Study Habits for Success

Over the five years of The Grade, the staff encourages students to adapt a set of study habits for academic achievement. The below guidelines are used in mentoring to help the student concretize resolutions in this area.

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1)      Make a schedule:

a)      Find a planning routine: e.g., every Friday afternoon, Saturday or Sunday morning, or Monday evening.

b)      Define your upcoming work: How much homework, papers, and studying do you have for the upcoming week?

c)      Estimate how long it will take to … write the paper, study for the exam, etc.

d)      Three-part rule: Divide bigger tasks (like papers & test prep) over at least 3 days and write down when you will do each part.

e)      Make sure you have a specific time for studying and homework (many things tend to compete with studying).  Begin and end on time.

2)      Be smart about what you study when:

a)      Do the hardest thing first.  You work more efficiently when you are fresh.  Plus, it’s a great feeling to be done with your hardest task.

b)      Study before you have fun.  Again, it’s a big relief to be done with your work.

c)      Just get started.  The first 20 minutes are the hardest.

d)      Look at your biorhythm (e.g., try not to study after a big meal).

3)      Finish your work entirely:

a)      Don’t leave a small part until the morning of the day it’s due.

b)      Study for test until all the material is known.

4)      Get a good place to study:

a)      Find a place where there is silence and little-to-no distractions or commotion.

b)      Study on a desk or table, ideally with a chair with armrests.  No couches, beds, or bean bags.

c)      Make sure there is a bright light.

d)      To avoid having to get up, have in your desk everything you need: pens, pencils, erasers, paper, calculator, index cards, dictionary, thesaurus, etc.

e)      Keep your desk neat—where you can find things easily.  Have only what is needed so you can concentrate.

5)      Do your thinking in the classroom:

a)      Don’t waste your hours in the classroom.  You’re there for 6-7 hours/day.

b)      Think about the material being covered, ask questions, write questions down.  Leave a margin in your notes for this.

c)      Write down the essence of what the teacher says, not everything he says verbatim.

6)      Keep your materials organized:

a)      Your locker, backpack, notebooks, binders, folders, desk, etc.

7)      Remain sitting and focused:

a)      50-10 rule: Work for 50 minutes without getting up, take a 10 minute break, repeat until finished.

b)      No phone, no Facebook, no music.  Approach your study time with the same intensity and focus you would have during a big test.

8)      Test prep:

a)      Don’t merely review.  Rather, you should 1) outline, 2) review, 3) test yourself.

i.      Outline: Make a list of exactly what you have to know: terms, facts, ideas.

ii.      Review: Read over, memorize, and/or study the material you have to know.

iii.      Test yourself: cover up the definitions/answers, and see how well you know it.

b)      Three-part rule: Study over 3 days, not just the day before the test.

c)      Sleep well the night before.

9)      Taking tests:

a)      If you have extra time, double check.

b)      Don’t waste time on problems you’re struggling with.  Circle them, and if you have time at the end, then do them.

c)      Essays: do an outline, but don’t spend too long on it.  No “content” – just a few words.

10)  Have a good note-taking method.  For example, the SQ3R Method:

a)      SURVEY (GET A GENERAL OVERVIEW)

i.      Read the chapter title, headings, and subheadings

ii.      Read the captions under pictures, charts, graphs, or maps.

iii.      Review questions or teacher-made study guides.

iv.      Read the introduction, conclusion, and summary of the chapter.

b)     QUESTION (FOSTER CURIOSITY)

v.      Turn the title, headings, and/or subheadings into questions, and write them down; leave some space in between each question.

vi.      Read any questions listed at the end of the chapter or after each subheading.

vii.      Ask yourself, ‘What did my teacher say about this chapter or subject when it was assigned?’

c)      3R: READ, RECITE, REVIEW

i.      READ:

1)      Look for answers to your questions.  Write down answers in your own words.  Answer questions from the end of chapter or study guide (if different from your own questions).

2)      Read actively and think about what you are reading.  Reading without thinking = self-hypnosis.

3)      Read slowly – don’t go on unless you know the material.  It is fine to read literature a bit more quickly.

4)      Re-read captions under pictures, graphs, etc.  Study graphic aids.

5)      Note all the underlined, italicized, bold printed words or phrases.

6)      Read only one section at a time and – stop!  Go on to ‘recite’ after each section.

ii.      RECITE:

1)      Orally ask yourself the questions you wrote down before reading that section; try to answer them from memory, without looking at your notes.  Then, look over your written answer to the questions.

2)      Underline or highlight important points you've just read.

3)      The more senses you use in ‘reciting’, the more likely you are to remember what you read.

iii.      REVIEW:

1)      Once you finish a whole chapter, go back to all your questions and see if you can still respond to them – first, orally, from memory, without looking at your notes.  Then, read over your written answers to the questions.

2)      If you forgot or are missing something, write a question mark in the margin and then go back to read the relevant section of the textbook.

3)      Develop mnemonic devices for material which need to be memorized.  Make flash cards for those questions which give you difficulty.

4)      Review again after one week.