Exam Boot Camp

Day 2 – Effective Study Skills

Introduction

• Day 1 - Organization & Time Management

• Day 2 - Effective Study Skills

• Day 3 - Test Taking Strategies

• Day 4 - Managing Anxiety and Stress

Knowing yourself - Learning Environment

• Finding a good place to study What works for you

• Knowing your learning styles How do you learn best

Finding a Good Place to Study• Interruptions

Kitchen Table, Shared Bedroom, Single Bedroom, Attic, Basement

• NoisePhone, TV, soft music

• ComfortNot too comfortable or you may fall

asleep. Do not study on your bed.

• SpaceNeed space for all your materials.

Finding a Good Place to Study• Temperature

Too warm and you may fall asleep, too cold and your thinking may slow.

• Light You need enough light to see comfortably,

bright lights may be overpowering.

• Supplies Need to be fully stocked so you don`t need to

look for things everytime you study. Pens, Pencils, Paper, Rules, Calculator,

Thesaurus, Dictionary.

Knowing your Learning Style

• TAKE THE QUIZ!!!

• Primary Learning Style: _______________________________

• Secondary Learning Style:

_______________________________

Tips for Auditory Learners

•Use tapes for reading and class lectures

•Sit where you can hear well (front and centre)

•After you have read something, summarize it and recite it back to yourself

•Learn by participating in discussions

•Find a friend/classmate who will tell you what they learned from the textbook readings

Relate most effectively to the spoken wordOften information in the written form will have little meaning until it has been heard

Tips for Visual Learners

•Look at all study materials (charts, maps, movies, notes and flash cards)

•Take good notes, after class fill in sentences and compare notes with other students

•Write out everything for frequent and quick visual review

•Practice visualizing or picture words, concepts and even spelling in your head

•Colour Code to organize

•Ask for written directions

Relate best to written information, notes, diagrams and pictures

Tips Kinesthetic Learners

•Learn skills by imitation and practice

•Trace words as you are saying them

•Facts that must be learned should be written several times

•Taking and keeping good lecture notes will be very important

•Make good study sheets

•Take frequent breaks in study periods

•Use a computer to reinforce learning (sense of touch)

•Memorize or drill while walking or exercising

Relate best to information received thorough movement or when physical activityis involved

Plate TV fly cow

radio cat knife sparrow

pot fork newspaper telephone

cup camel smoke signalANIMALS COMMUNICATIONS DISHESCow radio cupCamel smoke signal knifeCat TV plateSparrow Telephone potFly newspaper fork

Ch.11

Memory Quiz

Cheese car elk train

bear bicycle milk cookie

cat apple bus horse

lettuce plane lionFOOD VEHICLES ANIMALSCheese plane horseApple bus bearLettuce Bicycle LionMilk Train ElkCookie car cat

Ch.11

Memory Quiz

Memory Techniques

You need to learn how to get into your long term memory and retrieve the info when needed. • Learn from the general to the specific – get big

picture or concepts first. This will make understanding of details easier

• Create associations – mind is similar to a file cabinet. Try to make connections with previous knowledge or concepts

• Learn it actively- talk out loud, move around• Relax – much more difficult to retain info when

stressed, start studying early

Ch.11

Memory Techniques Continued…..

• Create pictures – diagrams and sketches allow us to tap our visual learner and helps to organize

• Recite and repeat – common memory device

• Write it down in your own words – causes you to think about the information, can create ‘cheat sheets’

• Distribute learning – marathon study sessions not effective for recall. 3 - 2 hr sessions better than 1 - 6 hr session.

• Use it before you lose it – info in long term memory needs to be access frequently or it will become harder to get. Keep re-visiting the information.

Ch.11

Memory Techniques Continued…..

Mnemonics

- A verse or formula intended to assist the memory

http://bradley.bradley.edu/~campbell/mnemonic.html http://www.eudesign.com/mnems/_mnframe.htm http://www.fun-with-words.com/mnem_example.html http://www.fun-with-words.com/mnem_numbers.html

Ch.11

Study Skill Techniques

Study when alert

Alternate subjects

Alternate types of material

Try fun resources to make it fun http://www.studystack.com http://memorize.com/

Review readings/notes within 24 hours

Study Skill Techniques

Use short blocks of time Let your parent`s know this

Plan study breaks - Budget time for fun

Let your parent`s know this

Break down the larger tasks into smaller chunks.

Study difficult or boring tasks first

Effective ReadingSQ3R

•Survey – a quick scan of the chapter

•Question – creating questions from the survey

•Read – read the chapter•Recite – talk about what you are reading

•Review – keep coming back to the material

http://www.alamo.edu/sac/history/keller/accditg/sssq3r.htm

http://www.studygs.net/texred2.htm

Sample Text for Practice

Ch. 6

The Cornell Method

• A simple way to organize your notes

• 3 parts Note taking area: where you actually record your

notes in class Cue column: when reviewing notes, place cues

that will force you to think about the material Summary: A few sentences that provides a

concise recap of the lecture Cornell Method diagramed