Hi

Taking exams are a necessity for college students although it isn’t a perfect system for testing knowledge.

Exams force many students into the habit of time wasting because they know it is possible to cram the night before, regurgitate it the next day and achieve passing grades.

Cramming however is not only stressful but more importantly, it is a very inefficient way of studying. Proper study techniques result in better grades and by extension, students with better grades are more attractive to employers.

Here is a study technique that will help you to utilize your time more effectively and allow you to prioritize the material in a way that relates to how you will be asked to use it in an examination.

1. Preview: Look at the headings and sub-headings in a chapter you want to learn and cross-reference it with the objectives for that chapter as outlined in the syllabus.

2. Question: Look at past papers for questions that relate to your topic and also ask your instructor to help you formulate questions that you need to be able to answer, that is related to that topic.

3. Read: Read through your textbook, handouts and other reference materials that relates to the topic you want to learn. Pick out the information that helps to answer the questions that you have previously gathered.

4. Summary: Organize and summarize the notes gathered in the previous process. You could write notes on flashcards or notebooks, draw diagrams, make a recording or any utilize any other technique that you’re comfortable with.

5. Test: Do a self-test by answering the questions gathered in part 2. Get feedback on the accuracy of your answers from your instructor or a student who has excelled in that area.

This technique isn’t a magic pill but by approaching it diligently, your academic performance should improve.

Make it a great day…

David

Tags: study skills

This entry was posted on Monday, June 9th, 2008 at 10:28 pm and is filed under Self Improvement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.