Effective Study Habits and Note –Taking Skills Student Success Center (SSC) LT. 308, 314, 315

Establish Good Study Habits Develop a weekly study plan - When, where, how Thoroughly review instructor course syllabus - Look for instructor specific study tips - Ensure you have a clear understanding of grade calculation Eliminate any negative thoughts or feelings - “This is to hard; I’ll never finish in time; I don’t understand my instructor; College isn’t for me.” What time of day is most conducive for studying? How many days a week, hours per day? Find a study space clear of distractions.

Establish Effective Study Groups Limit group to only 4 members Select a group leader (responsible, task oriented) Determine Study dates and times Decide what specific information to study - evenly divide information - hold members accountable for their portion Ensure each session is structured - exactly what will take place and who is responsible Holding group members accountable and having structured sessions will ensure you maximize your study time and cover as much information as possible.

Health and Wellness Avoid studying on an empty/excessively full stomach Avoid studying when sleepy - If possible follow a regular sleep pattern When possible, exercise!!!

Cramming As much as possible, avoid cramming!!! If you have to cram, focus on re-enforcing the information you already know. Typically, you will not remember information you attempted to learn the night before an exam; furthermore, you may confuse the information you already know. Therefore, it is better to ensure you know SOME information than to be confused on most information.

Note - Taking Tips Use different hand written font styles for different topic sections (ALL CAPS, cursive, print, bold, italics, underlined) Use stars and other symbols in the note margins to identify information that will be on test.(This will help you decide what to study) Use different color ink on different days to distinguish material Highlight important information when reviewing (If everything is highlighted, nothing is highlighted) Although there are many different ways to take class notes, not all methods are the same. Our brains process information via identifying unique qualities that distinguish certain types of info from other types. For example, when driving to a familiar location, you might remember how to get there by landmarks along the way as opposed to street signs. In this same way, giving our brain visual landmarks in our notes, helps us remember the information.

Operation: Graduation Developing these skills over time will help make you a more successful student! Operation: Graduation Learn skills today for tomorrow’s Jobs