Tutoring and Mentoring Center

Preview before class: Skim chapter/handouts, notice headings and bold words, read summaries and objectives, write questions prior to the lecture.

Attend class: GO TO CLASS! Pay attention to the lecture. Participate in discussions. Ask questions. Take meaningful notes.

Review after class: As soon as possible, read your notes, fill in gaps, and write down questions to address when you study or are with the instructor.

Assess your learning: Perform periodic reality checks. Ask yourself, “Are my study methods effective?” and “Do I understand the material well enough to teach it to others?”

1 Key Principle

Less is more. Faithfully recording every word spoken by your instructor will not help you very much. Note taking is about figuring out what is most important so that your study time will be focused and productive.

2 Helpful Tricks

• Come up with a shorthand. Learn how to consistently abbreviate certain words that you use often, leave out words that aren’t necessary for understanding meaning, and using symbols whenever possible.
• Underline or highlight key points. This can be done as you write notes or as you are reviewing them later. This should especially be done when notes are provided to you by the teacher and you did not have to write them in the first place.

3 Strategic Methods

Cornell Method:
Divide the page into three sections. During class, take notes on the right and identify corresponding main ideas out to the left. Later, review those notes and write a short summary of the key points for greater reflection and retention.

Bonus Tip:
You can fold your paper to hide either the key terms column or the supporting details/ examples column from view in order to quiz yourself as you study.

Outlining Method:
Start at the left margin writing down main ideas. Supporting info and details that relate to each main idea should be indented underneath. Each new level should indent further and use a different letter or symbol. Anytime a new main idea is introduced, return to the left margin.

Bonus Tip:
You can combine this method with the Cornell method. Also, practicing note taking this way can help you practice organizing your thoughts for written assignments.

Visual Aid Method:
Use pictures, graphs, charts, diagrams, flowcharts, etc., to organize your information as you write it. This works especially well for info that is sequential, categorized, or conceptually related in a certain way.

Bonus Tip:
Repackaging in a visual format notes you have already taken in another format or notes provided to you can help you learn and recall it better. Use colors meaningfully to add another layer of effectiveness to this method.

Manage your time.

You have a class schedule, a work schedule, maybe even a sleep schedule, so make yourself a study schedule and stick to it! Write study time on your calendar. Set a reminder on your phone. Check your syllabus and Blackboard every day to make sure you’re ahead of the game.

Take notes.

Don’t just passively listen as your instructor lectures or read the textbook without a pen close by; write notes as you encounter the information so you have something to study later. Both the act of writing and re-reading what you wrote help information solidify in your brain.

Repetition is key.

Moving information from short-term to long-term memory requires you to work with it over and over. You don’t want to study the same way all the time, but returning to the same information again and again will improve your ability to recall information long term.

Switch it up.

Combat the boredom that can come from repeated studying by studying it in different ways. Use flashcards, try different mnemonic devices, talk out loud to yourself, create a review game, write the material several times, etc. Your brain will retain more because you will be engaging different parts of it instead of the same part time after time.

Get enough sleep.

When you sleep, your brain rests and processes the information you learned throughout the day. Forgoing sleep works against your brain’s natural process of solidifying memory. Being tired also makes recall more difficult.

Don’t cram.

While cramming might help you for a short quiz, that information will not stick long term. You will likely need that info again for a project, paper, and/or the final exam–not to mention somewhere down the line in your career and/or personal life. Studying over an extended period is the only way to remember information for the long term.

Get rid of distractions.

TV, phone, gaming console, kids, dirty kitchen, whatever is getting in the way of your concentrating, put it away or move away from it for an hour. Consider going to a coffee shop, local library, or even under a tree at the local park. Focused studying is productive studying.

Take frequent short breaks.

During long study sessions, people tend to remember the first and last things they covered. Taking breaks creates more firsts and lasts, tricking your brain into remembering more. Try studying for 20-30 minutes, then take a 5-minute break where you completely disengage your brain before you return to studying.

Make a study group.

Don’t wait to be asked to join a study group; ask some people after the first class or two to make one. Meet regularly, whether there is a test coming up or not. Quiz each other, share notes, and take turns teaching the material. If you can explain it to someone else, you probably know it well enough to perform well on any type of test.

Reward yourself.

After completing something like a chapter or homework assignment, reward yourself with a few minutes playing your favorite game or watching a show you like. After finishing major projects and exams or passing difficult courses, give yourself a night out or plan a fun trip with a loved one.

1 Find out what kind of learner you are, and use this knowledge to guide how you study.

• Auditory learners learn best by hearing the material.
• Visual learners learn best by seeing the material.
• Tactile/kinesthetic learners learn best by doing something hands-on.

