Tried and True Study Habits
Study Bursts and Note Taking are two key habits that are tried and true study suggestions.
Study Bursts
Here is an idea I suggest to students. Put a timer on for 30 or 45 minutes, an old-school kitchen timer or some kind of clock. See what you can get done during that time. This would mean putting the phone outside in the hall and turning off all alerts and distractions.
After that, it’s important to have a real break, so that might mean getting on your phone or having a snack or walking around or playing with the dog, but whatever it is, it needs to be a really clean break.
The problem can be that breaks turn into long periods of time, so it’s important to put the timer on for the breaks as well as for the study block. You might put the timer on for 45 minutes for work, then once that time is up, put the timer on for 15 minutes and take a real break, watch YouTube videos, talk to a friend, whatever that might be but nothing that involves schoolwork. Once that timer is up then, put on the timer again for another 45 minutes to do her work and so on.
Note Taking
Taking good notes is both an art and a science, but it doesn’t have to be hard! We recommend a “preview and review” approach with three simple steps every time you take notes:
Preview
Previewing is anything from the teacher that indicates what you’re learning that day: from the lesson plan title to the header of the handout or the bolded chapter heading in the textbook. This warms up your brain to start thinking about the categories and material you’ll be processing.
Record
When you take notes, it’s to help you discern, organize and reinforce the most important information. Ideally, you are listening and then taking notes, not taking notes as you listen. Ask yourself, “What is it I’m learning, and why is it important?”
Review
This is how you bring it all together: Review your notes as soon as possible, ideally as close to the lesson as possible. Reviewing within the school day will help you retain the information.
Taking good notes is both an art and a science, but it doesn’t have to be hard!
These are just a few of the strategies I encourage my students to try. It is so important that this process is collaborative so they feel part of their studying and learning. Just a few tweaks make a huge difference.
