TABLE OF CONTENTS

GETTING STARTED Reading skills, Writing Skills, Listening Skills.
LEARNING Developmental Levels of Learning.
THE TEXTBOOK Title, Copyright Page, Table of Contents, Preface, Chapter Titles, Subheadings, Chapter Summaries, Study Questions, Appendix, Glossary, Reference Page, Index, Study Guide.
NOTES Highlighting, Lecture Note Taking, Textbook Outlining, Study Sheet, Flash Cards, Tape Recording Notes.
TIME MANAGEMENT Calendar, To Do List, Studying Time.
STUDYING PROCEDURES Study Place, Work Area, Study Method, Studying with Others.
TESTS Types of Tests, Multiple Choice, True/False, Matching, Sentence Completion, Fill in the Blank, Essay, Open Book Tests, Study Strategies for Questions, Test Taking Techniques, Things to Do Beforea Test, Relax After a Test.
MANAGING STRESS Ways to reduce stress.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE GRADE

Text used by permission.

Chapter 6

Studying Procedures

There are many different study techniques. When learning Productive Study Techniques, you will go through the same stages of learning that were discussed in the example of learning to play tennis used in Chapter 2. First you learn the right way to hold the racket and stand in a particular way. You then have to learn all the rules and regulations. These have to be adhered to very rigidly and with very little flexibility.

After you learn the proper form and techniques of the game, you then adapt it to your own characteristics, creating a style of your own. Well, Productive Study Techniques is no different. First you will need to be very conscious of the steps and techniques involved. After you learn Productive Study Techniques, you should adapt and modify it to fit your own needs. But I do strongly suggest that in the beginning you follow the techniques as outlined.

The best way to do well on any test is to be prepared.

STUDY PLACE

The ideal place to study is one that is quiet, well-lit, spacious, and comfortable. A room that is not in the mainstream of other activities is very conducive to establishing a proper study environment. This room can be a study, a den, or a spare bedroom. It should contain a large desk with adequate lighting. It should be free of any outside distractions such as TV, radio, or loud noises. It should be a comfortable place; one that you will not feel trapped in or bothered by having to spend time there.

Unfortunately most students do not have access to the ideal study place. Therefore they have to make do with what they have.

If this is your situation, select an area of your home or apartment that you can section off for studying purposes only. This area can be in the corner of your bedroom, spare bedroom, living room, den, or even dining room. This area needs to be sizable enough to place a desk or flat top table. It needs to be well lit. If the lighting is inadequate, place a lamp on or near the study area.

If you live in, or plan on living in, campus housing, this area is usually arranged for you. Even though this is normally not a very large area, it is usually one that is quite adequate for studying.

There will be times that, for a number of reasons, studying will occur outside this area. Some of these places are the library, in a hallway outside a classroom, under a tree somewhere on campus, in the student center, backyard, patio, or maybe even in a recreational area.

When alternate study places are required, select one that is as least distracting as possible. Select an area that can be worked into your class and work schedule.

The student center can be a good place to highlight material or work on notes while you are lunching or snacking. But, it is usually too distracting for studying. The library is very conducive to studying. It can give you a break from your regular study place. If you do study in the library, select a place out of the mainstream of student traffic. It can be very distracting to have movement or noise around when you are trying to study. Remember you are there to study and not to socialize.

WORK AREA

The work area should contain a desk with a spacious work top. The top should allow you to spread out books, notebooks, and other needed materials. It should contain drawers for storage and a filing system. You will need a lamp on or near the desk. This will help lessen some eye strain and eliminate fatigue. Also make sure you select a comfortable chair.

The work area needs to be a well-planned and thought-out area. Design and arrange it to be as comfortable as possible. When setting up the work area, remember comfort is very important since many hours will be spent studying there.

The work area needs to be stocked with the following supplies: sharpened pencils, ball point pens, felt tip pens, highlighters, paper, stapler, paper clips, pencil sharpener and, most important, a dictionary, thesaurus, and a set of encyclopedias if possible.

If your physical arrangements will not allow the placement of a desk in a separate room, you have other options. The kitchen table is probably the next best place. If this is to be your designated study place, make sure it is cleared off before any studying begins.

STUDY METHOD

The following is an overview of studying procedures.

Have all material needed.

Preview all material.

Study and learn the material.

Review the material.

Demonstrate knowledge on a test.

When you are at you study place; you are there only to study. Nothing else is to take place there. This place has been designated as a study place only. Do not write letters, pay bills, play games, or do any non-study activities. It is very important that you condition yourself to only study there.

As already discussed, it is important for you to read all assigned materials before the class meeting. Remember the best way to do well on any test is to be prepared. It is very obvious that if you do not know the material, you are not going to do well. Being prepared rules out the concept of cramming. Cramming has no place in Productive Study Techniques. Cramming indicates a lack of studying and preparation. Remember the only person responsible for your performance on a test is you.

