SMARTWAY CLASSES

Effective Study Strategies

• Set Up a Schedule and Establish a Routine Time to Study. For every hour you spend in class, you
will probably need to study 2 hours outside class. This is an appropriate and realistic guideline. Study
for each subject should be at the same time and same place each day, if possible. Take a ten minute
break after every hour of study. Study the hardest subject first. Make studying a routine and stick to it!
• Establish a Place to Study. Your place should have a desk, comfortable chair, good lighting, all the
supplies you need. It should be free of distractions. It should not be a place where you routinely do other
things. It should be your study place.
• Start Preparing for Exams from the First Day of Class. Employ an effective note taking system.
Read the textbook and complete assignments. Review course material regularly. Study older material
first. At least five days before the exam, start setting aside bigger blocks of study time.
• Prepare for Class. Before a lecture, read the chapter to be covered so that you are somewhat familiar
with concepts presented by the professor during the lecture. Before a recitation, attempt homework
assignments so that you can come to recitation with specific questions for the TA. Be ready to get the
most out of your class time!
• Be in Class. Class attendance and participation enhances your ability to take good notes and understand
the material. Listen actively for the main points and ask questions if you don’t understand the lecture
material.
• Take Notes in Outline Form. Use your own system to distinguish major and minor points. This could
involve underlining or capitalizing important points or using highlighters and different colors to
emphasize key ideas. Keep in mind that information written on the board, on overhead, or on
PowerPoint slides is most likely important.
• Organize and Review Your Notes As Soon As Possible After Class. While the lecture is still fresh in
your mind, you can fill in examples and facts that you didn’t have time to write down during the lecture.
Additionally, you can recall parts of the lecture that were unclear and ask someone to help you
understand it. Note: Unless you review within 24 hours after a lecture or at least before the next lecture,
your retention will significantly drop and you will have to relearn the material instead of reviewing it.
• Set Goals. Set very specific goals each time you study. Specify the course, the chapter(s), the problems,
the notes that you will study. Stop studying when you reach your goals.
• Make Use of your Free Hours During the Day. The hours between classes are perhaps a student's
most valuable study time yet, ironically, they are the most frequently misused. A student may
effectively utilize these hours reviewing the material and editing the notes of the preceding class and/or
studying the material to be discussed in the following class.
• Find at Least One Other Student in Each Class to Study With. Studies show that students who study
with someone routinely make better grades. Teaching a concept to someone else is a sure way for you to
understand it too.
• Make Use of Study Resources on Campus. Find out about and use labs, tutors, and computer
programs. Seek help from the Center for Academic Success, Math Help Center and the Center for
Writing and Math. Ask questions. Get help early; don’t wait until it’s too late!