• Vocabulary words
• Summaries
• Problems to solve
• Study questions
• Self tests
• Assignments

    An important part of improving your study skills is finding a dependable study technique. Some of you may have already discovered a method that gives you good results, but others may have no system at all, and have the grades that show it. If you have not had the opportunity to develop a study technique yet, the SQ3R method may be for you.

SQ3R

    As students, most of you know it is not enough simply to read an assignment. The act of reading does not ensure that you will remember what you have read. Perhaps you daydream well you read, or maybe you are surrounded by background noise, commotion, or interruptions. In any case, you can't recall a thing about what you have just read. Does this scenario sound familiar?

    You need to be an active participant as you read in study. You can do so by practicing a technique that involves you in the learning process, SQ3R. Many of you already use part of the SQ3R technique if you preview material. You carry it even farther if, as you read, you try to find answers to questions about the material. Both the previewing and questioning techniques are important steps in SQ3R but there's more to it.

S = Survey. The S in SQ3R stands for survey, which means previewing, a concept you are familiar with. The steps in the survey are simple and take little time they are as follows:

• Look at the title.
• Read the first paragraph or introduction.
• Read the first sentence of each of the other paragraphs.
• Read the last paragraph or conclusion.

The survey step in SQ3R helps you four ways:

• You get a glimpse of the contents of the material without having to read every word.
• You get a feel for your familiarity with the material.
• You can estimate the amount of time you should set aside for covering the material.
• You may actually double your comprehension when you do read the entire section.

Q = Question. In order to become actively involved in the actual reading process, you need to read with a purpose. That is, you need to read to answer questions. Look to the following sources for questions you can answer as you read.

• Questions listed at the end of the chapter.
• Questions provided by your instructor.
• Headings you turn into questions.
• Questions on worksheets, homework, quizzes, or tests.

    Knowing the questions before you actually read this selection helps you read with the purpose. You will be and involved reader, and your comprehension and retention of the material will be greatly improved. Better yet, after you finish reading this election, you will find you know the answers to questions you had while you were reading.

R = Read. Read the material as and active reader with the goal answering questions as you go along. You will be surprised at how much more you will get out of your reading assignment, and you'll feel good when you're reading reveals answers.

R = Recite. The next step is to recite the answers to your questions. Recite aloud to another person or quietly to yourself what you have read. Study show that students tend to forget as much as 80 percent of what they have learned from reading within two weeks after studying. But when students recite immediately after reading, they forget only 20 percent during the same time period.

Recite what you have read and then write it down, if necessary. This proves that you understand and comprehend what you have read-that you have been actively involved in the reading. You know you have read because you can recite answers to questions.

R = Review. after a few hours, or even a couple of days, review the answers to your questions. This step will keep the material fresh in your mind and retain it and recall it accurately for longer periods of time. in addition, using that SQ3R method will save you from test anxiety and late night or all night crash study sessions. SQ3R helps you learn and retain the material so that you can approach a test with confidence.

 

Fundamentals of Note Taking

Almost anyone would agree: note taking can be a real chore! Some instructors talk so fast, you can't keep up with them. Others wonder from one subject to the next until you can't even remember the point they are trying to make. The fast talker leaves your hand numb from writer's cramp. A disorganized speaker leaves you dizzy with confusion-and with few notes in your note book. You need a better, more efficient method of taking notes.

Notes and note taking are personal. No two students take notes in the same way, although each is trying to pick up the same main points from the lesson. were you consider yourself a skilled or unskilled note taker, your note taking can improve. You can learn to be more flexible and concise.

There are five different note taking methods which we will cover here.

Outlining

Outlining provides you with a well organized set of notes to Study from because it forces you to seek out the main idea and to recognize supporting details, eliminating unnecessary information. Once mastered, outlining can be a valuable tool for making you a better student. One of the first steps towards developing and organized taking system is being able to recognize the author's main idea; that is, you must clearly understand the point or central point the author is communicating. That main idea is the topic sentence, and all other sentences in the paragraph helps support it.

