible if necessary. Now use the left-hand column. Jot down ideas or key words which give you the idea of the class. (REDUCE: Remove Unnecessary Details Until Clear Example.)

You will have to reread the class notes and extract the main ideas and phrase them in your own words. Write them in the left hand column of your notes. Cover up the right-hand portion of your notes and recite the general ideas and concepts of the class. Overlap your notes showing only recall columns and you have your review.

Read The Text Book:

Look for what the teacher and/or author think are important.

• Read the ENTIRE assignment.
• THEN reread the introduction and/or summary. Focus on the author’s statement of most important points.
• Notice each boldface heading and subheading.
• \Notice any graphics—charts, maps, diagrams, etc. They are there to make a point. Don’t miss them.
• Italics, bold-face print, chapter objective, end-of-chapter questions are all included to help you. Pay attention.
• Have a dictionary within reach so you can quickly look up ANY word when you are not SURE of its meaning.

Where to study.

How 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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