I have these big tests known as exams that freak every highschooler out. These are going on my GPA and I really need an efficient and a good method for studying so that I will understand that material and fast.
I have tried many different methods of studying. I like rewriting things, but that is too time consuming and plus your hand gets tired really easily. I have the ability to write with both hands, but you can't write everything. When I get in college there will be no way I could write all of the notes. I have tried skimming, but I am not so good at that either.
Please, if you have just the tiniest idea, please comment. I really need to get good grades.
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Writing is good but I think you will find typing your notes as effective and less painful. Of course if you can't type too good then this isn't much help, other than it might help your typing skill.
Also, reading your notes outloud will help a little bit. Not only are you reading the notes but you are using a different awareness to pronounce what you are reading and you are also hearing the notes. So that's two additional ways to perceive your study materials.
And if you can type you can type, talk and hear all at the same time. No idea if that would be more efficient or not but what could it hurt?
Good Luck
Writing things down is time-consuming and makes your hands get tired? I think you're going to have to get over it. The more you write, the more you'll build up those muscles, and the more endurance you'll get. As for the time-consuming . . . you might need to give yourself more time.
I got out of high school about 20 years ago. When I started college, I wrote some notes by hand during class. Some classmates recorded the lectures. Back then they used little cassette tapes, but now you can do that with an MP3 player. Go home and listen to the lecture again, and take down notes for anything you need help with. You buy your textbooks, so you can highlight and mark them up as much as you please, so that could take the place of some of the note-taking. When studying at home, I'd use my computer and put some of my notes into Word documents (called Word for Windows back in the day!), and print them up. That's faster than hand-writing. But I find that I'm more likely to remember something if I've written it down (rather than keying it into the computer).
For most people, it takes hard work to get good grades in college. I was enrolled in 18 hours while working 30-35 hours a week, and made As and Bs. I didn't always get to socialize the way I wanted. Sometimes instead of going out for fun with my boyfriend (now husband), we would hang out at one of our homes and do some studying. If you want the good grades enough, you will find a way to do whatever you need to (not cheating!) to get them.
I hope you find a technique that works for you. Work hard, and enjoy your college experience!
I would like to add an additional technique, glossing. Use paper the same size as the notes or textbook. Fold the paper to form columns. Lay the folded paper besides the material. Number the paper, or mark it in some way so you can match it to the material later. Onto this small paper, add notes at the side of the material. You don't need to rewrite the material; you are just rereading it carefully and adding additional information.
Also as suggested by Suntydt, study the material aloud as you retype or reread material. Tell yourself about what you are studying. You are engaging three techniques; reading, listening, rewording (thinking). The more various ways you can cover the material, the better you will retain the information. Another technique is to "teach" the materials;. Can be to an imaginary class, a friend who needs help with this information, whatever works for you. Act out the information. I used this in teaching vocabulary in a class of non-achievers. They enjoyed it and became quite clever in some of their presentations. And learned.
Skimming is for preview, to get the general idea. Look up study skills on the 'net; everyone has their own style of learning and you must find what works best for you. Sorry this is so long, but I taught for 36 years, and much of teaching is teaching how to learn. Good luck.
Schedule your study time and schedule breaks. Study the same thing at approximately the same time every day. Always begin with a review. Twenty or thirty minutes of study--no more than that at a time. Then take a break and the break should include physical activity--even just walking around the room will help and refresh you. Another trick I taught my students is inhale slowly for as long as you can, hold your breath for as long as you can, and then exhale as slowly for as long as you can. Do this three times.
I just got my bachelors degree recently and I'm in my 40s and studying/memorizing was a challenge!
Here's some of what I did:
1-I would write material on some flash cards.. you keep going through the deck and as you get the answers right you put them in another pile. Then you can focus on the ones you are having difficulty memorizing.
2-Study in smaller amounts of time. I learned that we start getting bored after about 20 mins. Set a timer and study for 20 minutes then do something else for at least 3-5 minutes - eat a snack, internet, watch TV. Then get back to studying. I felt like I remembered more the next day when I studied like this.
3-Walking and standing while trying to memorized helps a lot. I would stand in the kitchen where the counters were high and put my notes on there and read out loud and walk and repeat. It helps keep you alert.
4-If you have an exam coming up, start studying a few days before. Day 1 - study a chapter or two, Day 2- review Day 1 and then memorize more, Day 3- review Day 1 & 2 and continue to memorize more. Keep going on until you have memorized all and use the day before the exam to review.
Hope this helps.
In addition to the suggestions made by others I used to record my own voice asking the questions and answering them. I would ask them in different ways. Then I would go to sleep with them playing in my ears and would listen to them in the morning as I was getting ready for class. If I got the chance during the day I would listen also but at least at night and in the morning. I guess it worked. I had a 4.0 G.P.A.. Good luck. You just have to do the work. You have been given some excellent advice from the others.
I have taken some college classes and I have heard this so many times. "It takes 6 times of hearing something before you grasp it." I also think it is true as I use this method all the time.
Good Luck!
Gem
May want to add some prayers in there too.
Thanks for all the advice and managed to have my gpa a 3.6
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