Study Skills Online Module

This online module was created with the goal of helping interested students like you succeed in your study skills! To achieve our goal, this module covers everything from time management to preparing yourself physically and mentally for a test, all in the effort to help you improve your study skills.

Created by Heather M. Eggsware, Colorado State University, 2005

Welcome!


Module Directions:
Take your time and make notes on topics of special interest. Use the buttons at the bottom of each page to maneuver through the module. Information underlined in yellow or on a yellow button , once clicked, will take you to insider tips and games. At the end you have the opportunity to provide feedback on this module.

Good luck and happy learning!

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Time Management
How can managing my time help me with studying?
That s a great question! What you may not realize that when you cram for a class your work and energy for your other classes may falter. This leads to more cramming and many up-late-stressed-out nights. up-late-stressed-

What should I do to manage my time?

Try making a schedule; your schedule can be weekly, monthly or even daily-todaily-to-do lists. Learn more about the different types of schedules. Click below to see samples of each.
Click the info underlined in yellow!
  

Weekly Schedules! Schedules! Monthly Schedules! Schedules! Daily "To Do" Lists! Lists!

Study Groups
Why is a study group important?
Well, in study groups students can share study strategies and quiz one another before the test. Effective study groups have a common goal to do one s best. Students tend to conform to peer group norms in their patterns of achievement (Wigfield & Asher, 1984). So if the group values achievement, its members are likely to work hard; conversely, if the group does not value achievement, students are likely to do less than their best in order to be accepted by the group.

Studying


Tips for Studying in Groups Select group members who are as concerned about being successful as you are. Share the responsibility of teaching and learning. Use study groups to complement personal study time - not replace it. Try to stay on track. Meet in a location free from outside distractions. Read the material before the meeting so you can contribute to the discussions.

Tips for Studying by Yourself Schedule a set time each day during your "alert" times of the day. Choose a quiet, comfortable, distractiondistraction-free area. Study your most difficult or least favorite subjects first. Take study breaks and avoid marathon sessions. Grab stolen moments of time to study, like when waiting for an appointment.

If your instructor offers a study session, then GO! This is a great time to ask questions and will help to clarify or reinforce what you already know.

Memory and Concentration

To really learn well, there are two things you need:
1.

The ability to concentrate

and minimize distractions while you are studying.

2. Memory

techniques to help you remember what you have learned.

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Improve your Concentration



We re not talking about orange juice! This is about being an active learner. Many people approach studying from a passive standpoint - they read their textbook, attend lectures, and go over their notes. But they do not do anything with that information. Learners who are more effective tend to re-organize the reinformation in a way that makes sense to them. They have learned to become active learners.

Ways to improve concentration and become an active learner: 1. 2. 3. Create a quiet, well-lit study wellenvironment. Study the same subject at the same time in the same location. Take notes on what you are studying and re-arrange the reinformation in some other way. Make an association with something you already know. Make flashcards to study from and then have someone quiz you.

4. 5.

This gets your body and mind into a routine that makes it easier to "get into" studying.

Make a diagram to get the "big picture" of what you are studying, If you are reading text, draw pictures of what you are learning, or If you are learning from pictures (such as in anatomy class), write down what you are learning in paragraph form.

For instance, a cat ion (in chemistry) has a positive charge, if you like cats, you can associate the positive charge with your feelings about cats.

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Helpful Memory Techniques

To memorize information, most students simply repeat what they have learned over and over. While repetition is one memory technique, it is surprisingly inefficient. A combination of memory techniques increases the ability to recall information.


There are several ways that memory can be categorized: ShortShort-Term vs. Long-Term Memory LongRecognition Memory vs. Recall Memory

So how do you move information from short-term memory to long-term shortlongmemory so you can recall the information? Here is a great site to show you games you can play to enhance your ability to remember. Don't forget! Playing Games with Memory

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ShortShort-Term vs. Long-Term Memory Long Short-term memory is used when you just need to remember Shortsomething for a short period of time, like when you look up a phone number and then dial it. Ten minutes later you ll probably not remember the number.  Long-term memory is used when you want to remember Longsomething for a long time, such as the information for your Chemistry test. Memory techniques help move information from your short-term to your long-term memory. shortlong-

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Recognition Memory vs. Recall Memory

 In recognition memory, you re trusting your brain to remember memory, something when you see it or recognize it again. For example, you are going somewhere and you left the directions at home. You mostly remember how to get to your destination, but you can't remember the name of the street you need to turn on. You might think to yourself "I'll know it when I see it".  In recall memory, you can remember the exact name of the memory, street you need to turn on. You have brought the memory of the street name out of your long-term memory and into your short-term longshortmemory. o To see an example of how this works, try the exercise Common Cents. Cents.

