This section offers some helpful hints to enhance your study skills. It can help you to improve your memory, become a better note taker, and get the most out of what you read. It may also help you prepare better for tests and become a better test taker.

Mastering these study skills will require some work, mostly to break old, inefficient habits. In the long run, though, the additional time you spend now learning to become a better learner will pay big dividends. Over the loan haul, improved study skills will save you lots of time and help you improve your knowledge of facts and concepts. That will no doubt lead to better grades and more enjoyment from learning.

General study skills & habits:

• Study in a quiet, well-lighted place. Avoid noisy, distracting environments.
• Turn off televisions and radios.
• Work at a desk or table. Don't lie on a couch or bed.
• Establish a specific time each day to study and stick with your schedule.
• Study when you are most alert. Many people find that they retain more if they study in the evening several hours before going to sleep.
• Take frequent, short breaks -- one every half-hour or so. Exercise or move around during your study breaks to help you stay alert.
• Reward yourself after a study session with a healthy snack or some activity you enjoy.
• To do your best, expect to spend at least three hours studying per week for each hour of class time (for example, if you are taking a three hour class, you should devote nine hours a week to studying for it). Most students commit far less time than this to studies and it is reflected in their grades.
• Study each subject every day to avoid cramming for tests. Some courses may require more hours than others, so adjust your habits accordingly.
• Look-up new terms or words whose meanings are unclear to you in the glossaries of your textbooks or in a dictionary.

Improving your memory:

You can improve your memory by following the PMC method. The PMC method involves three simple learning steps: 1) paying attention, 2) making information memorable, and 3) correlating new information with facts or concepts you already know.

Step 1. Paying attention means taking an active role in your education -- taking your mind out of neutral. Eliminate distractions when you study. Review what you already know about a subject and formulate questions about what you want to learn before a lecture or before you read a chapter in your textbook. Reviewing and questioning help prime the mind.

Step 2. Making information memorable means finding ways to help you retain it. Repetition, mnemonics, and rhymes are three healthful tools.

• Repetition can help you remember things. The more you hear or read something, the more likely you are to remember it -- especially if you're paying attention.
• Jot down important ideas and facts while you read or study to help involve all of the senses.
• Mnemonics are useful tools to help remember lists of items. One with which you may already be familiar is ROYGBIV: red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet (the colors of the spectrum).
• Rhymes and sayings can also be helpful when trying to remember lists of facts.
• If you're having trouble remembering the meanings of key terms, look up their roots in the dictionary.
• You can also draw pictures and diagrams of processes to help remember them.

• Instead of filling your mind with disjointed facts and figures, try to see how they relate with what you already know. When studying new concepts, spend some time tying information together to get a view of the big picture.
• After studying your notes or reading your textbook, review the main points. Ask yourself how this new information affects your view of life or critical issues and how you may be able to use it.

Becoming a better note taker:

• Spend five to ten minutes before each lecture reviewing the material you learned in the previous lecture. This is extremely important!
• Know the topic of each lecture before you enter the classroom. Spend a few minutes reflecting on facts you already know about the subject to be discussed that day.
• If possible, read the text before each lecture. If not, at least look over the main headings in the chapter, read the topic sentence of each paragraph, and study the figures. If your chapter has a summary, read it too.
• Develop your own shorthand system to facilitate note taking. Symbols such as = (equals), > (greater than), < (less than), w (with), w/o (without), => (produces or causes) can save you lots of time so you don't miss the main points or key facts.
• Develop special abbreviations to reduce writing time. E might stand for energy, RX might stand for rocks, and PT might stand for plate tectonics.
• Omit vowels and abbreviate words to decrease writing time (for example: omt vwls & abbrvt wrds to dcrs wrtng tim). This will take some practice but will save you lots of time and effort so that you can concentrate on the concepts and not just on writing.
• Don't take down every word your professor says -- concentrate on the main points, supporting information, and important terms.
• Watch for signals from your instructor indicating important material that might show up on the next test. Listen for repetition of phrases, or comments like "this point is very important . . . ."
• If possible, sit near the front of the class to avoid distractions.
• Review your notes soon after the lecture is over, when they're still fresh in your mind. Be sure to leave room in your class notes so you can add missing material, corrections, or comments later. If you have time, recopy your notes after each lecture.
• Compare your notes with those of your classmates to be sure you understood everything and did not miss any important information.
• Attend ALL lectures.
• Use a tape recorder if you have trouble catching important points.
• If your instructor talks too quickly for you to follow, politely ask him or her to slow down. However, keep in mind that you should do your part too by reading the assigned reading material before class and by improving your note taking skills by following the suggestions given here.
• If you are unclear about a point during lecture, ask for clarification. Chances are other students are confused as well. If you are uncomfortable speaking-up in class be sure to: approach your instructor after class and ask, visit your instructor during office hours, call them on the phone, or if available, send email.
• Above all else, concentrate on what your instructor is saying -- not on writing comprehensive notes. Familiarizing yourself with the textbook content on the subject will help.

