1. Study Skills 101

2. Organize Your Work Space and Maintain It Everyday!
Get Organized
Organize Your Work Space and Maintain It Everyday!
Designate places to keep textbooks, folders and notebooks.
Obtain materials and supplies for class and store them in easy to access areas.

3. Take 5 to 10 minutes each day to maintain these systems.
Stay Organized
Set Up a System for Keeping School Work Organized and Stick to It!
Examples
Use a color-code system with a different folder for each subject. Use your favorite color for your least favorite subject.
Use a planner or monthly calendar to log all of your long term deadlines.
Use an assignment book to record assignments.
Take 5 to 10 minutes each day to maintain these systems.

4. Set “SMART” Goals
Set Specific, Measurable, Attainable/Affirmative, Realistic, Trackable Goals (SMART Goals)
SMART Goals should be both short term (achieved in the near future) and long term (achieved over a long period of time.

5. Stay Motivated Think Positively!
Accept responsibility for motivating yourself!
Accept the fact that success results from effort!
Reward yourself after completing a goal, task, etc.

6. Lecture Notes Tips Have a specific notebook for every class.
Read the assignment before going to class.
Sit in the front of the classroom.
Write the date and title of the lecture at the top of the page.
Write down the main idea of the lecture near the top of the lecture.
Make an effort to organize your notes.
Use abbreviations.
Use your own words, except for technical vocabulary.
Leave a blank if you missed something so you’ll know to go back and fill in the information.
Correlate what you are hearing to what you have read and your own experience.
Learn when not to write.
Learn to distinguish facts from opinions.
Ask questions.
Only write on the front side of the paper.
Reconstruct/recopy your notes as soon after class as possible.

7. Effective Reading
Survey: The material, book or chapter first, to get an idea of what parts you will need to study in detail. Scan the table of contents and see how topics are inter-connected. Make a mental note of all sub-headings or emphasized sections.
Question: Yourself as to the purpose of your study, e.g. “What are the main themes, what message do I get from them, how will they be useful to me, what is the sequence of thought or paragraphs?” etc.
Read: The chapter from beginning to end. At this stage, do not slow down and concentrate, but finish off the entire material in one sitting.
Recall/Recite: What you have read, if necessary make brief notes of main ideas and important details. Try to recall the sequence of sections in your mind. Reciting to someone else helps you put it in your own words. (However, reading aloud does not suit everyone).
Review: What you have read and test the accuracy of your memory. Then concentrate on those passages that seem to elude your memory, and read them slowly and carefully.
Test: After a gap of few days, test yourself on what you had read. Give yourself mock exams of the same standard and duration as the actual annual or semester exam you are going to face.

8. Effective Listening Be interested.
Ignore Speakers Faults in Delivery: Ignore the speakers mannerism, clothes, voice, and delivery. Focus on the message.
Wait to Disagree or Challenge. Listen to the entire idea and get all the facts straight.
Listen to the Concepts: Relate small facts to the central themes and principles.
Take Brief Notes: Don’t write down everything the speaker says or make detailed outlines.
Stop Distractions: Stop distractions caused by classmates by asking them to be quiet or ask the speaker to speak louder.
See Difficult Material as a Challenge and Don’t Tune Out.
Control Your Emotions: Focus on the literal meaning of words, Don’t let your emotions block your concentration.
Use Your Spare Time: Since talking speed is slower than listening speed use that time to summarize ideas, identify central themes, and anticipate what will come next.

9. In a Nutshell Set Up a Schedule
Start Studying for 10 – 15 Minutes at a Time and Then Build Up to Longer Periods
Take Breaks
Reward Yourself
Find a Good Location
Use the Same Place for Studying
Read and Listen Effectively

10. This information was complied by Ihudiya Ogburu, a first year RA at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Information brought to you by:
The Academic Accommodations Office at Rochester Institute of Technology
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