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Study skills guides

Studying tips
  • In general, allot at least two hours for every one hour spent in class闻.
  • Schedule specific study times weekly. 闻Do not wait until just before the test to begin studying.
  • 闻Study difficult or boring subjects first闻 while you are still fresh and motivated.
  • 闻Avoid marathon study sessions, which are much less productive than more frequent, shorter study sessions.
  • 闻Find your optimal study time 鈥 when are you most alert and attentive?闻
  • Use waiting time effectively, 闻e.g. short time between classes.
  • 闻Keep a calendar with due dates闻 for tests, assignments, projects, etc.
  • 闻Make a weekly to-do list闻 鈥 do not let a test 鈥渃reep up on you,鈥 know what is coming up.

Where to study

  • 闻Find a regular location that is quiet 鈥 not in front of the TV!闻 鈥 and controlled, with few distractions.
  • 闻Do not get too comfortable闻 鈥 you should be relaxed, but still alert闻.
  • Use the library, but find a quiet corner, not a noisy area.
  • 闻Try to organize a study group.

More tips闻

  • Pay attention to your attention 鈥 when are you getting distracted? Why are you getting distracted? You must remain focused to study effectively.
  • 闻Make note of how others waste your time.
  • 闻Learn to say no闻 鈥 avoid overextending yourself闻.
  • Strive for excellence, not perfection闻 鈥 perfection is an unattainable goal.
  • Learn from your mistakes
  • 闻Do not forget to reward yourself for achieving your goals!闻
  • Do not neglect yourself, your health, or your personal life闻 鈥 you cannot be an effective student if other aspects of your life are suffering闻.
  • Try to maintain a balanced life.
Multiple choice tests and exams

Challenges in preparing for multiple choice tests and exams

  • Anxiety
  • 闻Time constraints
  • 闻Volume of material covered
  • 闻Misconceptions about the nature of multiple choice exams闻 鈥 often our assumptions about MC tests work against us

Multiple choice facts闻

  • There is usually enough time to complete all the items on the test 鈥 typically professors allocate 45 seconds to 1 minute per multiple choice item闻.
  • Questions can be in-depth and require higher-order thinking and application of knowledge 鈥 do not assume all MC items will involve superficial knowledge.
  • 闻It is important to know what the question is asking before answering闻 鈥 many students make errors because they mis-read the question!

Multiple choice fictions闻

  • Only knowledge of facts will be tested闻 鈥 questions can involve applying knowledge to new situations, theoretical explanations, or understanding the concepts behind phenomena.
  • 闻Professors are out to trick students 鈥 it is rare for a professor to go out of his/her way to trick students, although some questions are more difficult than others闻.
  • Apparently 鈥渆asy鈥 items are 鈥渢ricks鈥 鈥 more often than not, they are just easy items.
  • 闻There will be an equal number of correct responses from each response alternative, or there will be a pattern of responses 鈥 professors really do not have the time to put 鈥渉idden codes鈥 into their tests and exams!

Studying for multiple choice tests

  • 闻In many ways, studying for a multiple choice test is just like studying for any other test闻:
    • Start by reading/reviewing all the assigned chapters and your class notes.
    • 闻Begin studying well in advance of the test.
    • 闻Identify the professor鈥檚 goals 鈥 what has he/she told you is important?闻
    • Study actively 鈥 take notes, summarize important points/theories, think critically about the material, apply you knowledge and test yourself.
  • 闻Studying with others can be very effective. It helps you:
    • clarify weak topics闻
    • identify and fill in any gaps in your study materials闻
    • reduce stress and anxiety闻
  • Having to explain material to others reinforces your knowledge, however, you must make sure you are actually studying and not just socializing!

Thinking about the 鈥渂ig picture鈥澪

  • Every piece of information gathered must be integrated into your existing knowledge闻.
  • Pay attention to titles, headings, and subheadings on the course outline, in lecture notes, and in the textbook; these devices were put there to help you organize and understand the material闻.
  • Actively sort information as you are gathering it.
  • 闻Ask yourself the following questions:闻What is this about and what is most important?闻 What kind of information is this?闻
  • Look for key terms and concepts, relationships, and 闻arguments and evidence.

Building a strong knowledge base闻

  • Attend all classes, and reread notes after each class, checking for completeness and comprehension闻.
  • Do assigned readings regularly, to avoid pre-test reading backlog闻.
  • Read each lecture鈥檚 material during the week of the lecture, for maximum effect闻.
  • Make study notes based on your readings.