For example, auditory learners might consider recording lectures and listening to them again while driving or exercising.
Visual learners might consider making flashcards and putting post-it notes around the house.
Tactile learners might consider pairing information with dance moves or other familiar processes such as cooking a favorite meal or preparing for bedtime.

2 Use mnemonic devices. Mnemonics are memory techniques that help you remember information.

• Acronyms:
  PEMDAS is used to remember the order of operations in math (parentheses, exponents, multiply/divide, add/subtract). You can also turn the acronym into a memorable phrase: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. The sillier the phrase, the more likely you are to remember it.
• Associative Memory:
  Make the information memorable to YOU specifically. Perhaps you don’t have an Aunt Sally, but you’re a fan of Arlo Guthrie’s music. Your phrase for the order of operations in math might be Pickle Eating Motorcycle Driver Accidentally Swerved.
• 
  Context-dependent Memory:
  
  If you chew gum while you study, try chewing that same flavor of gum as you take the test. Can’t chew gum? Try rubbing a penny or rolling a pencil between your fingers. Connecting the memory to the action as you form it will make it easier to recall that information anytime you are doing that same action later.
• Chunking:
  The average human brain can hold about 7 pieces of information in working memory at a time. If you try to simply memorize a list of 15 terms, you will likely struggle. However, if you chunk that list into 5 sets of 3 terms that somehow go together, you have a much better shot. We do this all the time with numbers. Quick, what is your social security number? Nine random numbers might be tough to remember, but three chunks are not. This works with spelling, too. Instead of trying to remember how to spell an entire word, focus on remembering how to spell pieces of words.
• Visualization:
  You can use mental pictures to remember items. For example, you might actually picture yourself riding a blood cell to learn the pathway blood takes through the atria and ventricles of the heart. You might picture presidents seated around a table in the order they held office and imagine yourself speaking to each one in turn.

3 Consider real-world application.

Think about how you will need the information later (beyond the classroom). Will you be able to access resources and just need to understand how to quickly read them, or will you need fast, accurate, total recall in a high-pressure situation? Try to replicate the circumstances under which you will need to access that information as you study it.

A little nervousness before a test can be good. It shows that we care and helps motivate us to work hard to put forth our best effort on the exam.
When we become too anxious, though, that anxiety can undermine our confidence and interfere with our ability to solve problems and recall info.
Try these strategies to calm your nerves.

1 Remember to take care of yourself first.

Get some sleep, eat a decent meal, and engage in a little exercise (even if it is just a 10-minute walk) before you sit down to take a test.

2 Come prepared.

Arrive at the test site early. Make a special effort to bring all materials, including extra pens, pencils, paper, etc.
By showing up on time and prepared, you can avoid worrying about small details and becoming distracted from the goal: doing your best.

3 Engage in positive self-talk.

Replace irrational negative thinking with positive self-talk. Adopt an upbeat but realistic attitude.
Try saying this: “I prepared carefully for this test. If I do my best, I have a good chance of passing it.”
Pro tip: This works best when the words are true!

4 Breathe.

At any point during the test you feel yourself getting jittery, take several deep breaths, exhaling slowly after each one.
Visualize the tension draining from your body as you breathe out.
Think of a peaceful, quiet setting (e.g., sunrise on a mountaintop).
Imagine yourself calm and relaxed in that setting.
Once calm, focus back on the test.

1 Familiarize yourself with the technology ahead of time.

Does your teacher offer practice quizzes or reviews in Blackboard/MyLab? If so, do them!
Wherever your online test will be housed, be sure you know how to access and work within that learning platform before you login to take a graded test
his will cut down on anxiety and time needed to learn the system.

2 Replicate face-to-face testing conditions.

Schedule a time to take it, make arrangements to eliminate distractions (i.e. arrange childcare, put out the barking dog, don’t leave anything on the burner), and make sure all the materials you may need are gathered before you begin, so you don’t need to walk away.
Focus on only the test until you are finished.

3 Study as though you will not be able to access your textbook or notes, even if you will.

Do all the reading, organize your notes, quiz yourself.
Assume you will be asked to write an essay, and make sure you know enough about the material to have something interesting to say.
If you do this, you will likely be able to complete much of the test without using your notes and free up more time for you to work on the more difficult test items.

4 Ignore the clock.

If your test is timed, don’t let that stress you out.
Taking a test in a classroom is timed, too, but you don’t tend to think about it as much because the minutes aren’t ticking down in front of your face like they do on the screen.
If the ticking timer gives you anxiety, cover it with a post-it note, and only uncover it when you feel the need to check your time.