Transcript Study Skills General Information Overview

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
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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
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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
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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/psych
ology.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
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Academic Counseling:
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LRC learning center general info:
http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_services/lear
ning_center/index.shtml
Library (LRC – 2nd Floor):
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Student Health and Psychological Services:
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Tutoring information:
http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_services/tut
oring/index.shtml
Ventura College General Information:
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http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_servic
es/counseling/index.shtml
http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_servic
es/library/index.shtml
http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_servic
es/shps/index.shtml
http://www.venturacollege.edu/current_students/index.sht
ml
 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