There are three reasons for learning to take good note. First, note taking helps you pay attention. Wall you are right thing, you're concentrating and your mind wanders less. You stay with the subject. Second, note taking helps you remember. Note taking is a muscle activity and muscles remember better than our minds. An example would be a 60 year-old man who can still remember how to ride a bike, but not who his fourth grade teacher was. Third, note taking helps you organize ideas. You learn to sort out and write down the main points and sub points in an organized fashion.

Outlines are organized in the following way.

I. Topic Sentence

          A. Major Point

                     1. Sub Point

                                  a. Detail

 

Signal Words

Signal words are extremely helpful tools for picking out important details. They serve as flags to indicate main points of sentences or paragraphs. there are two types of signal words: full signals and half signals. full signals are obvious flags, words such as the first, the second, and the third. Half signals are less obvious; they are words such as the next, the last, in summary, and therefore.

Patterning

also known as a bridge while organizer, Patterning allows you to graphically display the information which is being presented. There are a variety of different graphic organizers such as a concept web, trees, Venn diagrams and many many more. For a complete listing of the different patterning or visual organizers see Mr. Andersen for the Handout on graphic organizing. The

Listing

Another method of note taking is extremely straight foreword. Listing is an appropriate form of note taking for such class's as history when dates and important events must be learned or in class's that involve a lot of vocabulary terms and definitions. When you use this method in class listened carefully as your instructor lectures, and then build your list. If your source of information is the text or other printed material rather than your instructors lecture, read carefully and be guided by a signal words and key phrases.

Highlighting

One other method of note taking is highlighting. A highlighter is a marking pen available where school supplies are sold. It allows you to highlight any key words or phrases you wish to know or emphasize. As a note taking technique, highlighting saves you writing time and emphasizes key information to read as you study for a test. This should not be done unless it is your own personal book however. To practice high lighting, use the highlighter marking pen to draw a line through the most important points in your lab book or notes-the points that your instructor might include on your next test. You will find it much easier to study from a set of highlighted notes than from notes in which every word seems to be as important as the next one.

Margin Notes

In addition to outlining, patterning, listing, and high lighting, you need to know another time saving method for note taking. However, you can use this method only when you own your own text or are allowed to write of the material on which you must take notes. In your Labbook, sends you only right on the right hand pages, you are allowed to write your personal margin notes on any left-hand side.

When you use margin notes as your form of note taking, you write down key points in the margin of the book or notes you are reading. Margin notes are convenient, providing you with a sufficient set of notes for reviewing at test time.

To practice taking a margin notes take the notes from class, and in the margin of your Notes, beside the major points, write 1 to 4. Keywords that identify those major points then tried looking at your margin notes as clues and reciting the major points they represent. Do you see what an important read you a technique taking margin notes can be at exam time

 

 

Test Taking Skills

How Do You Prepare for Tests?

Now that you know how your memory works, find out how you can organize your study time to suit your memory. In preparing for a test, do you reread the chapter the night before the test? Perhaps you review your notes or answer the questions at the end of the chapter. Have you ever tried to create a sample test for yourself or have someone quiz you?

Using a separate sheet of paper, make a list of the steps you take in preparing for an exam. List everything you do and when you do it. Then, if your instructor allows time, compare your list with your classmates' lists. Brainstorm as many different ways to prepare for tests as you can, and write down each of the methods on your sheet of paper.

If you are doing this exercise as an independent study, interview five successful students you know to find out how they prepare for exams. Or, interview five different instructors for their ideas on studying for tests. Whichever method you choose, be sure to include the results of your interviews in your notes. You will be sharing these results with your instructor.

 

How Should You Prepare for Tests?

