Transcript Strategies for Academic Success

Strategies for Academic
Success
Jackie Rautio
Grand Valley State University
Successful students:
 Have Good Study Habits
 Understand themselves as learners
 Are persistent
 Learn from their mistakes
 Are willing to ask for help
 Find an internal/personal reason to learn
material
 Set goals and put the necessary time and
effort toward them.
Learning Occurs Best When
Students:
 Connect the new information to
something they already know
 Use different strategies to process and
understand the material
 Review the material frequently over time
Poor achievement on tests
often results from:
 Not identifying what you know and what
you don’t know
 Spending too much time studying things
you do know and not enough time
studying things you don’t know
 Not using appropriate strategies for
learning the material
Test Taking
Step One:
Prepare for the Test – there is
NO substitution for preparation
Study the material over several
study sessions – Not just one
day!
Study/Learning Preferences:
 Visual – learn best by seeing and
visualizing
 Visual: Read/Write
 Auditory – learn best by hearing
 Kinesthetic – learn best by doing
 Mixed Modality Learning Style


1. learn with a little of all styles – no strong
preference, or can easily adjust to the situation
2. Need to use all 4 types of styles
Visual Preference
 Keen sense of visual media and art
 Remember information presented in pictures
or diagrams
 Strong visualization skills. They can look up
and ‘see’ the information
 Make ‘movies in their minds’ of the
information they are reading
 Pay close attention to the body language of
others (facial expressions, eyes, stance, etc.)
Visual: Read/Write
 Like lists and words and often use “To
Do” lists
 Remember information that is displayed
as words
 Like reading and writing
Visual Strategies
 Avoid visual distractions in study environment
 Use colors often when studying








Note – the brain remembers Red the longest.
Draw maps, charts, diagrams
Use bright colored ‘sticky notes’ Post where
you will see them often.
Create flash cards with colored pens
Turn your notes into mind maps
Watch the teacher
Draw pictures and symbols
Look at diagrams and pictures in textbooks
Use whiteboards
Example of
mind-mapping
Visual Read/Write Strategies
 Take notes as you read
 Rewrite ideas into other words
 Use dictionaries and make
flashcards to remember vocabulary
 Write things out again and again
 Re-read things (silently)
 Write out the steps for solving
problems
Auditory Preference
 Accurately remember details of
important information from
conversations or lectures
 Have strong language skills and a
well-developed vocabulary
 Often have an interest in music as
they can hear tones, rhythms and
individual notes
Auditory Strategies
 Avoid auditory distractions
 Talk about what you are learning
 Study in groups
 Repeat material out loud when studying
 Read textbooks out loud
 Use rhymes and songs to learn
 Make auditory tapes of important information
 Use flashcards – recite the answers out loud
 Ask questions
Tactile/Kinesthetic Preference
 Work well with their hands
 Are often well coordinated and have
a good sense of timing
 Learn by movement
 Often wiggle/tap feet or move their
legs when seated
Tactile/Kinesthetic Strategies
 Walk around or pace when memorizing
 Find a safe/non distracting “fidget” tool
 Try studying when laying on your back or








stomach or in a comfortable chair
Study with music
Use your favorite color to highlight
Make games out of learning material
Use flashcards actively
Vary your activities
Write/type lists or information over and over
Use whiteboards and markers
Short intense study periods
Step Two: Taking the Test
1.
2.
3.
Take a deep breath before the test and
think positively.
Read the test over before starting, pay
attention to how many points each
section is worth.
Answer the questions you know first
and then go back to the ones you don’t
know.
Test Taking Strategies cont
4. Read each question all the way
through before answering.
5. For multiple choice questions:
1.
2.
3.
Try to answer the questions yourself before
you look at the answers.
First eliminate the obviously wrong answers
and then make your choice from the
remaining ones.
Read the stem with each answer to see if it
makes sense.
Test-taking strategies cont
6. True/False questions: make sure both
parts of the statement are true and
related.
7. Short answer/essay:
1.
2.
3.
Jot notes as soon as you get the test to
keep focused and remember.
Just write the key points
Make sure you answer the question.
Test Taking Strategies cont.
8. Don’t panic if you draw a blank, try to
relax and recall what you know about
the subject.
9. If you have time, review the test before
turning it in to make sure you have
answered all the questions.
10. Keep things in perspective.
Some thoughts about test anxiety
 Some anxiety is okay – it helps motivate us to
do our best.
 When anxiety gets in the way:
 What is the stressor?





Fear of failing
Parental disapproval
Self-pressure
Lack of preparation
Difficulty of material
 Remember that your grade on a test is not a
measure of your worth as a person. It is a
measure of your performance in one class on
one day.
Step Three: After the Test
11. Review the test and look for patterns
and clues. What types of questions are
you missing? What did you do well?
12. Reflect on how you prepared for the
test. What worked? What didn’t?
General Study Strategies
 Find a study environment that works best for you.
 Schedule regular study time and keep it.
 Study in short blocks of time and take breaks
 Set a goal for each study session
 Study the most difficult subject first
 Look at the rubric before, during and after the project
 Keep track of your grades and progress.
 Learn from your mistakes on tests and assignments.
 Edit all papers for grammar and spelling.
 Ask for support from your friends and family.
 Reward yourself for work well done!
Thank you!