Study Techniques Here is a list of study techniques that should prove helpful. Since I’ve listed every technique I could think of, it’s a fairly long list. So please don’t feel like you have to use each and every one of them. Just select a few that sound like they would be useful and try them out. If they’re not as helpful as you thought they would be, then try some others.

Study Techniques Read the text – This is critical for your success! How many times? At least twice Read it through the 1st time fast just to get the general idea Read it through a 2nd time when you’re ready to begin studying When? Read the chapter the 1st time through before our lecture begins While reading the text: Look up any words that you don’t know in the dictionary Highlight, underline, or make notes in the margins of any key points Make outlines, charts, tables, and/or flashcards for important concepts and key terms (see the last section of slides for more information on this) Practice recalling the information from memory as you read So read a paragraph or two, then cover it up and try to recall the important pieces of information you just read

Study Techniques (con’t) Take notes in class on your Lecture Notes PowerPoints Fill-ins don’t count as notes, although they may be signals for the key terms you will see on the quiz Make a note of the main point behind each slide or section of slides if it’s mentioned in class Circle or highlight the parts of the slide that were referenced in class Use the online Learning Objectives to identify the important concepts that will be on the quiz Learning objectives can really help you scale back the amount of information you need to study for each quiz Use Weiten’s Concept Chart booklet (if you have one) to help you better visualize the important concepts

Study Techniques (con’t) Do all of the PsykTrek activities for each chapter Consider getting into study groups and studying with others Consider tutoring Check out the information on “how to study for an exam” at http://www.frontiernet.net/~jlkeefer/exams.htm A 1.5-page document that talks about recitation, diagrams, writing, cues, study cards, chunking, and mnemonics (or memory techniques) Check out Chapter 4 of your Activities Manual for more strategies on studying and taking quizzes

Study Techniques (con’t) Check out the publisher’s website (link shown below) for: flashcards glossary sample quizzes of multiple-choice and true-false items If you use the site, however, please remember that the publisher’s learning objectives are DIFFERENT from ours Since the publisher generally has more learning objectives than we do, you may be asked questions about key terms and concepts that you won’t see on our quiz http://www.wadsworth.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&flag=student&product_isbn_issn=9780495100584&disciplinenumber=24

Study Techniques (con’t) Don’t cram – Do small chunks of studying at a time Every 30-60 minutes, take a break to remember more and to give the left hemisphere of your brain a rest Frequent breaks help you remember more because people tend to remember the first and last items they studied best during a study period All the stuff in the middle, however, they typically forget So studying for shorter periods of time means that you don’t have as much “middle stuff” to forget When you take a break, give your left hemisphere a rest (the side of your brain that’s used in verbal tasks) by doing visual or tactile things So walk, listen to music, exercise, stretch, get a snack, do a puzzle, meditate, relax, do a craft or hobby, take a shower, take a drive, etc. Don’t watch TV, or surf the internet, or check your email, or talk on the phone, or text message because these are all verbal tasks Tackle the hardest topics after a break, when you’re freshest

Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Read through all the questions once Answering the easy questions Go back through the questions a second time Answering the more difficult questions Go back through the questions one last time To double-check all of your answers Should you ever change any of your “first reaction” answers? Yes! Research indicates that people’s first impressions of the correct answers are often wrong.

DIAGRAMMING INFORMATION The next section of slides provides some examples of how you can diagram information to help you learn and remember it better. Research has shown that the type of diagram you use while studying influences both your learning and your retention of information (Robinson, Robinson, & Katayma, 1995). Studies indicate that graphic organizers and concept maps are the most helpful diagrams for learning and memory because they allow you to review the information in various ways. Although the following examples are relatively simple and probably quite easy to remember, they are simply meant to illustrate the various ways you can diagram information while studying.

UNDERLINING & HIGHLIGHTING TEXT People typically “study” by underlining or highlighting important words and concepts in their text. Read through the following text once and then advance to the next slide.

Which warbler is primarily gray and black? Magnolia warbler

OUTLINES Sometimes people outline the information in their text while studying. This is more useful as it helps to focus your attention on the important facts you want to remember by taking it out of a textual context. Review the outline once and then advance to the next slide.

Which hawk has the largest range? Cooper’s hawk

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS An even better way to diagram information is by using a graphic organizer. Graphic organizers help you focus your attention on the key points that you’re trying to learn, plus they allow you to easily compare and contrast those points across different sectors. This leads to deeper processing and understanding of the material, which in turn leads to better memory. Review the graphic organizer once and then advance to the next slide.

Which squirrel has the largest sized litter? Which squirrel has the smallest sized litter? Red squirrel Abert’s squirrel

CONCEPT MAPS Concept maps can also be used to diagram information. When you draw a concept map, you simply illustrate the information and its relationships by using circles, squares, arrows, or other types of diagrammatic aids. Concept maps help you focus your attention on the key points and, if not too complicated like this one, allow you to compare those points across different sectors. Review the concept map once and then advance to the next slide.

Which bird places its nest nearest the ground? Sage thrasher

So when it comes to studying and remembering, which types of diagrams are the best to use?

These are the best for learning & memory Underlining & Highlighting Text Graphic Organizers Concept Maps Outlines