Predict what will be on the test闻

  • Chapter summaries闻
  • Review sections闻
  • Margin prompts
  • 闻Text boxes
  • 闻Bold and italicized text
  • 闻Instructor or course emphasis
  • 闻Watch for: 闻
    • 鈥渞ules鈥...true in all cases except...闻
    • 鈥渇irsts鈥...first proponent of a theory闻
  • What information is interesting? Contrary to expectations?

Practice, practice, practice

  • Practice what you will have to do in the test 鈥 mMake sure you test yourself using materials supplied by your instructor, the textbook, or that you have generated yourself.
  • 闻Plan how you will remember:
    • 闻mnemonics
    • diagrams or flash cards闻
    • personal examples闻
    • analogies to existing knowledge闻
  • Try to learn definitions and concepts in 鈥渢wo directions鈥澪 鈥 be able to recall the definition based on the concept name, but also the concept name based on the definition.

In the weeks leading up to the test

  • Think about what works for you 鈥 use the study techniques that are effective for you.
  • 闻Study old exams or practice tests in the study guide.
  • 闻Monitor your comprehension闻 鈥 make sure you really understand.
  • 闻Prepare and review sample items on your own and with your group闻.
  • Make plans for after the test.

In the days leading up to the test

  • Gather information:
    • focus on the structure of the test
    • assess your knowledge base and fill in gaps
  • 闻Use information:
    • 闻predict likely test items闻
    • self-test: focus on retrieval

During the test

  • Stay focused and stay relaxed闻 鈥 becoming overly anxious will interfere with test performance闻.
  • Read the instructions very carefully 鈥 make sure you are taking the test properly.
  • 闻Budget your time
    • 闻How many minutes per question or section?闻
    • Come back to questions you cannot figure out the answer to闻.
    • Allocate more time to sections worth more marks.
  • Read the question very carefully闻 鈥 many students end up answering a different question because they are rushed and mis-read the question.
  • 闻Make note of key words 鈥 underline key words such as 鈥渁ll鈥, 鈥渘one鈥, or 鈥渘ot鈥澪.
  • Read all the response alternatives 鈥 even if you think you know the answer, make sure there isn鈥檛 a 鈥渂etter鈥 answer listed as a later alternative.
  • 闻If you get confused by all the response options, cover up the response alternatives and read the question stem. Try to predict what the answer is, then check and see if that is one of the response options.闻
  • If you are not sure what the answer is, eliminate obviously wrong answers闻.
  • As a last resort, guess, but only guess if there is no penalty for incorrect responses.
  • 闻Make sure you have scheduled time to review your answers闻.
    • Make sure your answers still sound correct闻.
    • Make sure you answered all the questions.
    • 闻Respond to any questions you skipped闻.
  • Do not be afraid to change your answer闻 鈥 a study of 1,561 introductory psychology midterm exams found that when students changed their answers, they went from wrong to right 51% of the time and right to wrong only 25% of the time (Kruger, Wirtz, & Miller, 2005).

After the test

  • Plan a short break after the test闻 鈥 all work and no play... 闻Do not forget to reward yourself for achieving your goals.
  • 闻Make plans for returning to your regular study schedule闻 鈥 all too often there is a lull in academic activities immediately following a test.
  • 闻Make sure you review your test once it has been marked.
    • 闻Is there a type of question you consistently answer incorrectly?闻
    • Should you be focusing on different information when studying?闻
    • Can your professor make any suggestions to improve your study techniques?
Time management

Time management is a critical part of being a successful student闻. There are only 24 hours in a day, but there are many tasks you need to do each day闻. Proper time management will help you realize your goals.

Begin by determining your commitments闻

  • List your regular weekly time commitments闻: classes, groceries, laundry, club meetings etc.闻
  • Estimate the time spent per week on each activity.
  • 闻Keep a diary for a week or two, noting the time spent each day on various activities 鈥 it will soon become apparent where your time goes. 闻We often 鈥渨aste鈥 time on unimportant tasks.
  • 闻Review the time spent on various activities and identify potential problem areas闻.
    • Are you surprised by the amount of time you spend on any one activity? 闻
    • Do you feel that you are using your time efficiently? 闻
    • Are you spending enough time studying?
    • 闻Is the way you are spending your time helping you to study efficiently? Any comments? 闻
    • Are there some activities that you could describe as time wasters? 闻
    • Do you need to change anything? What? 闻
    • Is there anything you cannot change?

Setting goals闻

Knowing what you are working towards can help you manage your time more efficiently闻.

