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Category: Study Strategies

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Today’s blog post will highlight videos created by the Academic Skills Center that can guide you toward being the most productive student you can be. 

Reading Improvement

This video covers how to prepare to read by picking the best time of day and place to read, how to improve your reading rate, and strategies to improve reading comprehension. (Tip: Skip to 1:00 for the informational part of the video). 

 

Notetaking

This video covers how to get the most out of your lectures. If you actively learn in class and review immediately after class, you’ll have better mastery of the material and will save time studying outside of class!

 

Improving Memory and Retention

This video emphasizes the importance of review. Review can increase your productivity because spending small chunks of time consistently reviewing will consolidate your memory of a topic. This will prevent cramming, so you won’t have to sit down for hours and hours to study the day before an exam.

 

Time Management

The ultimate productivity tool is time management. This video will give you tips on how to best utilize your term calendar and your weekly schedule. The video explains how planners allow you to find your free time, and how you can maximize your productivity in short breaks. Lastly, the video covers goal-setting. It is always easier to find the will to be productive when you know what you’re working toward! 

 

  

 

Sleep

This video is less tip-oriented than the rest, but it acknowledges that sleep improves memory retention. If you better absorb the material, you’ll spend less time rereading and learning material because you’ll have better focus while you study! Long story short, please take care of yourself because it will pay off in the long-run!

 

Chemistry

This video covers strategies to do well in general chemistry. However, you can take these strategies and apply them to most classes, especially ones with labs.

 

Studying Foreign Language

This student-made video offers tips on how to maximize your language learning experience at Dartmouth! It has great, Dartmouth-specific tips for mastering language (however, it’s worth noting that the Tutor Clearinghouse has discontinued the Conversation Partner program).

 

As an added bonus to watching these productivity-inspiring videos, you’ll get to see the old fashion and hairstyles of Dartmouth students, way back in the day! Happy watching!

 

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In light of the current pandemic, a lot of people are moving, changing their schedules, and modifying their workstyles. Students are no exception: some of them moved back home and others live off-campus with friends. Accessing a physical space in the library and studying in an indoor public area might be difficult for lots of students. Below are some tips on how to build a personal study place:

 

1. Find a spot where you feel comfortable and productive

Everyone has different study habits and works well in distinct environments. The first step is to search for a space where you are able to focus with minimal interruptions and feel comfortable (but not too comfortable!). This place can be the table in your garden, a desk in your bedroom, home office, and so on. Be creative and don’t limit yourself to what seems like a conventional working space. Then, designate the spot mainly for work and study. In this way, you are able to train your body and mind to quickly get into work mode and focus more efficiently. 

 

2. Organize your study place 

The fastest way to keep your study spot tidy is to first remove things that will distract you. I know it is hard but being honest with yourself is the key! Have you ever had the experience of looking for supplies such as a pencil, calculator, or stapler while you are in the middle of studying and need to interrupt your studying to look for the materials? You don’t need a fancy pen holder to solve this problem. A washed jar, can, or even toilet paper rolls (just need to attach a piece of paper underneath) can do the job of keeping all your office supplies in one place, so you don’t have to spend unnecessary time finding them. 

3. Prepare a planner or calendar

Remember to have a planner or calendar with you during your study. It helps to organize your study session and prioritize what needs to be done. Some people like to write everything down in a planner or calendar; others prefer to keep track of the due dates of assignments and tests and study plans in a digital calendar. There isn't a correct or single way of doing this. It all depends on what works best for you.

 

4. Decorate the place to make it personal

You will be spending a significant amount of time in your study spot; thus, it is crucial that you like the place and enjoy being there. You may want to put some small plants, paintings, etc. in your workspace to bring some liveliness to the room. Remember these items should not be distracting or occupy a huge space.

 

5. Add some inspiration

Lastly, think about what motivates you! It can be your goals, past achievements, proudest moment, a quote, or a picture of where you want to be in the future. I know studying can be tiring and you may lose track of your purpose. Writing these things down and sticking them on walls that are visible would help clarify your goals and keep you motivated during your study time!

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The Course’s Weekly Structure

  • 3-6 recorded lectures
  • 0-1 podcasts
  • A lot of readings 
  • 1 discussion board
  • 1 500-1000 word essay 

I attempted to tackle this course a few different ways.

