by Judi Kesselman-Turkel and Franklynn Peterson
Effective studying guarantees good grades in school. But few schools teach students how to study.
Research proves that it's not how much time you study that counts, but how well. In one important survey, students who studied more than 35 hours a week came out with poorer grades than those who studied less. The difference: the second group knew how to study.
You can learn how to study, too. Just start using these seven proven steps. They're excerpted from Study Smarts (University of Wisconsin Press), a little $6.95 paperback that's already helped over 75,000 students of all ages in the U.S. and around the world.
1. Do some behavior modification on yourself. Here's how it works. Try to study the same subject at the same time in the same place each day. After a short while, you will find that when you get to that time and place you're automatically in the subject groove.
Once you train your brain to think French on a time-and-place cue, it no longer takes ten minutes a day to get in the mood for French. You'll save time. You'll save the emotional energy you used to need to psych yourself up to the subject. And the experts say you'll also remember more of what you're studying!
2. Spend no more than an hour at a time on one subject. In fact, if you're doing straight memorizing, stop after twenty or thirty minutes.
Here's why. First, when you put yourself under a time restriction, you use the time better. (Have you noticed how much studying you manage to cram in during the 24 hours before a big exam? That's why it's called cramming.)
Second, psychologists say you learn best in short takes. In fact, studies show that you learn as much in four one-hour sessions distributed over four days as in one marathon six-hour session. That's because between study times, as you sleep or eat or read a novel, your subconscious mind works on absorbing what you've learned. So it counts as study time, too.
3. Take frequent rest breaks. Many specialists say that ten-minute breaks between subjects keep you alert and your mind in top working order.
Dr. Walter Pauk, who was for many years director of the Reading and Study Center at Cornell University, advises you to take a brief break whenever you feel you need one -- so you don't end up clock-watching.
4. If your mind tends to wander from your studies, begin with the most boring subject -- or the hardest one. Work your way toward the easiest or the one you like best.
5. Study similar subjects at separate times. Brain waves are like radio waves. If there isn't enough space between inputs, you get interference. The closer your subjects come in similarity, the more interference.
So separate your study periods for courses with similar subject matter. Follow an hour of math with an hour of Spanish or history, not with physics.
6. Avoid studying during your sleepy times. (Research shows that everyone has a certain time of day for getting sleepy.)
But don't take a snooze if it's not bedtime. It rarely makes you feel better. Instead, run or play ball or just take a walk. If you have a pile of schoolwork, sort your notes or neaten your desk. Or go study with a friend.
7. Study according to the type of course. If it's a lecture course, do your studying soon after class. Review, revise and organize your notes.
If it's a course where you may be called on to recite or answer questions, study before class. Memorize and brush up on your facts. Then prepare some questions as if you were the teacher -- a great exercise for helping the material sink in and for pinpointing areas in which you need more work.
That's the smart way to study.
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Most of the preceding tips were excerpted from the book Study Smarts by Judi Kesselman-Turkel and Franklynn Peterson, which is used in schools and colleges through the U.S. and Europe. Published by the University of Wisconsin Press, it is sold through bookstores at $6.95. It is part of an eight-book series that includes Test-Taking Strategies, Note-Taking Made Easy, Research Shortcuts, Spelling Simplified, The Grammar Crammer, The Vocabulary Builder and Secrets to Writing Great Papers.