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Study at the
same time every day. Having certain hours set aside for
study that are treated the same as class five days a week
makes it a force of habit. It's therefore easier to get
started and follow through. Studying in the same place and
time also aids concentration. If you must be at home and
have school age children, set a time aside for everyone to
study.
Post a calendar of the semester above your desk,
listing the dates for all tests and papers due. Keep a
pocket-size date book as well.
Do the homework for your most difficult course first
to avoid procrastination. But if you get discouraged, switch
to some other topic that is easier or more enjoyable.
Re-read the portions of text that were covered in class
every day, and brush through all notes since the last
exam every day. Consider recopying your notes soon after
class to help you review and better organize them for
studying later. Use text as a reference and to fill-in areas
of the notes that are thin.
Do something daily-- don't let it all pile up! Start
to work on something even if it's just for 15 minutes. After
those minutes have passed, try to do another 15.
Stick to your schedule for two weeks. After that
adjust the schedule if needed.
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Here is a blank
weekly
schedule
sheet that you can print off the internet and use. Set up
your schedule as follows (start off by allowing 7-9 hours of
sleep per night):
- Block
1 hour for each: wake-up/breakfast, lunch,
dinner (both to eat and to relax!)
- Block
in your class schedule
- Block
in your work schedule
- Block
in any other weekly engagements
- Now
make up the study schedule--
The general guideline is to spend 2 hours of
outside study for each hour in class (24 hours
of study per week if you are taking 12 units).
Then adjust up or down as necessary to achieve
your goals. Don't neglect incorporating daylight
hours and time that you might normally
waste:
- try
doing some easy reading or listen to a
lecture on tape during your
commute;
- get
some studying done during breaks at work--
bring homework that can be done on a
start-and-stop basis, such as work sheets or
reading.
- review
immediately after class, especially lectures
(if your class requires discussion, try
reviewing right before).
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Be
realistic when planning your studying time for the
week. Don't plan study sessions to be longer or
more frequent than what is likely you will do. Make
sure that you allow some time for recreation and
social activities! And also leave unscheduled time
for flexibility. Packing your schedule with too
many details almost assures failure.
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During
the first week of class when things aren't so busy, do the
reading for the following week as well; that way you will
have a "week in reserve" which you can draw upon later in
the semester as unforeseen problems arise.
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Don't Cram! Why cramming
doesn't work:
We tend to
remember things better at the beginning and at the end of a
list (or study session) than those things in the middle. Applying
this principle, you can see that a study session lasting four
straight hours is actually LESS effective than four different
study sessions each of 50 minutes with a 10 minute break. Periods
even shorter than 50 minutes are fine for reviewing notes and
memorizing material.
Start off easy by studying for 10-15 minute sessions and then
gradually build up to longer periods of time. Be realistic in
what will work for you. If you can no longer concentrate or
remember what you have read, stop. There's no sense in wasting
valuable time.
Taking breaks while studying can't be emphasized enough. Study
small portions of material, take a break and then study some
more. Make these breaks mandatory, even if you are enjoying
your reading or studying. You don't want to get burned out.
After your break, review what you just learned before beginning
something new.
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