1. Study Skills
Freshman Success

2. Hearing: Listening and Hearing
The ability by the ear to perceive sound
Strictly mechanical
We hear even in our sleep

3. Listening: Listening and Hearing
The absorption of the meanings of words and sentences by the brain.
Listening leads to understanding
Listening and understanding turns into the creation of ideas

4. Listening Listening takes: Attention – in spite of distractions
Concentration – focusing of your thoughts on the central issue or problem and having ideas that are related to that issue

5. 10 Bad Listening Habits Calling a subject dull Criticizing the speaker
Overreacting
Listening for facts only
Outlining everything
Faking attention
Yielding to distractions
Choosing only easy stuff
Overreacting to emotional words
Wasting thought speed

6. Reflection
In one paragraph reflect on your current listening habits. What keeps your attention? Do you realize when you are listening and comprehending and when you are only hearing? What are some of your bad listening habits?
In another paragraph write the ways you can change your listening habits. How can I improve my listening habits? How can I increase the knowledge I am retaining when listening?

7. Studying and Memory Using your memory Your brain never loses anything
Forgetting is either the inability to recall stored info or the failure to store it in the first place.
Most people can not remember 50% of the material they have just read, with in 24 hours, they can only remember 20%

8. Types of Memory
Short Term
Limited capacity
Info disappears fast
Type of memory you use to look up a phone # (that is if you do not use 411)

9. Types of Memory Long Term Memory
Allows us to recall info from day to day, week to week, and year to year.
Information is held indefinitely
This is the type of memory when you LEARN information, understand and comprehend.

10. Memory Retrieval
The more often we use info, the easier it is to recall it
It is easier to retrieve thoughts that are grouped together
Recall information you associate with similar info or story

11. Memory Techniques Organize It Use your body
Learn from general to specific
Skim assignment for the general idea
Create associations
Use your body
Learn it actively – people remember 90% of what they do? 75% of what they see and 20% of what they hear.
Relax – we absorb info quicker that way and recall with greater accuracy.

12. Memory Techniques
Create pictures/diagrams – draw cartoons to illustrate info
Visual info is stored separately from verbal info so you're storing it twice
Recite and repeat – works best when you recite using your own words
Write it down – writing helps you remember.

13. Memory Techniques Memorize or Master it Word for Word
Still needed in some areas:
Vocabulary
History, people, places and dates
Periodic table, scientific and mathematical formulas
Break down the selection to be memorized
Master each portion before working on the next.

14. Methods for Studying using Memorization
SQ3R
Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review
Survey
Read chapter title
Look over headings
Look at pictures, tables, graphs
Read introduction and summary
Glance at key words and questions

15. SQ3R Question Read Recite Review
Go back and turn headings into questions
Read
Read to the end of the section to answer the question you have asked.
Recite
Look away from the book and briefly recite the answer to your question.
Review
Look over the notes you have taken on the chapter

16. Flash Cards Useful when learning facts
2 sided for Question and Answer or Word and Definition
Practice until you get most of them right
Place the ones you need more help with in a separate pile for further memorization.

17. Mnemonic Devices A play on words to help you remember Limitations
Doesn’t help understanding – only assists with memorization
Sometimes complicated to learn and time consuming to develop
Can be easily forgotten
May not work well for technical terms in math/science.

18. Mnemonic Devices Acronyms Abbreviations Words created by letters
NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
You can make up your own words to recall facts
Abbreviations
formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word
USA – United States of America

19. Mnemonic Devices Acrostics Creative sentences to trigger memory
Every Good Boy Does Fine – music notes of the lines of the treble clef staff (EGBDF)

20. Mnemonic Devices Rhymes and Songs
These mnemonic devices are for those Auditory learners that respond to rhythm
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
ABC’s

21. Reflection Group Name – Acronym
I want your group to come up with a group name based on your first, last or nickname initials
In your groups figure our what the following Abbreviation stands for in THIS classroom:
MCI
Acrostic
Come up with one Acrostic you have used or made up to help you remember information taught throughout school
Song or Rhyme
Example

22. Study Skills on Note-taking
Keep organized
Use Dividers
Write the subject and date in the margins
Write notes in different colors
Highlight important thoughts
Leave room in your notes for editing

23. Symbols and Abbreviating when copying notes
Using abbreviations can help when taking notes in class.
Abbreviate commonly used words for writing in short hand.
Symbols can also be used

24. Symbols and Abbreviating
w/o – without w/ - with ex. – example
X – times info – information ans. –answer
Ch. – chapter voc. – vocabulary vs. verse
Ea. – each incl. – including b/t – between
b/c – because etc. – etcetera
$ - money plus # number @ - at
& - and ? - question

25. Homework Paragraph about a Freshman Success topic.
Use 10 symbols or abbreviations.

26. How to take notes when READING
SQ3R
Survey, Read, Recite and Review
Skim the selection first to get and overview
Write down questions you have while reading
Focus on the material, no distractions

27. How to take notes during LECTURE
SQ3R
Survey, Read, Recite and Review
Skim the selection first to get and overview
Write down questions you have while reading
Focus on the material, no distractions

28. Writing Prompt
On your birthday a strange looking lady comes up to you and hands you a present. You rattled it. It made a noise. Write a story about this present.

29. Test Taking
Tests are performances – opportunities to demonstrate your mastery
Test scores do not measure intelligence or creativity – they measure how well you do on tests

30. What to do before a Test…
Review Daily
Short daily review to prepare your for major reviews
Scan notes, chapters, note cards
Concentrate on material learned in class that day
Review EVERYDAY

31. Reviews
Review Weekly
Keep review no longer than an hour per subject at a time
Review reading and lecture