Success in Study and Exam Habits

A manual of answers to two major questions which confront every student 1. What is my study Weaknesses? 2. How can I improve my study methods?

By: KabasoSydney Mupukwa

2010

CONTENTS

1. About the Author 2. Introduction 3. Know who you are 4. Improving your reading ability .. 5. Studying your text book assignment . 6. Improving your memory .. 7. Taking notes . 8. Preparing for and taking examinations 9. Improving your capacity for study ..

2 2 3 21 27 37 40 51 56

About the Author

Kabaso Sydney Mupukwa is a multi gifted International motivational Speaker, Business and Academic consultant, dynamic preacher, Author, Lecturer, Researcher and Social Worker who addresses critical issues affecting the full range of human, social and spiritual development. The central theme of his message is critical self awareness of one potential in life. He is a Managing Consultant for Kabsy Consultancy Services; a consultancy firm specialized in academic, business, development and InfoTech. Through his work as a consultant, he travels extensively around the World as a conference speaker and facilitator. He is a man sought after by business men & women, students and institutions in that he displays his dynamic skills in academics, development, business and leadership with insight of specialized knowledge and understanding. As an Author, Kabaso has written number of publications whose books are noted for their crisp simplicity and practical principles. In addition, he is also a contributing writer to Article Base.com of United States of America. His work is distributed on the internet and sold. He is the president of Vessels of Honour, a Christian International Organization dedicated to raising champions and prayer warriors and leaders. Kabaso as a preacher travels around the world on evangelism and missions. Anointed to preach good news, healing the sick & delivering captives. Kabaso is also a producer of various radio and TV programmes that are sold in all electronic formats and aired on different radio and TV stations. He blends knowledge received from Mulungushi University, University of Zambia and Blantre International University into money and is currently helping millions in transforming their visions into reality through million dollar habits, think & grow rich motivation seminar, study and exam habits programmes. Success in studies and Exams is a manual book written to answer to many questions that are often asked by students from all walks of learning on: What are my study weaknesses? How can I improve my study habits?

Introduction

Knowledge from Psychology, Philosophy and the word of God has been blended into 7 habits to help students all over the world develop study and exam habits before undertaking their final examinations. It can be used by all students, regardless of their level of study. The book is accompanied by a CD and DVD on the success in studies and exams for students. Contact the author on+260966717712. email:kabasosydn@yahoo.com or visit our website: www.sydneykabaso.com

Chapter one

Know who you are

It has often been said that, if you do not know who you are other people will tell you who you are not. Knowing your self is the first step in making your study and exam easy for you. Who are you? What is your personality, where do you come from, what are your weaknesses, strengths? Any act often repeated soon forms a habit; and habit allowed, steadily gains in strength. At first it may be as a spiders web, easily broken through, but if not resisted, it soon binds us with chains of steel. (Tryon Edwards) You are extraordinary! You came into this world with more talents and abilities than you could ever use. You could not exhaust your full potential if you lived 100 lifetimes. Your amazing brain has 20 billion cells, each of which is connected to as many as 20 thousand other cells. The possible combinations and permutations of ideas, thoughts and insights that you can generate are equivalent to the number one followed by eight pages of zeros. According to brain expert Tony Buzan, this number is greater than all the molecules in the known universe. Whatever you have accomplished in life to this date is only a small fraction of what you are truly capable of achieving.

The psychologist, Abraham Maslow, once wrote that, The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short. The average person settles for far less than he or she is truly capable of achieving. Compared with what you could be, everything you have accomplished so far is only a small part of what is truly possible for you.

The challenge is that you come into the world with the most incredible brain, surrounded by unlimited possibilities for success, happiness and achievement, but you start off with no instruction manual. As a result, you have to figure it all out for yourself. Most people never do. They go through life doing the very best they can, but they never come within shouting distance of doing, having and being all that is possible for them. Coming From Behind I started off my school life with few advantages. I was brought up in a disciplined family and my parents were the main model. I was born at the time when my father was a member of parliament, and Deputy Minister for Northern Province. In that time of it meant well for my education. My father always ensured that I pay much attention to my studies.

My school started well, when I had three brothers in the teaching professional. It was an advantage for me, in that after my school hours, I utilized every skill in me. I grew up as an intelligent pupil. I did well, in all my Primary education and passed well in every examination.

Things changed for me, I moved from Luwingu to Luanshya, I started staying with my brother who is a Chemist Teacher at Mpatamato High School. The place was secured for me at Luanshya Central High School. At grade nine I passed so well, in that I came second the all school and went in a pure class at Luanshya Boys High School.

I left high school without getting six points, despite doing well during my mock examination. The Grade 12 results were not impressive for me, even my family was shocked why I failed to have six points.

Things well not well for me for three years in that, my results did not favour me to get a scholarship or a bursary and study with University of Zambia, where I wanted to study Chemical Engineering. My family had no money at that time to pay for me in a University.

