study techniques

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+EFFECTIVE STUDY TECHNIQUES
+Study Skills
+1. Reading Excellence
+a. Understand that the level of difficulty will vary as will your reading speed.
+b. Recognize that your pace will be slowed down by new terms that should be
+defined.
+c. Realize different reading purposes: Consider the difference between reading a
+novel, a chemistry or economics chapter, or mathematics problems.
+d. Choose an appropriate pace and system, such as:
+• rapid skimming to obtain a sense of format and a book's value
+• rapid reading to grasp main points quickly, especially when reading light fiction
+for pleasure
+• normal speed for understanding text material, outlining, summarizing, and
+preparing to answer questions
+• careful speed to evaluate or criticize, understand new and difficult material, and
+solve problems
+e. Concentrate on each reading assignment, determine the most effective rate and
+what additional activities are appropriate, such as:
+• defining new terms
+• highlighting portions of the text or other material
+• outlining certain material
+• solving problems or answering questions
+f. Time yourself to find out how long various kinds of material will take to read and
+set aside enough time.
+g. Become aware of how authors help you to master material through:
+• table of contents
+• chapter headings and divisions
+• paragraph organization, especially topic sentences
+• signal words such as first, most important, consequently
+• graphs, tables, charts
+h. Put material in your own words, develop questions to test understanding, and look
+for examples from your own experience to illustrate points.
+2. Memorizing
+a. Focus on formulas that can be applied to a variety of problems.
+b. Develop a way of remembering items in a logical sequence.
+c. Try to visualize material and then write down key points as a way of testing your
+understanding.
+d. Memorize entire selections through constant repetition until an entire poem or
+speech can be repeated without error.
+e. Use index cards with questions on one side and answers on another when
+preparing to master material.
+3. Material Organization
+a. Keep all material for each course in a separate folder or notebook.
+b. Rewrite or summarize lecture notes shortly after each session.
+c. Highlight key points in your notes using a colored marking pen. You may want to
+highlight portions of a course text book; highlighting alone won't help you master 
+the material. When combined with preparing your own study notes, the
+highlighting is more effective.
+d. Put all material for each assignment on paper together in one location; doing this
+you spend less time organizing each time you return to work on the project.
+e. Learn how to operate and feel comfortable with a word processing program you
+can use for all written assignments.
+4. Concentration
+a. Find one location, where seating is solid and lighting sufficient, for serious
+comfortable study and use it regularly.
+b. Beware of noise and distractions, especially when working on demanding or
+detail-filled material.
+c. Put distracting objects out of your line of vision.
+d. Set goals for each study session and challenge yourself to improve upon them.
+e. Assemble what you need to finish assignments ahead of time to decrease
+tendencies to self-interruption.
+f. Begin immediately, working through lack of inspiration or enthusiasm until a
+momentum begins to build.
+Examination Preparation
+1. Critically examine how you prepared for examinations in high school, selecting the
+methods that seemed to work best.
+2. Be sure you know what will be tested, and in what way, before you begin studying.
+3. Prepare for each examination well in advance, ideally at each study session by noting how
+you might be tested on points being covered.
+4. Review old material as you learn new items and prepare lists and outlines easily
+examined.
+5. Set aside two or three review sessions when all material will be examined; these reviews
+can be done alone or with a small group of students.
+6. Challenge yourself by completing problems or writing essay answers in the same period
+of time you will be given during the examination.
+Assignment Completion
+1. Be sure you already understand what is expected.
+2. Check with the instructor if you have an idea that might not fall exactly within the
+guidelines.
+3. Set aside time well in advance to begin outlining the assignment, gathering material and
+preparing the first draft.
+4. Use a personal computer to collect information and edit your work. Locate computers
+available for general student use.
+5. Follow accepted format and reference rules.
+6. Check and recheck for spelling and punctuation as well as overall organization and
+clarity.
+7. Learn from instructor comments where improvements are needed.