Topic 3 - Study Skills

Topic 3: Study Skills


What if you were told that you could learn more with less effort and get better grades. It's true! And, you don't have to be any smarter. However, you do have to work smarter. Developing good study skills is the key. In your lessons today you will learn how to work smarter not harder by developing your study skills.



Task #1 First, let's take a little inventory of your present study skills. Examine the list of study skills below. Next, choose one or two skills you would like to improve. In a short paragraph, tell which skills you chose and why. Post your response on your blog.

1. Get to class on time -- it takes more of your time to catch up than to keep up. Vital instructions needed for the swift completion of your tasks are often given during the first minutes of class each day. Missing them means extra effort and wasted time.

2. BE PREPARED -- have pen/pencils, paper, pacing guides and assignments handy. Can't get things done if you can't get started or delay starting because you don't know what to do. Worse yet, ever complete a lesson in NovaNet you didn't have to do? Having the pacing guide handy can save you a lot of time and effort. Work smart; be prepared!

3. Take good Notes -- taking good notes doesn't necessarity mean taking more notes. On the contrary, writing less is usually more effective. Write down only key words. Use abbreviations for long words. Make up a shorthand or code for words (if you send text messages, you already have plenty of practice). You know, "formulas are your friends." Think about it. They are the ultimate shorthand. And, " a diagram is worth a thousands words." Put a date on each page of notes to make organizing them as simple a 1-2-3. As a result, you will be able retrieve facts quicker, cut down on study time, and learn more in less time.

4. Get Started -- it's easy to put things off "until tomorrow," but it's silly to wait three days to do an assignment that could only take you only 30 miniutes to complete. That's working harder not smarter. It's called procrastination. There are a lot of reasons why we procrastinate. Work on this skill. Get into the habit of starting tasks without thinking (and worrying) about them first. The sooner you start, the sooner you finish.

5. Finish - finish whatever you start whenever possible. It is much easier to take a few extra minutes to finish a task than it is to quit and restart. Just rebooting your computer and opening NovaNet can take longer than it would to simply finish a NovaNet lesson or test when you had the chance.

Task #2 Click here to open a website dedicated entirely to improving study skills. Here is a chance to work on improving two skills that most people ususally need to work on -- how to take notes and combating procrastination. You will complete this task in two parts.

Part a. From the main menu, click on the lesson Taking Notes in Class. Read the lesson, take notes, and then list 5 things you can do to take better notes. Post your list.

Part b. Now, go back to the menu and click on the lesson labeled Procrastination. Again, read the lesson, take notes, and then list at least 5 things you yourself are willing to do to control excessive procrastion. Post your list.

When you have completed both Task #1 and #2, notify your advisor that both tasks have been completed.

Task #3 Blog Post: Service Learning Weekly Journal. Continue to write a one or two paragraph blog post that discusses your experiences thus far at your service learning placement. Be sure to write using complete sentences, proper capitalization, and proper grammar. You may want to include some of the following in your journal.

* how good study skills can help you at your placement
* what you've learned about the profession
* what you've learned about working with the people at your placement
* any positive experiences you've had
* any negative experiences you've had
* what you look forward to in the coming weeks
* how your learning style could be an asset to you in this career
* a picture or visual