How to get the most out of what you read:

• Before you read a chapter or other assigned readings, preview the material by reading the main headings or chapter outline to see how the material is organized.
• If you intend to take notes, prepare an outline using the headings or chapter outline.
• Pause over each heading and ask a question about it.
• Next, read the first sentence of each paragraph. If you are preparing an outline, paraphrase each topic sentence as part of your outline. When you finish, turn back to the beginning of the chapter and read it thoroughly.
• Take notes in the margin or on a separate sheet of paper. Underline or highlight key points.
• Don't skip terms that are confusing to you. Look them up in a glossary or in a dictionary. Make sure you understand each term before you move on.
• Use the study aids in your textbook, including summaries and end-of-chapter questions. Don't just look over the questions and say, "Yeah, I know that." Write out the answer to each question as if you were turning it in for a grade and save your answers for later study. Look up answers to questions that confuse you. Most texts have questions that test your understanding of both facts and concepts. Critical thinking questions may also be included to sharpen your skills.

Preparing for tests:

• Don't fall behind on your reading assignments; review lecture notes as often as possible.
• If you have time, you may want to outline your notes and assigned readings. Try to prepare the outline with your book and notes closed. Determine weak areas, then go back to your text or class notes to study these areas.
• Space out your studying to avoid cramming. One week before the exam, go over all your notes. Study for two nights, then take a day off that subject. Study again for a couple of days. Take another day off from that subject. Then, make one final push before the exam. Be sure to study not only the facts and concepts but also how they are related. Unlike cramming -- which puts a lot of information into your brain for a short time -- spacing will help you retain information for the test and for the rest of your life.
• Be certain you can define ALL terms and give examples of how they are used.
• You may find it useful to write flash cards to review terms and concepts.
• After you have studied your notes and learned the material, look at the big picture: the importance of the knowledge and how the various parts fit together.
• You may want to form a study group to discuss what you are learning and to test one another.
• Attend review sessions if offered by your instructor. Study before the session and go to the session with questions.
• Approach your instructor with questions as they arise.
• Take advantage of free or low-cost tutoring offered by your school or, if necessary, hire a private tutor to help you through difficult material. Get help early. Don't wait until you are hopelessly lost, or a few days before the exam. Remember that learning is a two-way street. A tutor can't help you unless you are putting in the time.
• If you are stuck on a concept, it may be that you have missed an important point in earlier material. Look over your notes or ask your tutor or instructor what facts might be missing, causing you to be confused. Be prepared to explain what you think you already know.
• If you have time, write and take your own tests or one written by a classmate. Include all types of questions.
• Study tests from previous years if they are available legally.
• Determine how much of a test will come from notes and how much from the textbook.

Taking tests:

• Eat well and get a good night's sleep before your exam.
• Remain calm during the test by breathing deeply, exhaling slowly.
• Arrive at the exam a few minutes early.
• If you have questions during the exam about the wording of a question, ask your instructor for clarification.
• Skip questions you can't answer right away and come back to them at the end of the session if you have time. You might want to write down the question numbers at the front of your test so you can quickly relocate the questions you skipped.
• Read each question carefully and be sure you understand its full meaning before answering.
• For essay questions and definitions, organize your thoughts first on the back of the test before you start writing.

These suggestions are from "Study skills," by Daniel D. Chiras; originally published in "Human Biology: Health, Homeostasis, and the Environment." St. Paul: West Publishing Company (1991). What appears here has been somewhat modified from the original text, and is used by permission.