Study Skills Strategies for Active Learners

1. Study Skills Strategies for Active Learners

2. Grades & Goal-Setting Do not leave grades and GPA to chance. Set goals and identify specific actions you will take daily to help you be successful.

3. Grades Student Learning Center 2009

4. Semester Honors Dean’s List= 3.40-3.69 Dean’s with Honors= 3.70-3.99 President’s List= 4.0 Student Learning Center 2009

5. Goal Formula Goal:Dean’s List Time Frame: 16 weeks Strategy:Attend all classes, do all reading assignments, meet with professor regularly, schedule study time, work only 12 hours/week, make friends with at least one person from each class, take notes in class. Outcome:Feel good about self. Parents proud. Get letters of rec. from faculty. Apply to be an RA. Get into Business Department. Student Learning Center 2009

6. Know What it Means to Study at the College Level • Reading textbooks actively • reviewing class lecture notes • turning notes and reading assignments into questions & answering those questions aloud or in writing • visiting with professors during office hours • creating study tools such as note cards or summary sheets • working with tutors • reviewing course syllabi daily • recording due dates of major projects and tests in your planner.

7. Schedule Study Time • Create a weekly, master schedule • identify the blank spaces in your calendar and schedule study time for each class so that you do not leave studying to chance. • Commit to days, times, and study locations, such as the library or the Student Learning Center.

8. Textbook Reading Preview the assignment by reading the title, the subheadings throughout the chapter, and most importantly, the material that comes at the end of the chapter, such as Discussion Questions, Chapter Summary, Testing Your Knowledge, etc. Then use the questions and main ideas from the back of the chapter to guide your reading. Read like a detective seeking answers to the questions. If your chapters do not provide study questions, then make your own by turning each bold faced subheading into a question. Be sure to take notes in the margins while you read!

9. Class Time • Attend all classes • Eat and sleep prior to class. • Have a notebook for each class and bring it along with the syllabus and textbooks to each class. • Sit in the first few rows, and review class notes while you wait for the class to begin. • Take notes in classes, even if the professor provides the notes for you. • Stay actively engaged in classroom discussions and ask thoughtful questions

10. Taking Notes • Taking notes during classes and while you read helps you process new information, connect it to previous knowledge, sort it, store it, and retrieve it when needed. • abbreviate, paraphrase, notice patterns of organization, and leave blank space on the page. • After class review your class notes and turn each page of notes into a list of questions • Now you have a study guide!

11. Questions Answers

12. Get to Know Your Professors! • Names • Office Location & Office Hours • Best way to Communicate with them Visit your professor during office hours with specific class topics to discuss or a specific question about the material, the test, or the writing assignment. Make sure you introduce yourself!

13. Regroup at the Midterm Use the GPA calculator (http://www.brockport.edu/firstyear/gpa.html) to help you determine where you stand now and what you need to do in each class to earn the GPA you hope to achieve. Then make a list of the specific things you are going to do to finish the semester successfully. Examine all aspects of your life to determine where the obstacles to academic success lie. Visit with advisors and professors, determine if tutoring is appropriate, and re-examine your calendar. Make choices and changes to affect the outcome you hope to achieve.

14. Study Groups, Peer Learning, and Tutoring Studying with peers allows you to examine course material, problem-solve, ask questions outside of the classroom, and practice using terminology relevant to the class.

15. Test Taking Test taking success depends upon what you do every day of the semester, not just the night before the test. It is also dependent upon two types of knowledge: • the content on which you will be tested • test taking strategies. Ask your professors about discipline-specific ways to study for each class.

16. Test Taking • Determine the scope of the subject matter • Identify the gaps in your knowledge. • Seek help to bridge those gaps. • Visit your textbooks’ companion websites which may have practice tests. • Make lists of topics you believe will be on each test. • Write and talk about those topics. • Watch test-taking DVD’s at the SLC • Visit the Counseling Center to learn strategies for reducing test anxiety.

17. Learning from Tests Use corrected tests as study tools for future tests and examinations.

18. College-Level Writing • critically examine writing assignment sheets • break the assignment down into steps &schedule each step in your planner. • understand terms like thesis, argument, development, evidence, transitions, citation of sources.

19. Active Learners • Attend classes regularly • Sit in the first three rows • Use professors’ office hours and know professors’ names • Review notes, readings, and syllabus before and after each class • Plan and schedule study time • Do extra credit work if it is offered • Make Healthy Choices