You know how you prepare for tests, and now you know how your classmates go about it. How do your methods compare? Think about some of the new ideas or techniques for preparation that you learned from your peers. Based on what you know about their methods, can you see why one student scores well on tests, while another scores poorly?

The exercise should make this much clear: Rereading the entire chapter the night before is a waste of time. Your memory can't possibly absorb and retain all that material in one night. Instead, anticipate questions you think will be asked and review their answers three to six days in advance of the test date. Now, compare your list of preparation techniques with the list that follows; add any suggestions your list did not include. When you finish, you will have a list of study techniques that, if used, will enable you to do well on any exam.

Preparing for Tests

1. Ask or anticipate what material will be covered on the test and write it down. You can accomplish this by doing the following:

• Look at tests from other chapters and ask your instructor, or students who have taken the class before, what material might be included.
• Listen to verbal clues in class. (Verbal clues are like signal words; they flag what your instructor considers to be important and may be included on the test. Verbal clues are phrases such as be sure to remember that ... ; take notes on this ... ; and you may see this again .... )
• Pay attention to what your instructor writes on the chalkboard. Write it in your notes and use your highlighter pen to emphasize it; there is a good chance questions relating to that information will be on the test.

2. Find out what type of questions will be on the test.

• Use a different study technique for an essay test than for an objective test. Solving problems involves different preparation than sentence completion does.
• Look at past tests to discover your instructor's usual test format.
• Ask your instructor, or students who have had the class before, what types of questions will be included.
• Listen to lectures and class discussions for clues about the kinds of questions that might be included.
• Pay attention to the kinds of exercises you do daily in class; the test may parallel these.

3. Discover how much of the test is based on your notes.

• Consider your instructor's attitude about note taking. Is it required or optional? This is a good clue to whether he or she will include items from the notes on the test.
• Talk to students who have had the class before, or ask your instructor if you will be tested on the notes.
• Analyze previous tests to determine the extent of test material drawn from notes.

4. Organize your notes and other study aids to correspond with the material you believe will be covered and the type of test to be given.

• Gather the material you feel might be on the test (notes, chapter review, problems, etc.)
• Highlight in your notes the key points that might be covered.
• Use margin notes (key words written in the margin) to identify main points.
• Write down any additional information you anticipate will be covered.

5. Avoid cramming. Keep in mind that it takes time to get material into your memory, so begin reviewing the material three to six days prior to the test.

• First night-skim the material.
• Second night-skim the material, read margin notes, and recite important points aloud as you read them. (Those of you who learn best by hearing things should study that way, too. Hear yourself say the key points to be learned.)
• Third night-read your margin notes (key words) and, without looking at your notes or the text, recite aloud the important points they represent.
• Fourth night-make up a sample test and answer the questions, or have someone quiz you. If you do well, you do not need to study a fifth night. If you feel you need to do better, look over the material again and repeat this process a fifth, and perhaps a sixth night.

6. Prepare yourself the night before the test.

• Briefly review the material one more time. Get adequate sleep.

7. Prepare yourself the next day.

• Briefly review the material one more time when you wake up.
• Eat a nutritious breakfast.
• Get your mind and body stimulated with brief exercise (short jog, walk, push-ups) and a shower.
• Wear something comfortable that makes you feel confident.
• Get rid of test anxiety (see the next section.)
• Avoid drugs (drugs make you feel sluggish or nervous and affect your ability to recall and concentrate).
• Build your self-confidence (tell yourself you have prepared will and so you will do well; a good attitude yields good results).

Reducing Test Anxiety

There are just a few minutes to wait before your instructor puts a test in front of you. Are you feeling fidgety and tense, or even sick to your stomach? If that describes how you feel before you take a test, you probably have test anxiety. Test anxiety is common for almost everyone; even the best students have it. But if you are to do well on a test, your test anxiety must be controlled. Practicing some of the following tips can help you control your anxiety.

