Strategies from university resource centers

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A Guide To study skills

• Strategies from university resource centers

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Reading strategies for difficult material
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• Choose a moderate amount of material or a chapter
  to begin
• Look at how the material is organized
• Read the summary at the end
• Read first what you do understand mark what you
  dont understand for later review

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• As you read, ask yourself questions about what
  you have just read
• Look up words you dont know
• Read to the end of the selection dont get
  discouraged and stop reading
• Organize your notes by connecting ideas that you
  have read

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• Divide reading passages into small sections
• Re-read the sections you dont understand

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Specific Reading Strategies

• Read the following websites to get a better idea
  of the P-R-R and SQ3R reading strategies
• www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/handouts/1422.html
• http//www.studygs.net/

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Questions for Review

• What should you do before you read the selection?
• What should you do while you are reading the
  selection?
• What should you do right after you have read the
  selection?
• What should you do the days after you have read
  the selection?

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Note Taking Strategies
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Why take lecture notes?

• Research has found that information that is
  written down has a 34 chance of being
  remembered information not written down has a 5
  chance of being remembered.

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What should be in my notes?

• Your notes should be a concise but complete
  outline of the most important points made in the
  lecture
• There are ways to prepare yourself for good note
  taking!

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Before the lecture

• Read or skim the text before the lecture. That
  way, you will know what is important in the
  lecture.
• By reading ahead of time, you wont have to take
  extensive notes. You can write down only what
  your instructor emphasizes as being important.

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Before the lecture

• Identify unfamiliar terms or concepts in the text
  you have read.
• Identify material that is difficult or unclear.
  That way, you can pay careful attention to parts
  of the lecture that will clarify those points.

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During the lecture

• Start each lecture on a new page and write on
  only one side of the paper.
• Date all of your lectures.
• Consider using loose-leaf paper and inserting
  handouts, extra notes, etc. where they most
  logically go within the lecture notes.

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During the lecture

• Develop and use standard symbols for quicker note
  taking (ex. (and), (number), !
  (remember this), etc.)
• Designate major and minor points
• If your instructors refers to specific pages,
  turn to those pages and mark the text. Also,
  record the pages in your notes.

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During the lecture

• If your instructors uses analogies that clarify
  examples in your text, record those analogies in
  your notes.
• If your instructors elaborates by asking
  questions, record those questions in your notes.
  If he/she doesnt give the answers, try to find
  them after the lecture.

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During the lecture

• Make notes of unclear words or content. After
  the lecture you can check with the text for
  clarification.
• Record diagrams, illustrations, and examples
  given by your instructor.

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The Cornell System
Draw a vertical line 2.5 inches from the left
side of each sheet. Write the page number, date,
and course number at the top of each sheet.
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The Cornell System
Record notes on the right-hand side of the page.
Try to capture the main points of the lecture. Do
not be concerned with developing an elaborate
formal outline using Roman numerals, capital
letters, and the like. Indicate subtopics under
main headings with numbers or simply with a dash
placed in front of each new point.
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The Cornell System
Leave sufficient space to add information or
reorganize points without rewriting your notes.
Try to anticipate which areas--lists of examples,
for instance--will expand during the lecture.
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Additional styles of notes

• Informal outline
• Formal outline
• Key words system
• I-Not Page System
• Mapping or clustering
• For additional strategies
• www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/longview/humanities/english/n
  tstrat.htm

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Instructor clues of important material during a
lecture

• Previews and summaries
• Visual aids
• Repetition or vocal emphasis
• Questions asked of the class
• Word clues

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After the lecture

• Review your notes!!!!
• With only one exposure to information, most
  information is lost within the first 24 hours.

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After the lecture

• Fill in further facts and examples while the
  lecture is still fresh in your mind. Clear up
  confusing information.
• Summarize the information in your own words.

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Questions for Review

• What should you do before the lecture?
• How should you design your notes?
• What type of information should you record in
  your notes?

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Questions for Review

• What should you do after the lecture?
• How do you know what to emphasize in your notes?
• What are two note taking styles?

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Effective Habits for Effective Study

• Take responsibility for yourself
• Set priorities for yourself
• Learn where and when you are most effective in
  your studying
• If you dont understand the material, dont just
  re-read. Try some other way to learn the
  material!!!

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Effective Habits for Effective Study

• Set a positive mood for you to study in.
• Mark any information you dont understand and
  review that.
• Summarize the information in your own words.
• Go back to what you didnt understand and
  reconsider the information.

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Effective Habits for Effective Study

• Review, Review, Review!!!!!!

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College Recommendations for Test Study Times

• Many universities suggest that you study 1-2
  hours outside of class for every hour you spend
  in class. For instance, if you are in class
  three hours per week, you should study 3-6 hours
  for that class per week.

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Final learning assignment

• Log on to the following website and read two
  articles that are interesting to you. Summarize
  the information in those articles.
• http//www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/

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Resources

• All information taken from the following sources
• http//www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/
• http//www.usu.edu/arc/idea_sheets/note_taking.htm
  
• http//www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/handouts/1422.h
  tml
• http//www.cat.cc.md.us/ltrauth/history/notes.htm
  
• http//www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/longview/humanities/en
  glish/ntstrat.htm
• http//www.unb.ca/extend/wss/notetext.htm