Sites That Will Help You Succeed

Studying Effectively: General Tips

Quality of studying is more important than quantity of studying (but if you need to study more, see both the Time Management" and "Motivation" sections of this site). The following links will help improve the quality of your studying:

Learning From Lectures: Taking Notes

Are you taking good notes and making good use of those notes? You could find out by filling out this checklist. You could improve your note-taking by making your notes more visual--or you might try a different way of taking notes. How should you take notes?
Although many students seem to do best if they use either the Cornell or the Matrix method, almost any note-taking system will work for you as long as you do the following 4 things:
  1. Write down the important points. Come to class having an idea of what the important points are by taking practice quizzes and by reading the chapter summary. During class, write down points that the professor repeats, writes on the board, speaks more loudly when making, pauses after stating, or announces by saying something like "this is important", "put this in your notes, or "this will be on the test.
  2. Identify gaps and errors and then fill in gaps and correct errors. For some points, you may have left out information or left out an example that you need to make the point clear. Reviewing your notes soon after class to see what makes sense and what doesn't will help you identify those gaps. Consulting the book and classmates will help you fill in those gaps. Looking at classmates' notes will also help you see what points you missed completely and what you may have misunderstood or written down incorrectly.
  3. Revise your notes so that you can see connections between ideas. It should be clear what the "headlines" (main points) are, what "subheadings" fit under those headings, and what are "bullet points" that provide examples and details. Usually, the best way to make these connections clear is by the converting lines of text in your notes into tables, diagrams, concept maps, or outlines.
    It should also be clear what the key similarities and differences between concepts are--making tables might be the best way to do that.
  4. Have a way to test yourself over your notes. Testing yourself over your notes is very easy if you use the Cornell method.

Concept Mapping


Learning from Textbooks

Studying Effectively: Flashcards

Memory Tips

 

Taking Tests

Staying Focused: Avoiding Distractions

Time Management: Getting organized

Time management is a strong predictor of grades. Time management means not only having a daily "to-do" list but also knowing what you need to do in the next four weeks.
To manage your time, you will probably need an academic planner/calendar (order one here or here). Without a planner/calendar, you will probably be constantly falling behind because you will (a) tend to greatly underestimate how long things will take, (b) put off things that are important but not due immediately, (c) devote all your energy to the things that are due immediately for one class while not doing the work you should be doing for all your other classes, and (d) be surprised by test dates and assignment due dates.
To make good use of your planner,
  1. Immediately fill it in with information from your syllabi. Moving tasks from your syllabus or from your memory to a to-do list will greatly improve your efficiency--and moving information from a to-do list to your calendar will provide another big boost to your productivity.
  2. Break down big projects into smaller tasks and set self-imposed deadlines for those smaller tasks. Realize, for example, that "writing a paper" involves more than sitting down and writing a paper. You will probably need to find sources, read those sources, take notes on those sources, add those sources to your bibliography/references list, outline the paper, write several drafts of your paper, and proof your final draft.
  3. Schedule little tasks (like going over flashcards) for breaks between classes so that gaps between classes aren't wasted.
Instead of--or in addition to a planner--you may wish to use one of the apps below:
  • Understand the law of diminishing returns: It is important to socialize with friends. However, most days, the first hour spent hanging out provides the most benefits to both you and to your friends. The second hour provides fewer benefits than the first, and the the third provides still fewer benefits. By leaving your friends after an hour to go study rather than hanging out with them all night, you still maintain connection with them (indeed,your connection might improve given that research suggests people wish their conversations with others were shorter), and you can get more school work done. In addition, you will be more able to free up time to be with friends when they really need you.
  • Apply the Premack principle: Reward yourself for studying by doing things you like to do (e.g., socializing, watching movies) after you have studied.

    • Getting and Staying Motivated

    Good General Resources for Doing Well in College

    General Psychology Resources


    This page owes a great debt to Professor Linda Walsh.
    To Memory Lesson To "What is Psychology? "