Read the suggestions below and, on a separate sheet of paper, write down the tips you feel will be valuable for you. Not all of these suggestions work for everyone because people have different personalities. For some, thumbing through the book prior to an exam builds confidence and reassures them that they know the material. For others, it creates panic because they are afraid they may have forgotten to study something. Those people are better off leaving their textbooks at home. Consider each suggestion, then write down only those that will work for you.

Relieving Test Anxiety

1. Get enough sleep.

• Going to bed at 5:15am lowers your concentration and makes you think only of sleeping.

2. Eat a good meal prior to the test.

• Do not eat too much so that you feel groggy, but eat enough to provide your mind and body with the calories they need to function well. Greasy and acidic food and beverages (donuts and coffee) will not provide adequate nutrition and may upset your stomach.

3. Exercise to reduce tension and stimulate thinking.

• Exercise is a great stress reducer. jogging, walking, mild aerobics, pushups, and other forms of exercise not only reduce test anxiety, but stimulate your mind and body to improve your ability to think and concentrate as well.

4. Take a shower.

• Warm water relaxes some; cold water stimulates others.

5. Allow enough time to arrive at the class without hurrying.

• Hurrying causes tension; the fear of being late builds anxiety.

6. Provide yourself with time in the classroom to relax and compose yourself.

• Deep breathing exercises accomplish this. Take a deep breath, then another short breath, and exhale slowly.
• Close your eyes and imagine a relaxing scene. Allow your muscles to relax. Then think about your test while you are in this relaxed state.

7. Review with your friends or don't review with your friends just prior to the test.

• For some, reviewing with friends before the exam builds confidence; they feel they have command of the material. For others, it incites panic; they feet they don't know the material as well as they should.

8. Thumb through your books and notes or don't thumb through your books and notes just prior to the test.

• Thumb through your notes if it builds confidence; don't took at your notes if doing so creates panic.

9. Develop a positive attitude.

• Tell yourself you studied as well as you could have for the test and believe it. Convince yourself that others have done well on this test, and you can too.

1O. Make sure you can see a clock, plan your time, and pace yourself

• Not knowing how much of the test-taking time has elapsed creates anxiety. Budget your time so you can answer all of the questions.

11. Choose your seat carefully.

• Sitting near friends can be disrupting. If you see them writing furiously, it can make you nervous. If you see them handing in their papers early, you may feel compelled to do the same, and your anxiety will build.
• Some people may read the test questions softly but audibly as they concentrate. Others may chew gum loudly. These are distractions that may annoy you and cause anxiety. Isolate yourself, if possible.

12. Begin by filling in the answers you know.

• This builds confidence and relieves anxiety because you see that you do know the answers. Also, it may trigger recall of other answers that you had momentarily forgotten.

13. Don't panic if others are busy writing and you are not.

• By spending time thinking, you may provide higher quality and better content answers than someone who is writing frantically.

14. Don't panic if you forget an answer.

• Go on to other questions the answer will probably occur to you as you continue taking the test.

15. Don't worry if others finish before you do.

• Finishing first does not guarantee the best grade. Usually the better papers are handed in by the students who spent more time thinking about and checking over their answers before turning in their papers.

16. Don't panic if you run out of time.

• Ask your instructors if you can stay late; many will let you do this to finish.
• Outline essay questions you didn't have time to complete. Most instructors will give you points for outlines because they can see you knew the answers but didn't have time to write them in essay form.

 

Strategies for Taking Tests

Now that you know how to handle the pretest jitters, you need to consider what to do when that test is in your hands. If you are a person who gulps and says "Go for it," you are probably not getting the highest grade you could.

Or maybe you are a person who fails to read the directions on the test carefully before you begin writing. If, for example, you miss the words "Choose one of the following three essay questions," and you try to answer all three questions, you will probably run out of time and give incomplete answers. There are fewer unpleasant surprises when you read the directions.

