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Learning to Learn

Let’s face it—if you’re going to do well at school, you’ll have to pay attention in class and study your notes and text after hours. However, with a few study strategies under your belt, you can reduce your study anxiety and maybe even the number of hours you need to study to do well.

Before You Crack Open a Book

To begin, here are a few tips to consider before you ever crack open a text.

Prioritize! Start by setting your priorities and managing your time. Get a day timer with hourly sections and box in all your class periods and other commitments. Use a different colour box for each subject. Decide how you will write in due dates for assignments and other important days. For example, due dates in red, personal appointments in green, etc. If you prefer, use a large laminated year-at-a-glance wall calendar to write your due dates for easy reference.
Get Organized! Set up a system to organize notes and handouts. Keep a hole punch in your school bag to immediately punch handouts for filing.
Get Help! Find the educational assistance office on your campus and ask what help is offered. Often classes are available on how to study. Search websites such as www.educationforadults.com, for information on your unique learning style, and how to adapt your study skills accordingly.
Get Rid of Distractions! Create a study area at home that is free from interruption. If that’s not possible, tour your institution’s libraries before the school year begins to find a desk in a quiet spot.
Use Resources! While you are at the library, learn the school’s software for researching books, journals, and other materials. You’ll miss out on a lot of valuable information if you only do Internet research. Plus, you don’t want to struggle with learning software when you are anxious to meet a tight deadline.
Exercise! Plan a fitness schedule that will work for your busy schedule and get into a regular routine now. You’ll be more alert in class, have increased concentration when doing homework, and be able to manage stress better when studying and writing exams.
Relax! Research relaxation strategies so you have several to draw upon when stress or anxiety hits.

Taking Lecture Notes

Every instructor has a different teaching style. You may have to make adjustments when taking notes in each class. Here are some basic strategies that will help taking notes in almost every class:

Show up! Go to class. Getting notes from someone else rarely helps.
Learn Shortcuts! Teach yourself or make up timesaving shorthand for commonly-used words.
Choose Your Location! Sit in a seat where you can hear and see well, even if your friends won’t come along.
Write Critically! Concentrate on writing down the main ideas, not everything the instructor says.
Write Strategically! Make a vertical line two inches to the right or left side of your page. Write your lecture notes in the larger section. When reviewing, reduce your notes to key words and phrases and write them in the smaller section. This will help you focus on the main ideas when studying for exams.
Keep it Neat! Write quickly, but legibly. It’s difficult to study from messy notes.
Think Spatially! Leave lots of white space on the page. It is easier to quickly see the main ideas.
Outline! Try to organize your lecture notes into an outline. Depending on the instructor, it’s not usually too difficult to do. Note condensing and studying are instantly simplified. You might even consider using a recording device to record the lectures for transcription after class.
Listen Carefully! Make a note or star in the margin whenever the instructor emphasizes a point. It will likely be on a future exam.
Stay Organized! Date and number your notes if you use loose leaf.
Review! It is best to review your class notes as soon after the class as possible. Many students benefit from re-writing their lecture notes into more organized and usable formats for study purposes.

Attacking Your Textbooks

Don’t be alarmed by the size or weight of your textbook. There are various strategies to take the anxiety out of reading textbooks. Here are just a few:

Read Introductions! While it may seem to be a waste of time to read the chapter introductions, studying these gives your mind a framework to hang the new material. The less you know about a subject, the more important it is to take a few extra minutes to read those introductory pages.
Activate Your Memory! When reading the introduction, try to recall what you already know about the subject and decide what key ideas the author wants you to understand.
Plan! Decide ahead of time how many pages you will read at that sitting and try to stick to that number. Make your goal reasonable.
Pay Attention! Words in bold or italic type are important concepts. Be sure you understand them before moving on.
Make Connections! As you are reading, make associations with your general knowledge and with information learned in class. The more associations you can make, especially visual ones, the better the chances you’ll recall that information on test day.
Highlight! Use a yellow highlighter to draw your attention to important concepts or text, but don’t over highlight. Select important words or phrases instead of entire sentences or paragraphs. Too much highlighting can be overwhelming when studying for exams.
Emphasize! Write notes in the margins or add an asterisk (*) to highlight important information to review later.
Use the Website! Many newer textbooks have an associated website. If you don’t readily see an email address on the cover or inside the first few pages, use a search engine to try to locate one. These websites usually have chapter summaries, glossaries, and mini-tests to help you learn the subject. Many textbooks also offer supplemental CD Rom discs that provide useful information in the form of review questions and quizzes.

Bits of Time Add Up Fast

It’s amazing what 15 minutes can accomplish. You can vacuum the living room, wash a sink full of dishes, or briefly respond to 3 emails. Studying is no different. In 15 minutes, you can read several pages of a text, review your notes from one or two lectures, or solve a few logic problems.

Further, reading or studying when you have to stand in line or wait can really add up. A good strategy is to always have one text, novel, or note set with you to maximize your time wherever you have a few spare minutes.

Think of all the places you have to wait in life:

waiting for the bus
riding on the bus
waiting for your class to start
waiting in a long coffee line
waiting for a medical appointment
waiting for your clothes to dry at the Laundromat
waiting for a stationery store clerk to bind your latest big project

Of course, these won’t be the only times you’ll study, but you’ll be glad there is a little less to tackle when you are ready to study for a longer period of time.

Where Do I Start?

Now that you’re ready to sit down for two hours, where do you start? Try these strategies to help you to decide:

Check Due Dates! What needs to be completed first? Is there a due date tomorrow?
Check Marks! How many marks is each assignment worth? Give more time to those projects worth more.
Change It Up! Set several small, specific goals for that session rather than one big one if possible. For example, read 10 pages in your economics text, tackle 4 math problems, and read 20 pages of a novel, rather than trying to read 60 pages in one textbook. Your motivation will last longer.
Take Breaks! Once you reach one of your smaller goals, take a short break. Walk around, get some water, and stretch. Limit yourself to 5 or 10 minutes.
Review Notes! Make time to review lecture notes to avoid cramming at the end of the term.
Be Flexible! For large projects such as essays, case studies, or lab reports, plan to use an entire block of time. These types of projects often require higher level thinking and use information from a variety of sources. You don’t want to interrupt your thought process. However, do still take short breaks every hour.

Remembering it All

One effective memory strategy is to review lecture notes immediately after the class, again in 24 hours, again in a week, and once more in a month’s time. Anxiety at exam studying time will be significantly reduced. Be sure to get plenty of rest and eat well for optimum memory. Try eating a banana and a chocolate bar just before exams. It’s been said this combination of food helps you to remember what you’ve studied. Yum!

Studies have shown that the most information is lost within 24 hours without review. If you regularly review your notes, not only will you retain a lot more information, you’ll make learning the next day’s material much easier, or at least you’ll know where you are still not clear and can ask questions.

Advanced Education and Literacy