| As you begin your college career, think of it as | | | | actively How can reading be passive, you may ask. I'll |
| starting off with a clean slate because, literally, you | | | | prove it. How many times have you read something, |
| are beginning anew. No one has preconceived notions | | | | gotten to the end, and you have no clue what you |
| about your abilities or your work habits. If you | | | | read? It happens to all of us. Our eyes are moving |
| haven't done so already, now is the time to begin | | | | over the words, but our mind is disengaged -a million |
| academic habits that lead to good grades -- the | | | | miles away. But if we read and study actively, |
| habits "smart" students use. Why is "smart" in | | | | daydreaming is impossible. How do we engage our |
| quotes? "Smart" is in quotes because we are not | | | | mind to prevent it from wandering? We do one of |
| sure if these students are inherently smarter, or we | | | | two things: take notes on the reading or highlight and |
| just perceive them as smarter because their | | | | mark (annotate) the text. Yes, it will take longer to |
| strategies earn them good grades. Do you see the | | | | read the chapter, BUT you won't have to ever |
| difference? In other words students who earn "A"s | | | | re-read it. Why? You have already extracted the |
| are not necessarily the smartest IQ-wise, but they | | | | important material, and that is what you will study. |
| likely use the best strategies. | | | | Reading chapters over and over is one of the |
| So, what are these so-called "smart" strategies?o | | | | costliest mistakes students make because it wastes |
| Having an organizational system in place A student | | | | so many hours that could be put to better use.o |
| without a proven system is like a one-armed | | | | Doing all the homework. I'll bet you think that's a |
| wallpaper hanger. While I recommend students have | | | | no-brainer. It's not. College freshmen, often try |
| an "Academic- Weekly/Monthly" planner, one size | | | | skipping assignments when they discover that their |
| does not fit all. Some students find their PDAs do the | | | | instructors rarely collect homework. Wait a minute! |
| trick for them. Others have invented imaginative | | | | Are you attending college for the professors or for |
| systems of their own. The bottom line is whatever | | | | yourself? Is the purpose of homework to keep you |
| works is fine. Cardinal rule: In college, relying on your | | | | busy, or is to provide practice in order to master a |
| memory is the fastest way to fail.o Sitting in the | | | | concept? Even though instructors rarely collect |
| front row of the classroom The front row is labeled | | | | homework, it soon becomes obvious which students |
| the "A" row by instructors because it has been | | | | are taking shortcuts. Are professors psychic? Hardly. |
| proven that students who sit in this row are likelier | | | | When exams are graded, it becomes painfully |
| to earn "A"s. Why? We are not quite sure if it is | | | | apparent which students passed over the repetition |
| because the "brainy" students sit there, so they can | | | | that puts information into their long-term memories.o |
| have close contact with the instructor, or because | | | | Reviewing your notes within 24 hours Research on |
| students who sit there have fewer distractions and | | | | memory indicates that forgetting does not occur at a |
| end up interacting with the instructor more | | | | constant rate. Most forgetting happens shortly after |
| frequently. For our purposes, the cause does not | | | | we learn something, say within a day. After that, the |
| matter. The effect, getting higher grades, is what | | | | forgetting rate tapers off. After 2 days, we may |
| matters for us.o Attending every class In high school, | | | | forget about 2/3 of what we learned, but after a |
| you were likely to stay home from school if you | | | | month, it's not much worse. Let's apply this to school. |
| woke up with a headache or a cold. Doing that in | | | | Most students take notes during class. When do they |
| college is perilous! Most college semesters are 15 | | | | next look at them? Oh, maybe as long as four |
| weeks, and in that time, you learn what you would | | | | weeks later, when they are studying for an exam. |
| cover in an entire year of high school. Content is | | | | By then, so much time has elapsed that 2/3 of what |
| taught quickly. You may be responsible to learn a | | | | they wrote in their notebook looks brand new again! |
| chapter of 50+ pages in a week. In most cases, the | | | | They must spend extra time re-learning the |
| purpose of class is to clarify the readings and | | | | information before they can even begin to study it. |
| reinforce meaning. Those who miss classes, even just | | | | There is a way to prevent this from happening. If |
| once in a while, begin a slow sinking process. Being | | | | you simply read over your notes within 24 hours (at |
| absent should reserved for emergencies or when | | | | the breakfast table before school works well), you |
| you are too ill to get out of bed.o Doing the reading | | | | can forestall the forgetting process. Now, when you |
| prior to the lecture You will probably have a reading | | | | study 4 weeks later, the material is not nearly as |
| assignment after each class. Why is it important that | | | | foreign. You see, you have had 3 exposures to it: (1) |
| you read it? Doing the reading "warms you up" for | | | | in the reading (2) in the lecture, and (3) when |
| the upcoming lecture. You walk into class with some | | | | reviewing your notes. The material has already |
| familiarity of what's going to be discussed. Those | | | | started its journey into your long-term memory, so it |
| who think it's fine to skip the reading don't glean as | | | | doesn't have as far to go when exam time arrives. |
| much from the lecture. They walk into class "cold" | | | | Educational theory tells us that we learn new material |
| and then have to dive into sub-zero waters! HINT: | | | | more easily with short, frequent exposures. That is |
| Every now and then, you will be under pressure | | | | exactly what the 3-step system above provides! |
| because of an upcoming test or project in another | | | | As you begin a new chapter in your life, resolve to |
| course, and you will be tempted to skip a reading | | | | leave self-defeating behaviors behind and become |
| assignment. When this happens, take a short cut: just | | | | strategy-smart! |
| read the chapter summary.o Reading and studying | | | | |