  • Consider your short-term and long-term goals闻 鈥 do not limit yourself to academics when doing this. There are many other important aspects to your life.闻
  • What activities are required to achieve those goals? What are you doing that is not helping you achieve your goals?
  • 闻Try to state your goals in a precise and positive manner.

Finding more time闻

  • Prioritize your activities闻 鈥 some things are more important (or time sensitive) than others. Make sure you allocate enough time to complete these critical tasks.闻
  • Make daily (or weekly) 鈥渢o-do鈥 lists. 闻Make sure your lists are prioritized and make an effort to accomplish the priority tasks before those that are easier, but less important.闻 If your 鈥渢o-do鈥 list gets too long, start making lists for shorter periods of time.
  • 闻Identify strengths and weaknesses in the ways you organize yourself and your time, 闻e.g. I am messy so it鈥檚 always hard to find anything.闻
  • Set aims and targets for how you want to improve your organization of yourself and your time, e.g. I鈥檒l put all my notes into a folder, in order.
  • 闻Get organized 鈥 identify:
    • 闻the times you work best 闻
    • where you work best
    • 闻how you work best
    • 闻time-wasting activities, and eliminate them 闻
  • Try to organize your schedule so you are optimizing your peak times闻, e.g. if you are more alert and attentive in the morning, try to schedule a short morning study session each day.
  • 闻Use a diary or scheduling program to keep track of deadlines and appointments 鈥 purchase a day planner (or pick one up from MASU) or making use of online planning software.
  • 闻Make sure you look ahead each day to know what commitments are coming up.
  • 闻Set sensible times for meeting assignment deadlines闻 鈥 do not try to finish things the night before they are due, plan in advance.闻 Try to beat procrastination by starting projects as soon as they are assigned.
  • 闻Review your practice, and ask for advice from friends and tutors if you are struggling to fit everything in.闻
  • Remember to schedule in rest and relaxation闻 鈥 all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!
Note-taking

Before the lecture

  • Read (or skim) the relevant chapter闻.
  • Read other relevant materials.
  • 闻Re-read notes from related lectures闻.

This gives you some idea what to expect in the lecture and helps you identify important/key points in the lecture.

During the lecture

  • 闻Be active, not passive闻; do not simply write a verbatim account of what the lecturer says 鈥 think about the material and use your own words to interpret what is being said闻. This helps you organize and recall the information.
  • 闻Use structure and organization:
    • 闻Main and sub-points闻
    • Headings and subheadings闻
    • Highlighting, underlining, different colours闻
    • Use graphs, charts, tables, and flowcharts where appropriate
  • 闻Listen for cues to help identify key points 鈥 闻repeating the item, pausing, vocal stress闻, numbering the points.
  • 闻Use abbreviations to save time闻 鈥 develop your own shorthand: 闻M=ment, D=develop, S=ship, N=ness, C=concept, FM=false memories.
  • 闻Ask questions to clarify issues raised during the lecture 鈥 闻if not enough time during lecture, make note in margin and ask question after the lecture or during office hours.
  • Leave some space between points 鈥 this allows you to add in information, either presented later in the lecture or when studying.

After the lecture

  • 闻Review your notes as soon as possible after the lecture闻.
  • Revise your notes闻:
    • Clarify obscure points.
    • 闻Re-write legibly if necessary.
    • Re-organize if necessary.
  • 闻Swap notes or discuss lecture with a friend闻 鈥 did you miss anything?

 

Reading textbook chapters

It is extremely helpful to make notes when reading/reviewing textbook chapters. 闻These notes can either be handwritten or typed闻. Read a section of text, then summarize it.

Hints and tips闻

  • Make use of organization when making notes闻, by using heading and sub-headings, for example.
  • 闻Use points or bullets闻 鈥 use as few words as possible; avoid long, complex sentences闻; and use shorthand to make your notes more concise.
  • 闻Rephrase into your own words闻 鈥 it is much easier to remember your own words than someone else鈥檚.
  • 闻Use pictures and graphs 鈥 闻alternative forms can help make information more memorable.
  • 闻Use different colour inks to represent different types of knowledge, 闻e.g. blue for definitions, red for theories, black for key historical figures, etc.闻
  • If you use a highlighter, do not use it passively. 闻Read the text, think about what it means, and use the highlighter only once you fully understand the material. Then 闻only highlight key points.
  • 闻Use the learning aids built into the textbook: highlighted terms, text boxes, glossaries, and other devices were put there by the author to improve your learning. 闻They can help you identify key points or ideas.

 


Graduate school resources

Those applying to graduate school may find the following resources helpful.