Study Skills Tips and Advice for Effective Study… K Day Aparima College English Department

The Ideal Environment! Read in good light. Artificial light is best when it shines over your shoulders. Assume a comfortable posture and be physically relaxed. Eliminate all disturbing noise. You cannot concentrate with music in the background, or if you are being constantly interrupted. NEVER study in front of the TV! Check your eyesight. If you have glasses use them. Keep your eyes well rested. Use a regular study space that is set up with all the things you will need to study. Getting up and down to fetch forgotten equipment will interrupt your concentration and will make studying that much harder. Make sure you have the correct equipment for effective study. You may want/need access to a dictionary or specific texts. Make sure they are available in your study space.

Study Tips…. Concentrate totally on your study activity. Don’t allow your thoughts to wander, and don’t daydream. If you start to lose concentration – take a break! Take regular breaks – the average adult attention span is only 30 minutes, so timetable regular breaks into your study time. Have regular (healthy snacks) and liquids when studying. These help to keep your blood sugar levels up, and this aids concentration. Include a bit of fresh air and exercise in your study timetable. Good oxygen intake allows the brain to function efficiently.

Reading Comprehension Techniques First, obtain a clear idea of what the text is about. Study the title, pictures and illustrations, and read the first and last paragraphs. Now read the passage intensively right through once without stopping. Read for meaning and ideas. Don’t read one word at a time. Instead read whole phrases and groups of words as single units of meaning. Stretch your eye-span. Take in as large a segment of meaning as you can in one fixation. Don’t regress or flick your eyes back. If unsure of a word resist the temptation to regress. One or two gaps won’t affect the overall meaning. Don’t vocalise. Read silently for abstract meaning only. Minimise inner speech and try to avoid the sound images of words as you read. Be an aggressive reader. Push on at a fast pace. Increase your mental tempo. NOW: Read the passage again – this time underline or highlight important information (or use post-it notes for text books). Make a note of unfamiliar words and their meanings.

Note Taking Techniques Make a list of (main) principal ideas. Make a second list of subordinate ideas and link them to the first list. Write explanations for these ideas when needed. Look up word definitions and provide examples.

Tools for Thought! Mind Maps Concept Maps Recall List List and Learn Mnemonics Audio and Visual Buzz Words Flash-cards There are many techniques available to help students learn. The best techniques are those that focus on your individual learning styles. The following tools may help you to study more effectively.

Mind Maps Mind-mapping is a technique that enables you to learn and remember information. When you mind map you rely on visualising the information in your mind. You use pictures, symbols and colours as clues to help you remember key information.

Concept Maps Concept mapping is a technique that enables you to learn and remember information. When you concept map you rely on written cues as well as visual links to store the information in your mind. You use words, phrases and quotes as clues to help you remember key information.

Recall List A recall list is a list of words or phrases that you need to learn. You begin by studying the list for 60 seconds. After the 60 seconds write down as many as you can remember without looking at the origina l list. Repeat this procedure until you can remember them all.

List and Learn Technique… This is where you: List the things to be learned. Number the list. Sort the list into chunks. Study for 60 seconds. Test your recall. Repeat the last two steps until you remember your list. By using numbers you will be able to recall the information when thinking of a number from the list.

Mnemonics (ni-mon-iks) Mnemonics is a study strategy that helps you to chunk information into learnable portions. It gives you memory cues which help you remember. It also gives you memory clues so that you can recall the information when you need it. There are three parts to this process: 1. Chunking the information. 2. Memorising the information. 3. Revising the information.

Mnemonics: The Process A Mnemonic allows you to create a new word or phrase out of the information for study. The new word acts as cue for remembering the information. For example, a well-known Mnemonic is ROY G BIV which is used as a cue for the colours of the rainbow.

Audio and Visual Aural learners learn best when they hear the information they want to remember. Aural learners should use audio (eg walkmans) to record and play back their study notes Visual learners require lots of colour and images to help them learn. They tend to visualise (see) with their minds. The visual learner should use lots of posters, charts, and colour to present their notes. Visual learners benefit from large and visually stimulating study notes.

Buzzwords Buzzwords work in much the same way as mnemonics, but they are actual key words or phrases that can be used to recall information. Buzzwords work best when used with a visual study aid such as mind maps or concept maps.

Flashcards Flash cards are cards that have a question, quotation, key concept or main idea on one side. On the other side is the answer, explanation or reference information. Flashcards work like mnemonics to: 1. Chunk the information. 2. Memorise the information. 3. Recall the information. Flashcards work well when colour, graphics and symbols are included.

Good Luck! This presentation has been brought to you courtesy of the Aparima College English Department.