Seven Steps to Optimizing Your Study Skills
By Dr. Stephen Jones
Study skills can easily be breezed over by students around the world. Each student has a different learning style that needs to be optimized. Given any pairing of students and one seems to naturally grasp the importance of good study skills. Another student may face challenges because they don’t know where to start. Students need to get their minds focused on learning something new every day. Successful results depend on the amount of effort made by students.
A student with good study habits realizes that it takes time to memorize information and to give it a personal meaning. They know that studying for 20 minutes after school will not lead to success. Students need a study guide that will teach them how to study. Students need test taking tips that will launch them into a successful academic year.
Here are seven ways to optimize your study skills:
1. When you read the assigned text book write notes about important points.
Review your additional notes everyday.
2. You can improve your study skills memory by using 3 x 5 cards to review
important terms.
3. Create study skills activities that you will use every week. For example have a weekly session where you write down important facts on a sheet of paper using your memory alone.
4. Start your own study skills lesson plan for each subject. Your study skills lesson plan should include test taking ideas that you will use for each class.
5. Don’t allow test anxiety to creep into your emotions. Reduce your test anxiety by spending more time preparing for each test. Spread your test preparation time out over five days.
6. The most important study skills resource is your teacher or tutor. Don’t be too prideful to pursue help when you need it.
7. Write down notes on important facts so that you can review them the morning of your test. If you are involved in a math or science course write out all of the important formulas on one sheet of paper and review these formulas the morning of your next test.
Developing good study skills is vital. Prepare a list of questions before you go to class. If your questions are not answered during class meet with your teacher or send an e-mail that contains your questions. You need to be pro-active in using creative study skills activities that tap into your own learning style.
Lastly, maintain a positive attitude and don’t let test anxiety overcome you. Expect to have success on every test and you will. A belief that you will fail will lead to failure. Develop a new study skills list each day and follow it. Implementing all of these study skills strategies will lead to a successful learning experience and the best grades possible.
Dr. Stephen Jones is the author of three books titled “Seven Secrets of How to Study,” “Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide” and the “Ultimate Scholarship Guide.” His URL is http://www.sevenbooks.net and internet radio at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dr-stephen-jones