Study Tips

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Study Tips

• Dr. Greg Cook
• Psychology of Childhood
• University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

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Study Tips

• F Focus
• E Effort
• A Ability
• T Time
• With these, you can accomplish any FEAT!!

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FOCUS

• It is important to keep your mind sharp and
  focused when you are reading and studying.
• Study in a place and at a time with minimal
  distractions. When and where do you focus best?
  Some students study best first thing in the
  morning. Some dont.
• Concentrate when you read. Use your mind to
  digest and pick apart the textbook material.
  Compare the text to diagrams, photos, margin
  notes, PowerPoints, and your class notes. Be
  active!
• Concentrate in class. Always attend, and be ready
  to learn. Listen closelyto everything. Print and
  study the PowerPoint slides in advance. Study the
  assigned chapter in advance. Yes, it will be
  repetition when we cover it again in class, but
  repetition is crucial for learning.

Focus, Effort, Ability, Time
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EFFORT

• It is easy for students to say I studied really
  hard! or I studied as hard as I could! But, BE
  HONEST, did you really? Some of you do, and some
  of you dont.
• Learning is like any skill it takes work,
  practice, and effort.
• Roll up your sleeves, and put in some mental
  effort! Dont give up when its hard. Dig in.
  Struggle with it. Work it out.
• It takes hard work to learn something new. If it
  was easy, you probably already knew it.
• Treat school like its your job. If you expect to
  work hard at your job or career, then develop
  those work habits now. Its good practice!
• Focus, Effort, Ability, Time

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ABILITY

• Fortunately or unfortunately, all people do
  differ. Some learn faster, and some learn slower.
  We all differ in our reading skills, attention
  skills, note-taking skills, listening skills,
  processing skills, intelligence, and memory.
• Make an honest assessment of your strengths and
  weaknesses and make adjustments accordingly. Some
  students need more time to read. Others benefit
  more from active practice with homework
  assignments. Dont hesitate to talk to your
  professors and to seek services on campus for
  tutoring and other supports.
• Focus, Effort, Ability, Time

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TIME

• How much time do you spend studying? Be honest!
• The 21 Rule The general rule of thumb on our
  campus is that students should spend at least 2
  hours of studying at home for every one hour in
  class. For a 3-unit class, that means that you
  are in class approximately 3 hours per week and
  you are doing at least an additional 6 hours of
  studying during that same week (9 hours total per
  class). If you have a full load of 5 courses,
  then this adds up to 45 hours per week for
  school! Yes, it is a full-time job! Every week.
• Remember to adjust this general rule to fit your
  own level of ability. If 9 hours per week is the
  average, then about half of all students will
  need to spend more than that and about half may
  get by with a little less. Which half works best
  for you? Keep in mind that some students may need
  to spend much more than the average time
  studying.
• Focus, Effort, Ability, Time

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Tips for Psy 331

• Be prepared to Tell the Story for all key terms
  in your readings. These are the bold-print terms
  in the textbook, and you should know them in
  detail.
• List the secondary terms for each chapter, and
  know these as well. Same for any major studies or
  other stories in the readings that look
  important.
• Explain every figure, diagram, and important
  photo in each chapter. If they were given that
  much space on the page, then they might just be
  important! Dont skip the boxes.
• Use the PowerPoints presentations. Print them and
  study them before class.
• Use the Grade Aid Study Guide for practice
  exercises and practice tests. It really helps!
• Always study the chapter thoroughly before class.
  You learn more in class if its your second,
  third, or even fourth time through the material.
  Really! Repitition is GOOD.
• Learn by teaching. Practice the material by
  teaching and explaining it in detail to another
  person. Form study groups. If nothing else, at
  least practice by pretending to teach it in your
  own head (and have your imaginary student ask
  good questions too!).
• Effective learning does take FOCUS, EFFORT,
  ABILITY, and lots of TIME.

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In Conclusion

• Dont give up.
• Grades arent everything. Grades in school dont
  make the person. There are more important things
  in life, but doing well in school can help you
  make a better life for yourself.
• Get all that you can out of your opportunities to
  learn. Get your moneys worth!
• Learn to develop a knowledge base and set of
  skills that will benefit you for the rest of your
  life. Improve your competitive edge in your
  career, and improve your general knowledge and
  quality of life. Why not?
• Dont study just to get gradesstudy to learn.
  Good grades cant help you perform in your
  career, but learning can. Think about two
  employees who are both facing the same job at
  work. One holds up his transcript and says I got
  straight As! The other says, Yeah, but I
  studied, remember what I learned, and I now know
  what Im talking about! Which do you think will
  do the best job? Which one will be more
  successful?
• Happy Studying!!