Tips for Studying

If you want to pass your exams, certifications and courses it is a good idea to develop effective study habits that you put into practice every single day. Here are some tips for studying.

Learn how to take good notes. Always keep notes for different classes in their own dedicated notebooks. Make sure each entry is dated and that the notes are as complete as possible. Try to write down everything that the teacher writes down on the board.

Participate in class. Participating in class means asking questions of the professor and being interactive in general. Be sure to ask questions if you are confused and if you do not understand what is being said, then say something.

Review your notes daily. Studies show that students who review new material after having it first introduced to them ten to increase the retention of that material by sixty percent. It is also a good idea to review past notes before the next class period, which helps you clarify what you may have absorbed or not absorbed about the last lesson.

Expand your vocabulary. Give priority to learning new language. These help link you to the concepts you are learning.

Keep up on your reading. It is essential that you develop your own reading schedule, as your university professor will not provide you with reading assignments.

Scan chapters in a text before reading them. Surveying the chapter by noting the headings, subheadings, graphics and picture can help you remember the content of it later.

Read the introduction and summaries, first. Before delving deep into comprehending and absorbing text, take the time to read the introduction and the summaries at the ends of sections and chapters. This will help you develop a trajectory of learning and help embed the information in your mind.

Save all handouts and read them. Be sure to save all of the handouts you are given. They were provided to you for a good reason; most likely because material on them might be on an exam.

As you study keep a running list of exam questions that you might use to quiz yourself just before a big test. This is a good way to assess how much information you have absorbed.

To summarize, it is best to study with learning the big concepts and then learning the details later rather try to learn the details first and then fit them into the larger concepts.