Study Tips

Study Tips

Efficient Reading
The familiarity of your assigned material, it's level of difficulty and your purpose in reading it all determine your reading rate. There are four general reading rates:

• Skimming-a high speed search for a specific point(s) or a very quick overview.
• Rapid-faster than normal reading of easy material, a re-reading of old material or a search for main ideas.
• Normal-focusing on main ideas and important details of reading material of average or above average difficulty, or pleasure reading when you don't want to miss the literary beauty.
• Careful-for very difficult material; when you must know details;poetry.

• Read the intro, or if there isn't one, the first 2-3 paragraphs, thorougly.
• Read the first sentence of each remaining paragraph, except for the last few. The main idea is nearly always contained in the first sentence of the paragraph.
• Read the summary, or if there isn't one, the last 2-3 paragraphs. This helps reinforce the main points of the article. For textbook chapters longer than 20 pages, you may want to use a slightly altered approach: either divide the chapter into 2 or 3 sections and apply pre-reading to each section or, after reading the introduction, read only the section headings and the first few sentences, in each main section, as well as all bold face print and the conclusion. Once you've done this, you'll know what general rate of reading efficiency, as noted above, to apply to the material.

• Read to understand, not to memorize.
• Be focused and aggressive-try to anticipate the author's thoughts.
• Ask these questions after pre-reading and before your thorough reading?
  
  • What is the material's main idea?
  • What is my purpose in reading this selection?
  • What is the sequence of ideas?
  • What information or ideas will I be looking for as I read?
  For Textbook Reading
  
  • Plan your reading time so that you take a 10-minute break every hour; without a break you lose concentration and become inefficient.
  • Turn each heading into a question. For example, "Tips for Studying Efficiently" becomes "What are the tips for studying efficiently?" Then read to answer the question you have posed.
  • Write in your notebook the key words representing the ideas you've picked out as important. After you've read the assignment, go back and recite the ideas: cover up the page of text, and using the key words, tell yourself (as if you were explaining it to someone else) the ideas and facts in the chapter in your own words. If you can't remember a point, check your text, then cover it up again and continue.
  
  Taking Class Notes
  Before Class
  Do the assigned reading beforehand. Review notes from the last class.
  During Class
  Watch for main topic, key points and organization of ideas. Clues from the teacher that help you pick these out include "First...", "Second..."; voice emphasis; writing on the board; repetition of an idea. Make notes that highlight the main idea. Using a binder with lined, holed paper is best, because you then have the option of inserting handout for easy organization. It also gives you the ability to write key study words in the margin of the paper when you review your lecture notes.
  After Class
  
  • Clarify your scribbles and fill in the missing information. Then highlight or box in words that represent main ideas. Write the key words in the margins, cover up the main body of notes, and recite.
  • Once a week, take 30-60 minutes to review (i.e., recite) all the notes you've taken since the start of the term. Before an exam, review by reciting also. Remember to understand main ideas, not only details.