II. Learning Strategies/How to Study

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II. Learning Strategies/How to Study

• From Test-Taking Power Strategies Improve Your
  Test Scores by Learning Express, What Smart
  Students Know by Adam Robinson, and Psychology
  Today Online

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Outline of these notes

• I. Learning Styles
• A. Visual
• B. Auditory
• C. Kinesthetic
• II. Effective Studying Tips
• A. Xray
• B. Annotating
• C. Margin notes
• D. Outlines
• E. Place Method
• F. Study Notes
• G. Using three senses
• H. Sleep on it

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• III. Memorizing
• A. Tips
• 1. Distributed practice
• 2. Rule of 7
• 3. Associations
• 4.Visual Aids

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• B. Mnemonics
• 1. Acronym
• 2. Silly Sentence
• 3. Place Method
• 4. Hooks
• 5. Use It
• 6. Sleep on it

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1. Learning Styles

• We all dont learn the same
• 3 Basic Learning Styles are
• a. Visual learners understand remember when
  they can see the map, picture, text, word, or
  problem
• b. Auditory learners learn by listening (read
  material aloud discuss it)
• c. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing
  (underlining, highlighting, recopying)

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What Type of Intelligence(s) Do You Have?

• http//psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_t
  est.php?idRegTest1312

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2. Effective Studying Tips

• A. Take your notes and make an x-ray (skeleton
  get rid of extra words ideas)
• Annotating underline/highlight important info
• Write margin notes that summarize (leaving
  footprints)
• Be selective/Only IMORTANT stuff

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Effective Studying, contd

• B. Outlining (finding outline of idea buried
  inside)
• Ex
• Main idea 1
• A. Major detail 1
• B. Major detail 2
• 1. Minor detail 1
• 2. Minor detail 2
• II. Main idea 2
• A. Major detail 1
• B. Major detail 2

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Example from Making and Carrying Out a Study
Plan

• Places to study
• A. Home
• B. Library
• 1. Lighting
• 2. Quiet

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• C. Mapping (diagramming)

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Effective Studying, contd.

• D. Make Study Notes
• Using your annotations, outlining, or mapping,
  pull out all the key ideas
• What to put in
• a. Main ideas underlined or highlighted
• b. Main ideas and details from outline or map
• c. Terms, words, dates, formulas, names, facts

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Effective Studying, contd.

• E. Use visual, auditory and kinesthetic senses
  together
• Repeating a fact aloud as you write it engages
  all three.

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Effective Studying, contd.

• F Dont Study in Bed!
• Out of study mode as soon as you hit mattress

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3. Making Memorizing Easier

• Distributed practice study in small periods over
  a long period of time
• Rule of 7 break items into sevens or any low,
  ODD number.
• C. Make Associations Attach meaning (translate
  info into practical ex.s from your life)
• D. Visual Aids Circle or underline tricky stuff
  in red or highlight. Eyes will recall.

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Memorizing, contd.

• Use Mnemonics (memory tricks)
• A. Acronym a word made from the 1st letters in
  a series of words
• Ex Roy G BIV (Order of colors in rainbow)
• Red Orange Yellow
• Green
• Blue Indigo Violet

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Mnemonics

• B. Silly Sentence begins with the letter of each
  item in a series
• EX Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
• (parentheses, exponents, multiply, divide, add,
  subtract)

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Mnemonics

• C. Place Method
• Think of a place you know WELL (with big items
  always in same place)
• Objects become landmarks or anchors
• of landmarks depend on of things to remember
• Know where each item is and visually walk around
  room, always in same direction
• Assign each item to memorize to a landmark

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Ex for Baseball Positions

1. Doorway 1. pitcher
2. Chair 2. catcher
3. TV stand 3. 1st baseman
4. Flower vase 4. 2nd baseman
5. Nightstand 5. 3rd baseman
6. Bed 6. short stop
7. Closet 7. left fielder
8. Bookcase 8. center fielder
9. Coffee table 9. right fielder

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More on the Place Method

• When memorizing, look up occasionally and take
  mental notes of surroundings
• These memories will be stored with the info
  youre learning
• If you cant remember something, recall the
  environ.

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Memorizing, contd.

• D Hooks
• Your brain stores these 4 things very well
• 1. pictures 2. patterns 3. rhymes
• 4. stories
• Associate what your memorizing with one or more
  of these
• Hooks that make logical sense are best, but any
  will work
• Funny, outlandish, dramatic, racy are easier to
  remember

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Memorizing, contd.

• E Use it or Lose it
• Info that you dont use is forgotten immediately
• Rehearse what youve learned A LOT to get it into
  LTM

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Memorizing, contd.

• F. Sleep on it
• Study, then go right to bed with nothing in
  between
• There is better recall of info in the a.m.,
  especially when you review right after awakening.