December 2001
 

 

            I have been taking the Learning Strategies class with Dr. Carolyn Hopper this semester and have never been so happy to take a class. I took this class by choice, not because I had to. I was hoping that I would learn how to navigate the library. The things that I have learned are too numerous to mention, but there are a few things that have made my college life so much easier, and I am sure will continue to do so.
 

 

            At forty year of age you would think that I would already have good study skills, and I am very good at taking notes all the time necessary to get my work done. Dr. Hopper has taught me that I was studying fine, but showed me ways that time I spent studying could be put to a much better use. With learning about time management and the master schedule , I found that I was overworking. By scheduling time to work on a specific subject, I actually got used to doing that work at that time. I was really struggling in my Spanish class until I started studying my Spanish immediately after class. This may sound like a minor thing to do, but by studying as soon as possible after class I retain much more of the information I learn in class.
 

 

            Another wonderful tool I learned about during the time-management chapter was the To-Do List. If I write down everything I have to get done on any given day, I find it much easier to do it. I will write a list of all of my assignments due the next day and sit down and begin working on them. It is a huge relief every time I can cross something off the list. Using a to-do list means that an assignment never gets overlooked. A good suggestion is to do a weekly list of the syllabus of every class, and then a daily list. This way you will always be a little ahead. If you do your reading ahead of class it will really help you retain the material you hear in lecture. With a list sitting in front of you, it makes all of this much easier. Believe me, the more you can work ahead, the less stress you will feel.
 

 

            Most people are confident in the way they read a textbook, or any other book for that matter. I have been an avid reader since the age of three, yes three, and figured I knew all I needed to know about reading. I was wrong. I can read any book for pleasure just fine, but in the class I have learned how to read a textbook without loosing every bit of reading I have done immediately after setting the book down. Textbooks are usually not written to be an enjoyable read, but with the label in the margin system and learning the correct way to tackle the reading, I found myself not enjoying the reading, but not forgetting everything I read either. The biggest help is reading the summary of a chapter first and then reading the material paragraph by paragraph. If you take the time to read a paragraph at a time, write a question in the margin, underline the answer, and recite the question while covering up the answer, you will be amazed at what you can retain. Do not try to do the whole chapter at once, simply read a little bit at a time and review the sections that you have already read each time you start to read new material.
 

 

            One of the most fun aspects of this class was learning my way around the library. I am sure I would have been completely lost without the guidance and teaching I have received in this class. The library may seem like an easy place to navigate, but if you do not know where you can find what, you can get lost faster than you can imagine. In the library section you learn where you need to go to find anything you need for a research paper. You will learn that Infotrac is an excellent source of recent periodicals, but if you need something published before 1980, you have to use the Reader’s Guide. The little secrets you learn while learning how to navigate the library will make all those hundreds of research papers a heck of a lot less stressful.
 

 

            The Memory Principles are another amazing help. A s I learned how my memory worked I figured out that if I would use the memory principles, I would be able to retain more of the information I needed to learn. The most important part of learning the Memory Principles is to find a way to be interested in a subject. I realize that some general requirement classes are not always interesting, but if you can find a way to make the class a little more personal, it will help you remember what you need to remember. For example, I took Biology this semester and at first was struggling with all the new material. Finally, I began to see how the information related to things in my own life. Now when I see a flower, I do not just see the flower, but realize that it is an amazing act of nature that makes that simple flower available for me to see.
 

 

            There are a lot of Memory Principles and as you take this class you will find yourself amazed at how much easier learning new material can be as you learn how to use these principles in every class you take in college. You will learn how your memory works and by doing so, you will be able to teach yourself to retain as much information as you need to do well in all of your classes.
 

 

            Finally, the chapter that has helped me the most is the test-taking strategies. There are a few simple rules for taking all kinds of tests, and by learning these rules you will be able to tackle any test and do well. Did you know that it is harder to write false statements than true ones. So unless you are absolutely sure that a statement is false it is probably true. There are also clues you can learn to make it even easier to take true/false tests. You will also learn that even essay tests are easier if you take some time to learn the tricks of answering essay tests. There are direction words that can help you know which way the question should be answered and guidelines to follow to make sure you answer the entire question. All of these little ideas will help you take any kind of test.
 

 

            Study Skills can be a class that will help you throughout your college career if you are willing to learn. Do not think this class is a just a class to make you study, it is a class that has been created to help you make it through some intense years of college. This class will teach you how to be a success in school and in your life. Enjoy it and take advantage of the fact that you are getting an opportunity to get an edge in learning how to survive your college experience.