Or perhaps you have been in this unfortunate situation: You are running out of test-taking time, and you still have to complete two essay questions. For the first time, you notice that they are worth twenty points each, and now you don't have enough time to give thorough answers.

Who needs to use test-taking strategies? We all do. Remember, you are not only being tested on the material, you are also being tested on how much you know about taking a test. So, to do the best you can on tests, you have to think about your own test-taking strategies. On a separate sheet of paper, list the steps or strategies you use when taking a test. After you finish, compare your list with your classmates' and, working as a class, develop a more comprehensive list. (if you are in an independent study, interview five successful students to compare your list with their lists of test-taking strategies, adding any new ones to your list.)

Now, compare your comprehensive list of test-taking strategies with the following list and add to your list any techniques that you had not previously included.

 

Test-Taking Strategies

1. Arrive early.

• Allow enough time to compose your thoughts, sharpen your concentration, organize your materials, and relay.

2. Bring all materials to class with you.

• Bring pencils or pens, paper, erasers, calculator (and extra batteries), and any other materials necessary for taking that test.

3. Listen carefully to your instructor's directions and comments.

• Instructors frequently announce changes in the test or emphasize instructions you may overlook; pay attention to what they have to say.

4. Look over the test, reading the directions carefully.

• If you don't answer the questions as instructed, you may lose points. Even an instruction as simple as "Answer with the complete words true or false" can cost you points if you don't follow it.

5. Budget your time.

• You should spend less time on a five-point question than you spend on a twenty-point essay question.
• Determine the amount of time you have to take the test and the value and difficulty of each section. Then budget your time accordingly.
• If you have twenty questions and sixty minutes, spend three minutes per question; if you have four questions, each worth twenty-five points, and sixty minutes, spend fifteen minutes on each question.
• If you don't complete a question in the time you allotted, leave it and come back to complete your answer only if you have extra time.

6. Write down key facts or formulas in the margin.

• This is a safeguard against forgetting key information if you get nervous.

7. Look for qualifying words.

• Words such as never, always, rarely, often, seldom, many, and so on determine the correct answer.

8. Answer easy questions first.

• Answering the easy questions first will reduce anxiety, build confidence, trigger recall of other answers and the material you studied, and give you points immediately. You will be able to say to yourself, "This isn't so bad after all; I'm going to do well." You will approach the test with more vigor and confidence. Tackling the tough questions first may make you feel unprepared and uninformed, setting you up for failure.

9. Answer objective questions before essay questions.

• Completing the true-false, multiple-choice, and matching questions may provide you with answers to the essay questions.

10. If you don't know the answer, make a mark next to that question and try to complete it later.

• Often, answers you can't recall will occur to you as you take the test. If you have provided your memory with enough information, you will think of the answer. if not, don't panic even the best students face this situation. Neatly write down the most suitable answer you can think of and continue.

11. Guess at answers you don't know, unless there is a penalty for guessing.

• On true-false questions, you have a 50 percent chance of guessing right;
• On multiple-choice questions, you often have a 25 percent chance of being correct. Don't pass up potential points by leaving the question blank.
• The only time you are penalized for guessing is when, in scoring the results, the number wrong is to be subtracted from the number correct.
• Not very many instructors use this technique, however. Most subtract the number wrong from the total possible.

12. Change answers only if you are sure they are wrong.

• Most sources say first instincts are usually correct; however, sometimes you will recall information that will lead you to believe your first answer was incorrect. If so, make the change.

13. Use all the time that you are allowed.

• If you finish early check your paper for errors.
• Look again at the directions, did you follow them correctly?

 

 

For further reading on this topic see Mr. Andersen or contact the guidance office.  The above information was taken from:

Forte, Imogene;  Mackenzie. (1991)  Writing Survival Skills, Nashville, Incentive Publications, Inc.

Coman, Marcia;  Heavers, Kathy. (1998) How to Improve Your Study Skills, Lincolnwood, IL, NTC Publishing Group.

 

 

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