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Textbook Reading


The SQ3R method is a proven method for getting more out of reading your textbook. Reading a textbook requires a different approach than reading a novel or for fun. SQ3R stands for: Survey Question Read Recite Review

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SQ3R ~ Survey
Surveying provides a framework you can use to fill in information while you are reading the chapter.
Take about 5 minutes to locate core ideas from the chapter you are reading. Read the introduction at the beginning of the chapter. Flip to the end of the chapter and read the summary. Flip back to the beginning, and go through the chapter. Look at the titles, words in bold or italics, and the pictures and illustrations.

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SQ3R ~Question

Everyone sometimes gets to the end of a page and then can t remember anything they read. Asking questions while you read will help end that cycle and help you remember what you just read.
Ask yourself questions about what you are reading. Stop at each new heading and ask yourself What did I just read? and What am I about to read?

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SQ3R ~ Read
Read with a highlighter and pen handy. Highlight information of importance and jot in the margin why that information you highlighted is important.
Read to answer the questions you developed in the last step. Make notes in the margin; it is not bad to write in your textbooks anymore!

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SQ3R ~ Recite
Reciting what you learn is one of the most important things you can do to transfer information from your shortshort-term to your long-term memory. longSay the answers to your questions out loud. Pretend like you are teaching someone else what you just read.

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o

SQ3R ~ Review
Reviewing what you learn is essential in retaining information.

If you review what you learned within 24 hours of learning it, you will remember 80% of what you learned. o If you don t review, you remember only 20%. Then you just have to spend a lot of time learning information you already learned once.

Think of the big picture when you review. How does what you learned relate to other things in that course?
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NoteNote-Taking


There are many ways to organize yourself when it comes to taking notes:
Will you use a 3 ring binder or a spiral bound notebook? Will all classes be kept in one notebook or stored separately? Do you have your class notes setup so they are legible and easy to understand? How much time do you spend preparing your notes before and after class?
Class Notes Notes System

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Test Taking - Ways to Stay Calm!

Before the Exam Get good sleep the night before. Give yourself enough time in the morning to do your regular routine. Eat a good, nutritious breakfast. Give yourself positive, reassuring statements throughout the day (such as "you can do it" or "you know the material, so relax"). relax"). Quit studying at least half-an-hour half-anbefore the exam and do something relaxing. Avoid getting to class too early. (The time right before the exam is usually spent worrying about the test.)
During the Exam

Avoid students who'll ask you questions before the exam. (This will only increase your anxiety.) If possible, sit in the seat you normally occupy in class. Be sure to read all directions. Look over the test and do the questions worth more points first. Don't change your answers. (Unless you re sure you were wrong the first time.) Read each question twice, slowly. Skip questions you can't answer and go back to them later.

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Physical & Mental Well-Being Well

How to Relax
Stress is a basic survival skill and can be very useful in emergency situations. Before a test however, stress or anxiety can undermine your ability to do well. To restore your body to a less-stressed state, try the following exercises: less Breathing  Breathe in for 6 seconds, hold for 6 seconds, then breathe out for 6 seconds. This will counteract your body's stress response of shallow breathing.  Visual Imagery Imagine that you are in a place that you love -- your Grandmother's house or a beautiful meadow in the woods. Imagine that you can hear, smell, feel, taste, and see what is happening around you. This counteracts your body's stress response of racing thoughts.  Muscle Relaxation Tighten your muscles as hard as you can for a few seconds, then relax them. This will allow your muscles to be more relaxed than when you started, counteracting your body's stress response of tense muscles in the "fight or flight" response.

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Keys to Success: Campus Resources



The Learning Assistance Center (LAC) can help you with everything in this module, including how to stay focused, get better grades, and determine if you may have a learning difficulty contributing to any academic problems.
 The LAC is located in room 104 of the General Service Building and can be reached at (970) 491-5527. 491-

Check your stress and utilize management techniques by learning about the Stress Management Program (SMP).
 The SMP is located in room C10 of the Clark Building and can be reached at (970) 491-6053. 491The Learning Assistance Center and the Stress Management Program are provided to by the University Counseling Center. Learn about the many resources Center. available by visiting http://www.counseling.colostate.edu. http://www.counseling.colostate.edu.

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Feedback
Thanks for completing this online module on study skills. We hope you found it informative, educational, and mildly entertaining! In order to improve our modules your feedback would be appreciated. Please complete the survey linked below.

The completed evaluation may be sent to Jody Donovan at Jody.Donovan@colostate.edu, Office of Student Transition and Parent and Family Programs. Thank you.

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