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  • WORKSHOPS 4 - EFFECTIVE STUDY HABITS AND STRATEGIES

  • Learning Outcomes

    • Students will self-assess their current study habits and strategies.

    • Students will understand how to employ the Cornell Note-Taking System.

    • Students will understand why the Cornell Note Taking System supports deep understanding of course material (and yes therefore better grades).

    • Students will understand the SQ3R reading method and how it supports more effective reading (and yes therefore better grades).

  • Instructions

    This module is not intended to take you a long time – likely less than 30 minutes. However, it has been designed carefully to help you improve your grades and enhance your academic success. Make sure you complete every activity within the module.  Continue until the end and then submit. Your reflections can be just a few sentences (or longer if you like). You do not need to write a great deal but answer each question thoroughly. In order to achieve the learning outcomes, complete all of the activities. It is worth your time!

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  • Activity # 1 – Assessing Current Study Habits

    Think and Write

    Go to this link - http://studyingforcollege.com/Survey.htm

    Print out the short study skills inventory, answer the questions, and add up your overall score.

    Look over your scores. For at least three of the areas that you scored “1” (rarely) or “2” (somewhat”) click the blue link next to question and read over that material. It’s not too long but carefully read it.

  • Strong Suggestion

    When you are plotting out how you will use your time each day (such as while you make your to-do lists), be specific about the study tasks you will need to do. Make sure that these tasks are on your to-do list and as well built into your time planning. For example – under the general category of “study for Anatomy and Physiology“, you may want to include review Cornell notes from today’s class, read pp. 63-71 using the SQ3R method, etc.  Just like a person who is working out does sit ups, pull ups, etc. you need to be specific about the “exercises” that make up your study routine and get built into your study time.

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  • Activity # 2 – Using the Cornell Note Taking Method

  • Watch & Comment

    Watch the quick video and answer a few questions about the topic discussed

  • If the above question still seems hard to answer, you could watch the video a second time, or see the information on Cornell Notes at http://www.wikihow.com/Take-Cornell-Notes

  • Hint - think back to what you know about learning and the brain. Recall those videos in module # 1 (Understanding Academic Expectations) on how the brain builds synapses as you continuously study something.

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  • Activity # 3 – Active and Effective Reading

  • Watch & Comment

    Watch the quick video, it’s fun and it’s on a great reading method called SQ3R.

  • Use SQ3R and watch as your understanding of textbooks and other reading materials for your classes improves. It may not happen instantly but it will; trust the process!

  • Optional But Very Cool

    Similar reading methods are described at this link. The commonality of most of these methods is that they suggest previewing before you read, then actually doing the reading (and taking some notes as you do so), and then reviewing after to enhance your understanding. Better yet – have a whole study group read and then discuss the reading among the group. That’s how “the pros” do it!

    http://studyingforcollege.com/Effective%20Reading.htm


    Tips for Study Skill Success.     This is a useful site from Virginia Tech University that has suggestions about nearly every aspect of improving study skills that you can think of - from note-taking to reading to time management to test taking and much more. Check it out, choose areas from the menu (on left) that you think you could improve in, review those materials and build the suggestions into your everyday habits as a student

    http://www.ucc.vt.edu/academic_support_students/study_skills_information/study_skills_checklist/index

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  • Activity # 4 – Getting Support From Friends and Family

    This one is simple but vital and powerful. Each day or as often as possible share the following with your “make it happen buddy” (or whatever you would like to call her or him) – what you have read, how you did the reading (the method you used) and a very general summary of some main ideas. On a daily basis communicate with each other, encourage each other each other and help each other build awesome reading as well as note-taking and task/time management habits. Send texts, e-mails, tweets, instant messages or whatever works. Just keep encouraging each other and holding each other accountable.

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