Study Skills & Time Management

Why are study skills so important? Developing good study & planning habits will put you in charge of your own learning. Good planning gives you more free time in the end and reduces stress. Time management and organizational skills are essential for success in life. Study skills and time management help you to set goals and achieve them.

Agenda book- Use it!

Effectively Using Your Planner Note holidays/vacations, early release days, and other major commitments (weekend trips, appointments, etc). Write down your assignments every day for each class. If you have a test or project coming up, write it down on the due date, but also write down when you will study for it (like you would for a homework assignment).

Write it down!

You should also use the monthly calendar section in your planner (or use a different monthly calendar) to show due dates of major assignments, dates of tests, and other important events. This helps you see the larger picture.

Study Tips: Place, Time, & Daily Practice

Place It is important that you have a place to study that is: Well lit Quiet Has any supplies you may need For some students, their bedroom is a good place. Others work better at a dining room or kitchen table. Some students study better outside of the home, for example, the library.

Time Time: Set aside a time each day to study Some students like to do their homework right after school; others need some downtime and work better later in the day. Decide which works best for you within your schedule and try to keep to that time as consistently as possible.

Daily Practice Daily practice: studies have shown that students who review class notes on a daily basis retain up to 60% more of the material. Take a few minutes to do this each day for each of your classes.

Limit distractions When studying, be sure to limit distractions. Shut off the TV Turn down or turn off music Silence your cell phone or leave it in a different room Shut down video games Avoid internet time wasters- YouTube, Facebook, etc.

Engage in Active Studying Active studying means reviewing the material using more than one method, strategy or neural pathway. This helps you retain info better! Examples: Making flash cards to remember key definitions & concepts Using a highlighter to emphasize key points in your notes Have someone quiz you on the material Quiz yourself by covering up your notes. Make a study sheet or outline If you like to visualize what you are reading, make a graphic organizer or diagram to help you.

Test Preparation: A word about review sessions Make good use of any review sessions that your teacher offers before a test. Before you go to a review session, study your notes and be prepared to ask specific questions. Review sessions are just that- FOR REVIEW. They are NOT re-teaching sessions.

Test Taking Tips Get plenty of sleep the night before. Eat a good breakfast (and lunch) the day of a test. Look over the entire test before starting. You may decide to start on the essays first. Review the points assigned to different sections and when possible, start with the section that counts for the largest percentage of the test. Answer the questions you know first. This reduces anxiety and gives you the confidence to continue.

For any questions you don’t know the answer to: Multiple Choice: Try to eliminate at least 1 choice & then guess if you have to. Short Answer: WRITE SOMETHING DOWN. Chances are, you do know SOMETHING and even 1 point on a 5 point question is better than zero.

Owning Your Learning Teachers are always willing to help you if you demonstrate the effort to learn. Hand in assignments when they are due. Go for help before or after school. Don’t be afraid to ask a question if you don’t understand something the first time. Teachers assume you understand if you don’t let them know otherwise. Your learning is your job, not your parents’.

I’m not doing well… Now what? Your teacher is always the best place to start. If you don’t understand something in class, ask a question. Chances are good that someone else has the same exact question. If you are uncomfortable asking in class, write it down and go after class or after school. Read the textbook… it has pictures and diagrams that your notes may not have! Watch videos online- Khan Academy, Bozeman Science, Sophia.org are all great places to go for short tutorials on the class material.

Bottom Line: Don’t freak out… Help is available! Most students fail a test at some point in their high school career- IT’S OKAY. If you are feeling totally overwhelmed, go see a counselor. They are great at helping figure things out.

Keep at it! Making the transition from middle to high school is tough. But by making these changes to your study habits, it can help make it an easier transition. Whatever you do, don’t give up! It will get easier and will help make the transition from high school to college or career a lot easier.