Guide to Studying in College

Quick Tips

• Avoid distractions at all costs. It will interrupt your ability to retain information.
• Approach each effort with a willingness to study and do the work.
• Use highlighters to emphasize certain points for easier reference later on.
• Take notes as you read new material. This will help you retain what you read.
• Don't write down everything your professor says. Only make note of the most important points.
• Always review your notes after a lecture. You will be more likely to remember everything you've learned.
• Prioritize what you need to study, and get the most important work out of the way first.
• Take breaks every now and then while you study. A five to ten minute refresher every hour will help you work better.

Come to Terms with Studying

When you are in college, there is always something better to do than study. This is why you need to come to terms with the fact that you are in college and need to study. If you choose fun over study time every chance you get, you will be lucky to pass your required classes. If it makes things easier, think about college as a full time job. You need to put in at least 40 hours into classes, labs, meetings, study groups, and homework. If you attend a school based on a foundation of rigorous coursework and competition, you might need to bump that number up a little higher.

Create a Study Schedule

Once you get a syllabus from each professor, you should probably start planning your quarter or semester. Planning early may help you stay on track. There is nothing worse than being forced to chug caffeine so you can stay up past 3 o'clock preparing for the next morning's class. Scheduling can also allow you to spread out the work, thus helping you to feel less overwhelmed. When writing down your schedule, try to make it realistic as well as challenging. Make note of important days like when papers and projects are due and when you have midterms and finals.

Stick to Your Study Schedule

It's great to make a study schedule, but the next step is sticking to it. Staying committed to your plan will probably help you to be more successful as well as reduce your stress level. When planning your schedule, you should allow a little wiggle room for unexpected life events. You never know when a party or a date might come up. If you need to put something off, it shouldn't dramatically interfere with your plan. Flaking out too often will leave you behind and overwhelmed.

Find a Good Place to Study

Finding a good study haven is as essential as making a study schedule. Some students prefer reading out on the lawns where they can sunbathe as well as study. Others prefer the library because they have access to a variety of materials, not to mention silence. Many libraries offer group study rooms, tons of desks, and common rooms. Still, other students simply prefer studying in the comfort of their own rooms. Regardless of what place you choose, make sure you feel comfortable and can concentrate.

Use the SQ3R Method

If you want to study smarter, not harder, consider using a proven study method, such as SQ3R. The SQ3R method is based on simple principles:

Before you read, Survey the chapter:

§  the title, headings, and subheadings

§  captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps

§  review questions or teacher-made study guides

§  introductory and concluding paragraphs

§  summary

Question while you are surveying:

§  Turn the title, headings, and/or subheadings into questions

§  Read questions at the end of the chapters or after each subheading

§  Ask yourself, 
"What did my instructor say about this chapter or subject 
when it was assigned?"

§  Ask yourself, 
"What do I already know about this subject?"
 Note: If it is helpful to you, write out these questions for consideration. 
This variation is called SQW3R

When you begin to Read:

§  Look for answers to the questions you first raised

§  Answer questions at the beginning or end of chapters or study guides

§  Reread captions under pictures, graphs, etc.

§  Note all the underlined, italicized, bold printed words or phrases

§  Study graphic aids

§  Reduce your speed for difficult passages

§  Stop and reread parts which are not clear

§  Read only a section at a time and recite after each section

Recite after you've read a section:

§  Orally ask yourself questions about what you have just read, or summarize, in your own words, what you read

§  Take notes from the text but write the information in your own words

§  Underline or highlight important points you've just read

§  Reciting: 
The more senses you use the more likely you are to remember what you read Triple strength learning: Seeing, saying, hearing
Quadruple strength learning: Seeing , saying , hearing, writing!!!

Review: an ongoing process

Day One

§  After you have read and recited the entire chapter, 
write questions in the margins for those points 
you have highlighted or underlined.

§  If you took notes while reciting, 
write questions for the notes you have taken 
in the left hand margins of your notebook.

§  Complete the form for a critical reading review

Day Two

§  Page through the text and/or your notebook to re-acquaint yourself 
with the important points.

§  Cover the right hand column of your text/note-book 
and orally ask yourself the questions in the left hand margins.

§  Orally recite or write the answers from memory.

§  Develop mnemonic devices for material which need to be memorized.
Make flash cards for those questions which give you difficulty.

Days Three, Four and Five

§  Alternate between your flash cards and notes and test yourself 
(orally or in writing) on the questions you formulated.

§  Make additional flash cards if necessary.

Weekend

§  Using the text and notebook, make a Table of Contents - list all the topics and sub-topics you need to know from the chapter.

§  From the Table of Contents, make a Study Sheet/ Spatial Map.

§  Recite the information orally and in your own words as you put the Study Sheet/Map together.

§  As you have consolidated all the information you need for this chapter, periodically review the Sheet/Map so that at test time 
you will not have to cram.