Transcript Helpful Tips for Improving Your Study Skills

Helpful Tips for Improving
Your Study Skills
Preparing to Study
 Did you know that 60 minutes of daytime study is
equivalent to 90 minutes of nighttime study?
 Take advantage of the following opportunities:
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Time provided in class
Study halls
RAM periods
And, of course, PASS! 
Preparing to Study
 Establish a routine
 Use an assignment book or make use of the organizational
tools on your laptop to record homework, test dates and
long term assignments.
 Set aside a specific time each day to study
Preparing to Study
 Choose your study area carefully!
 Find a place that is quiet, well-lit and free of distractions
(phone, friends, TV, etc).
 A note on listening to music while studying…
 Research shows that soft, instrumental music can set the stage
for a positive study environment.
 Loud music or music with lyrics will cause you to lose focus,
detracting from your study and prolonging your homework –
TRUST ME!
Preparing to Study
 Collect all of your materials prior to studying
 Study guides (if your teachers provide them, they are the
most useful study tool!)
 Notes (class and homework)
 Old homework assignments and quizzes
 Textbooks
Preparing to Study
 Set an agenda
 It is a good idea to schedule the most difficult task first
 Begin long term assignments as soon as they are
assigned
 Break long term assignments into manageable goals
 And most importantly—have a positive attitude!
Replace negative (ex: “I can’t do this.”) with positive
self-talk
Studying in the Content Areas
 Prioritize assignments and focus on one specific task at
a time (rather than jumping from one thing to another)
 Plan study time in 60-minute blocks: 50 minutes for
study followed by a 10 minute break
Studying in the Content Areas
 Textbook Reading
 Preview textbook chapters by reading the title and
subheadings, looking at the graphics and reading the
questions at the end of the chapter
 After each subheading section, try to summarize what
you’ve just read in a sentence or two (if you can’t,
reread!)
 Use graphic organizers to summarize key information and
show relationships (ex—create a chart that lists causes and
effects of the French Revolution or make a Venn diagram to
show similarities/differences between Medieval and
Renaissance art)
Following up After Studying
 Clean out and organize your backpacks/binders/folders
often
 Try to make connections between chapters/subjects
(ex--Lord of the Flies was written in response to WW2—
we are learning about WW2 in Western Civ.)
 Reward yourself at the end of study time! 