Study Skills General Information Overview

Overview of Goals

There’s not an easy way to get an A You need to learn effective study

skills and time management skills The following guidelines will give you

suggestions to make you a better student

Topics to be Covered

Time management Note-taking Writing research papers Studying for Exams Additional Resources at VC

Time management

STEP ONE Examine how you currently spend your time

on a given day Write down in a journal what you plan to do that

day for a week Look at how your plan of what you wanted to do

compares to what you actually DID that day What are you least likely to do? What did you have no problem completing? Where may you have spent your time better?

Did you have any open time slots in the day?

STEP TWO

Identify blocks of time to study (determine how much of your time is committed to other activities and how much time you need to study) Most people need an average of 2 hours

study time for every hour of class per week (3 credit class=6 hours per week studying)

STEP THREE

Make to-do lists Prioritize tasks What is due tomorrow? What can you work on slowly?

STEP FOUR

Find a quiet environment with few distractions

Some students study best with a lamp, quiet music, facing a window, or other modifications

Break down work into manageable tasks (50 minutes per assignment)

Study Breaks!

Don’t expect to get everything done in one sitting

Take 10 minutes every hour or so-get a cup of coffee, walk around, make a quick phone call, check email

Make sure this doesn’t turn into procrastination!

STEP FIVE Switch subjects every few hours Tackle difficult assignments first Make mini-deadlines (if something is

due in a month, have a draft due 2 weeks before)

Learn to handle procrastination DON’T WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE!!!

CHECKPOINT: What is the best way to study?

A. Work on one assignment until it is done B. Switch subjects and take periodic study

breaks

There is not right answer-this depends on the topic and your level of interest, as well as when it needs to be completed. Try to switch subjects as a rule to keep your motivation high!!!

NOTE-TAKING

NOTE-TAKING

Golden Rule-Don’t expect to write every word of the professor’s lecture down!

Need to prepare for notes before class and review notes after class

BEFORE CLASS Have class assignments read before

class Skim chapter-reread after class.

Sometimes you understand chapter more after attending class lecture

Review notes from prior class-most lectures pick up where it left off

TAKING NOTES

Always date your notes Put heading/lecture topic on top of

paper Write notes in phrase form, rather

than sentence form Write notes on one side of paper if

you want to add information later

NOTE-TAKING SYSTEMS Outline method-write down key

themes, and use indentation to show lesser points (use capital letters, roman numerals, or numbers to outline)

Paragraph- write first main topic and write underneath—separate out ideas. Headings will help you study for exam.

NOTE-TAKING SYSTEMS (cont.)

Mapping method-notes are recorded in chart or graphic method

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN NOTES Main points Definitions Theories Formulas Lists Page references

Important Dates Anything noted as

“important to know, keep in mind for exam”

Important people Anything spelled

out Charts

After Class Edit your notes-reorganize or rewrite to

make more legible Add information from book, clarify notes

(missing information –get from another student or from book)

If class uses PowerPoint -download notes from website

http://vcpsychology.homestead.com/psychology.html

Reading Assignments Avoid over-highlighting-while it may

look like you read the material, it may be harder to remember the information

Write notes in margin of book Pre-read: read major headings, first

paragraph, and chapter summaries first. Read for understanding.

CHECKPOINT:

What does NOT have to be included in lecture notes?

Important dates Definitions Exact sentences Theories ANSWER: exact sentences

WRITING RESEARCH PAPERS

Writing Research Papers

First step: Choosing a topic Write about something you are

interested in! Avoiding choosing a topic that is too

broad or hard to write about Make sure topic fits paper assignment Make sure topic will lead into an

argument

Researching a topic:

Conduct a library and online database search for your topic

Use search words narrow enough to find articles and books related to topic

Reference librarians on 2nd floor LRC building will help you with search

Resources Most databases can be accessed off

campus from GALILEO (check with library for password)

Library homepage will link you to list of databases

While books will give you a lot of information, use chapters –otherwise too time consuming to read

Journal articles should be recent (10 years)

Writing the Paper

Take careful and detailed notes on each article (use notecards or legal pads)

Write headings within notes to make writing the paper easier

Be careful not to write down direct sentences from authors-paraphrase

Writing the Paper

Make an outline before writing the actual paper

Helps with overall organization Make sure your thesis statement is at

end of introduction Thesis : what you are arguing, your

main point, question being answered, etc.

Preparing the paper Avoid using passive tense “ex. They were given” If you are using a specific style (ex. APA, MLA), when

formatting your paper, check with manual to make sure it is right

Use spell-check and grammar check Keep to page limit Make sure all references are cited correctly Avoid plagiarism-any idea that is not your own must

be referenced. When in doubt, cite!

STUDYING FOR EXAMS

Studying for Exams

#1 Tip: Don’t wait for the last minute to study!

Keep up with reading assignments and review notes-will make it easier to prepare for exam

Essay Exams

Read over the question. Use scratch paper or the margin to write quick outline of what you want to say.

Always include a recognition of the exam question in your introduction/thesis statement

Make sure you address all components of the question

ESSAY EXAM Don’t use complicated language or make

up things to make the essay longer-use clear and concise language

If you get the essay questions in advance, make an outline of the essay rather than writing it out

Budget your time –if you have 50 minutes to answer 4 questions, make sure you aren’t left with 5 min to answer the last one!

Multiple Choice Exams Make sure you understand the

question or ask the instructor for clarification

Pace yourself. Since m/c exams don’t require as much written work, there may be lots of questions (50-100). Circle the questions you are “stumped” on and come back to them

Multiple Choice Exams Try to think of answer first before looking at

answers Uncover answers one-by-one. If you know it

is not the right choice, cross it out. If it may be right ,DO NOT immediately mark it as correct. There may be other better answers or a choice (e) as all of the above may exist

Process of elimination will help with questions you are not sure about-make an educated guess based on which ones you can rule out.

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS!

Unless you are taking a test like the SAT, you won’t be penalized for wrong answers

When you have five minutes left, go back and answer all questions left unanswered-make a guess!

Short Answer Answer easy questions first, skim over questions in

the beginning of the test Make sure you give the information asked for in the

question (list, describe, theory and date) BE CONCISE. That’s what short answers are-but make

sure answer is complete If you only know part of the answer (ex. 3 of the 4

past presidents) write those down-may get partial credit.

Try to “visualize” your notes-what heading did the question fall under?

Problem Oriented Exams

Used for math and science courses Less questions on exams-make take

very long to answer each one If the problem has several parts,

make sure you answer each one

Problem-oriented Exams

Identify variables and what the problem is asking for-write them down

Example (Psy 01): What is the dependant and independent variables? What is the difference between the control and experimental group?

Box answers for each part

Problem-oriented Exams

If you use a calculator-make sure you enter numbers in correctly and round to the correct number of decimals

Show all work or answers in the space provided.

Ventura College Resources

Academic Counseling: http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_services/counseling/index.shtml

LRC learning center general info: http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_services/learning_center/index.shtml

Library (LRC – 2nd Floor): http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_services/library/index.shtml

Student Health and Psychological Services: http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_services/shps/index.shtml

Tutoring information: http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_services/tutoring/index.shtml

Ventura College General Information: http://www.venturacollege.edu/current_students/index.shtml

WebSTAR: http://students.vcccd.edu/

Conclusion This self-paced presentation was

designed to give you study skills and helpful (survivor) tips

Incorporate these tips slowly into your normal study habits

Remember to keep up with your notes and reading assignments

Speak to your tutor or a counselor if you would like further help or academic counseling