| Okay, when you hear "study skills," you probably | | | | study in groups, but knowing how to work with a group |
| immediately want to take a nap, but, seriously, these | | | | can be really important for college and your future |
| things are important. Here's a little secret: college isn't | | | | career. Find at least one class where a study group |
| really all about learning about certain subjects. It's | | | | would be useful, and then take the initiative to form it. |
| actually more about figuring out how to deal with | | | | You can memorize things faster when someone's |
| information that you're given. Sure, you're building up a | | | | quizzing you, and you can also learn a lot from other |
| base of knowledge that you'll eventually use in your | | | | people, who probably understand things differently than |
| job, but learning how to manage your time and the | | | | you do during class. |
| information you need to know effectively will prepare | | | | 4. Learn to practice. Whether you're practicing |
| you for the workplace way more than acing all your | | | | problems before your math exam or practicing essays |
| tests will. Of course, having the right study skills won't | | | | before a major philosophy test, practice definitely |
| hurt your test scores, either. Here are the top five | | | | makes perfect. There needs to be a balance here, |
| study skills that you should master this year. | | | | though. Don't go overboard so that you get bogged |
| 1. Take notes. It's a proven fact that when you | | | | down by too many practice questions. Teach yourself |
| process information through your fingers, you | | | | to recognize when you need more practice with a |
| remember it better. Learn how to take good notes on | | | | particular lesson and when you've got it down pat and |
| your reading and on lectures, and you'll actually end up | | | | will just need to skim a quick review before the next |
| needing to study less because more information will | | | | quiz or test. |
| stick the first time around. Whether you prefer to take | | | | 5. Manage your time. Time management is probably |
| notes with a pencil and paper or your laptop doesn't | | | | the single most important study skill that you'll need to |
| matter, just as long as you take detailed notes. | | | | get through college and, really, the rest of life in general. |
| 2. Ask the right questions. Learning a subject inside and | | | | Whether you need to set a timer to help you focus on |
| out has a lot to do with the questions you ask. If you're | | | | important tasks in half an hour chunks, create a |
| in a lecture and you don't understand something, it's | | | | detailed to-do list, or make some sort of daily |
| important that you ask questions so that you can gain | | | | flowchart, you need to figure out how you best |
| some clarity. At first, you might ask vague questions | | | | manage your time. If you're having trouble getting all |
| that don't get you the answers you need right away, | | | | your work done, talk to some professors or friends |
| but with some practice, you'll figure out how to ask | | | | about how they manage to fit everything in. Everyone |
| questions that get straight to the point more often than | | | | gets twenty-four hours a day, but some people use |
| not. | | | | those hours a little better than others. Learn from |
| 3. Study in groups. Okay, so not everyone likes to | | | | those people! |