Approach 1

I watched all of the videos, did all of the readings more or less start-to-finish, then I did the assignments. This worked when there were only 3 recorded lectures, but in the next few weeks, it became unfeasible.

Approach 2

I watched all of the videos on 1.5x speed, took notes on them as if they were all equally important, and I skimmed the readings. Still super time-consuming. 

Approach 3

After a few weeks, I realized that only two or three of the videos and readings were relevant to each assignment. So, I used the assignments to figure out what my professor wanted me to take away from the module, and I approached the module in a 5-step process.

  1. Skim the assignments for the week (with the goal of understanding what your professor wants you to take away from this week’s material). 
  2. Watch every recorded lecture on your preferred speed, paying more attention to ones relevant to the assignment and taking notes. 
  3. Skim the introductions, conclusions, and headings of each reading to see if they are necessary for the assignments.
  4. Open relevant readings in Adobe Acrobat and take notes on them, spending more time on sections that will help with the assignments
  5. Do the assignments.

This was my favorite approach because it wasn’t time-consuming and I was able to gain a decent understanding of the material. However, for courses in a similar format, you probably don’t need to do even that much work to be successful in the class... On super busy weeks, I could have only watched two recorded lectures, done zero readings, and still completed the assignment, receiving the same grade I would have if I had used the approach outlined above. 

The main takeaway? Learn with a goal in mind. If you don't have one of your own, figure out what your professor's learning goal for you is and remember it while you're watching lectures and doing readings.

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To form a habit, it’s important to chunk your habits into a series of smaller tasks. For example, a morning routine can be considered a habit broken up into the following series of tasks:

  1. Get up at the same time every day
  2. Go to the same bathroom
  3. Brush my teeth
  4. Wash my face
  5. Moisturize

My habit begins with getting up and ends with moisturizing. Because I am used to completing the three steps in between those, it is hard to skip them as they are part of the habit. 

So, if you want to change a habit to wake up earlier, you should chunk your habit with a series of other actions. For instance, you can wake up at the desired time every day, drink a glass of water, and read the news for five or ten minutes. If you want to study every day at a certain time, start your habit with an action-step, like heading to your favorite study spot, check your to do list, get out your study materials, start studying, and end the habit with a quick review of your study session.

In short, a new habit sticks best when you incorporate it into a series of other habits.  This is because the part of your brain that is activated when you carry out a habit is excited at the beginning and end of a habit, so if you begin a habit it, it will be very hard for you to not finish it. 

If you’re interested in reading the neuroscience behind why, here is the article I used as a reference: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/how-to-change-bad-habits-in-the-brain-psychology?utm_source=Dartmouth+News+Today&utm_campaign=b0b78cb2dc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_09_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4ae973c30b-b0b78cb2dc-292818778

 

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Stage 1: Note-taking

This stage focuses on recording information, whether it’s spoken by your teacher or read in your textbook. Below are some tips.

  • Use the Cornell note-taking method. 
  • At the top of the page, write a concept question that your notes will help you answer.
  • Write points and details on the right side of the page. 
  • Use words you can understand when you look back at your notes.
  • Use shorthand, so you can write faster.
  • Write in phrases rather than complete sentences. 
  • Leave space between the main points, so you can add more information and revise later. 
  • Indicate key ideas, concept changes, and links between information (you can do this by drawing asterisks by the key idea, underlining, or highlighting).

Stage 2: Note-making:

In this stage, you will begin to think about why you’ve written your notes down, what questions do they answer? You will also make connections, test your knowledge, and begin the review process. 

  • Write the questions that your notes answer on the left side of the page. 
  • Link key chunks of information. 
  • Exchange notes and ideas with your peers and quiz each other.
  • Review!

 Stage 3 Note-interacting:

In stage 3, you will continue to test your understanding and review, and you will condense your notes into a summary. 

  • Write a summary of your notes that answers all of the questions you’ve written. 
  • Quiz yourself by covering the right side of your paper and answering the questions on the left.
  • Review! 

Stage 4 Note-reflecting:

Focus on problem areas and continue to review before your exam!

  • Use feedback from a professor and from being quizzed by a peer or yourself to figure out what you don’t fully know or understand yet. 
  • Spend more time learning and reviewing those concepts.
  • Regularly review your notes for a unit before your exam. Spending even five minutes to review is helpful.

References

https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-most-effective-way-to-take-notes-41961