Doing well on a test you are prepared for has to be the greatest experience a student can have. It is a great feeling to take a test and know the answer to the question. You leave the classroom thinking it was an easy test when in fact it was easy to you because you were prepared. It helps create a positive attitude and a feeling of achievement and success. It greatly improves self-esteem. It is a reward within itself.

Being prepared builds self-esteem.

The following is an overview of preparations needed for studying. These are preparations only and are not to be confused with studying. These are not part of your productive study time.

Know what to study. Make sure you know what is to be studied. Check the syllabus to see which chapters are to be studied. Make sure you know what type of test you will be studying for (see chapter 7). This will make a difference in how you will approach your study session.

Have all materials ready. Have all the materials necessary, such as textbooks, notes, and class handouts.

Psych yourself up. At the beginning of each session, take a minute or two to get into the right frame of mind. Remember to think positive about what you are about to study.

Establish session goals. Establish goals for the study session. Make sure they are reasonable goals, ones that you can obtain during that session and ones that will keep you in line with your time management schedule. The goals should include how long to study, how much material to cover, which material to cover, and what kind of session it will be. Will the session be to read material, highlight material, create study notes or flash cards, memorize lists, learn new material, or to review? Always remember what your goals are.

Establish session rewards. Establish the reward that you are going to give yourself when you accomplish your goal. Make it something pleasant and worth putting in the extra effort for. "When I complete this study session I will . . ." The reward can be anything such as ice cream or a favorite TV show. I strongly suggest that for short term goals you do not use any alcoholic beverages. The reason should be obvious. If you do decide on occasions to reward your hard work and studying efforts with alcohol, make sure that it is a reward for the end of your study session. Do not make a habit of this.

Preview study materials. Spend time looking through the material to study. This will give you a better picture of what you are about to study. Also think back through what you have studied. This can be a measure of your study efforts. Review the previous material if needed. If you do not know or remember the material you have studied, review it. Do not study any new material until you have learned the material you have already studied.

Determine what type of session it will be. If the session is to read and highlight, start reading the chapters and highlighting them as described earlier. During this time you should concentrate only on reading and highlighting the material. This is not really part of your study time. This is time spent preparing to study and merely highlighting the chapters for outlining later. Count the number of pages to be read and make a note of them on the first page of the chapter. This will aid in determining time management of the study session.

Revise your notes. Read through your notes and make a list of everything that you do not know or do not feel comfortable with. At the beginning of your study session, focus on learning the items on this list. Once this is accomplished read back through your notes to review your understanding of the material. If there are still areas you do not feel comfortable with, make another list and proceed with studying it. Continue this until you know the material. The purpose of this exercise is to focus energy and motivation at the beginning of the study session on those things that you do not know or understand. In doing this you will be better prepared to study the new material.

Take breaks. When you first start studying, study only until you feel that your mind starts wandering and you are not being productive. You will discover that in the beginning this will occur in a very short time. When this does occur, take a break. Make it a short break for a minute or two. Walk around the room or walk outside. Do something that is not too involving. You do not want to be distracted from your studying. Do not watch TV during this break time; it can be too distracting. Remember: you are conditioning yourself to only study during this time. When you are at your place of study, you are there to study and only to study.

If you snack during your break, snack on nutritional and energy producing foods such as fruit and carbohydrates. You may even want to have some fruit on your desk and snack during your study sessions. This will help you maintain an efficient energy level. Do not eat a big meal before a study session. Big meals may make you sleepy and distract you during the study session. In some cases eating too much can even halt the session altogether.

Do not watch TV or listen to music while studying; it is too distracting.

Study — do not cram. Start studying for a test as soon as possible. Prepare for the test over weeks instead of trying to cram the week, day, or night before the test.

Alternate subjects studied. This will balance out the material and make the session a little more interesting.

Make a review list. At the end of each study session, make a list of items that you do not know or do not feel confident with. Review this list before you end the study session.

STUDYING WITH OTHERS

Studying with another person or in a group can be very beneficial and rewarding. At the beginning of each term, ask fellow classmates if anyone would like to start a study group. If so create a telephone number list of each person and establish a convenient time and schedule for everyone to meet. Make sure this time is set aside for studying and not for socializing. The purpose of this session is productivity. Each member should study before the session so the material can be discussed.

A study group is not a substitution for your own studying. It is very important that you continue your own study schedule. The group should be used to supplement and enhance your own studying. Do not depend on the group or another person to supply you with all the information that you will need to prepare for class or a test. Depending on someone else can prove to be a grave mistake.

If you do get in a study group, make sure the sessions are set at a time which will allow everyone adequate time to prepare. Set an agenda of subject items or topics to be discussed. Leave enough time to discuss any problems that someone may have.

There is a difference between activity and accomplishment.