I worked at laboring jobs for several years. I worked in a mining company as a general worker and later promoted to a safety officer at Zambia Metal Fabricators (ZAMEFA). I worked with number of contractors; I worked in the woods slashing brush. I dug ditches and made fences for people in the yards. I worked on farms and ranches. I worked in factories and on construction sites. For a time, I was a galley boy on a Zambian soil. I earned my living by the sweat of my brow. When I could no longer find a laboring job, I got a job at the clinic, as a peer educator and psychosocial counselor. I became the project coordinator for Chibolya Youth Friendly Health Clinic and I remained there for three years. For a long time I was asking myself, where did I go wrong failing to pass my examination as I expected. The Key to Success unlocked Then one day I began asking that question, Why is it that some people are more successful than others? Especially, Why is it that some students are more successful than others? With that one question, I did something that changed my life and began the formation of a habit that had a profound effect on my future. I went and asked the most successful Manager, Mrs. Christine Maonde, who at that time was a district programme coordinator for Health Communication Partnership (HCP) and she advised me.

In the Bible it says, Ask and ye shall receive. I soon developed the habit of asking everyone, and in every way possible, for the answers that I needed to move ahead more rapidly. I met men of God, Pastor Develious Phiri Pastor Mwansa, they preached the gospel to me, I was born again and discovered myself. And my life changed from that day.

I started my first Social Work Course at Mulungushi University; by then it was National College for Management and Development Studies. I utilized my potential fully in that I understood myself. I helped my students whilst at the campus with studies. My friends called me Lecturer because of the insight of Knowledge and the help I was rendering at the Campus. I was the highest in my intake and graduated with a merit in social development and am in the History of the University in that we were the first students to graduate at Mulungushi University.

After completing my first professional programme, I decided to remain behind in Kabwe and help more millions in discovering their potential in life. I formed Kabsy Consultancy Services.

The organization provides Research, Consultancy and Tuitions in Business and Social Sciences in Kabwe, We became known to Mulungushi University of

Zambia, Evelyn Hone, National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Nkrumah University and other schools, colleges and Universities in the country, as experts in academic consultancy, business, development and InfoTech. I began to read books on selling, consultancy, business, InfoTech and development and put into action what I had learned. I listened to audio programs while I walked and eventually, as I drove around. I attended every sales seminar I could find. I continually asked other successful salespeople for advice. And I developed the habit of immediately taking action on any advice or good idea that I received or learned. As a result, and not surprisingly, my consultancy business went up and up, and eventually I started to do work, for great people, companies and nations around the World. Soon, I became the Lecturer at Immaculata Business and Technical College; lately I expanded and registered a consultancy firm. Kabsy Consultancy Services where Iam currently the Managing Consultant.

Consultants at Work at Kabsy Consultancy Services, 2009 Over the years, the people I have taught with methods and techniques that I had learned, in no time at all, they are making sales and moving upward and onward in their own lives. Many of those early students and business people are millionaires today.

Kabaso Sydney motivating students in Swaziland on success. March 2010.

The true secret to success that I learned years back has made me a success ad I wish to share with you, the same principles and I hope and trust, you will find this book interesting. The Iron Law of the Universe What I learned from this experience was the great Law of Cause and Effect. This is the foundation principle of western philosophy and of modern thought. It says that for every cause, there is an effect. Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by accident. This law says that, even if you do not know the reason why something happens, there is still a reason that explains it. Here is one of the most important of all success principles: If you do what other successful people do, you will eventually get the same results that they do. And if you dont, you wont.

Nature is neutral. Nature does not favor one person over another. The Bible says, God made the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. When you do the things that other successful people do, over and over again, you will eventually get the same results that they do. It is not a matter of luck, or chance, or accident. It is a matter of law. This was an extraordinary idea for me. Even today I am awed by the immensity and power of this simple principle. If you want to be successful in your studies, pass an examination, be happy, healthy, prosperous, popular, positive and confident, just find out how other people who are enjoying these benefits got that way and do the same things that they do. Think the same thoughts. Feel the same feelings. Take the same actions. And as sure as two plus two makes four, you will eventually get the same results as others do. It is no miracle.

You Can Learn Anything Over the years, I have worked in a variety of businesses and industries. I have traveled in number of countries, learned different languages, and developed various skills. In my 20s, I went to leading Universities locally and Internationally and got papers that I wanted. In every job, and in every situation, I started off by asking, What are the rules or principles for success in this area of activity? I then read books, attended courses, and asked everyone I could find for their insights and ideas. When I became a Lecturer and Consultant, I read every book and article I could find on development and management, and applied the ideas and principles to building and directing a successful consultancy firm. When I got into Business development, I read dozens of books on the subject. Within a year, I started Motivation talks, starting with no money and no contacts, I recorded motivation Talks on business and sold number of CDs and DVDs.

When I got into the ministry, evangelism and missions, I went to learn to Mozambique, Malawi and Swaziland how to do ministry. I again read the books, on evangelism and missions, spoke to the experts, and did my research to find out how to set up a network of Christian Organizations and do Ministry. Today, run we have over 50 branches of Vessels of Honour International.

Kabaso Sydney in Maputo, Mozambique on an Evangelistic mission in February 2010.

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Over the past 10 years, in my work as a consultant, my entire focus has been on discovering the reasons for sales, revenues and profits in each business or industry, and then determining how those principles could be best utilized to achieve the results of the most successful companies.

When people complimented me on my successes, I eagerly shared with them what I had learned in each area. I told them that they too could learn anything that they needed to learn to achieve any goal they could set for themselves. All they had to do was to find out the cause and effect relationships in any area of endeavor, and then apply them to their own activities. If they did this, they would soon get the same results that other successful people get. Taking Control of Your Life But instead of taking this advice, they would nod, smile and agree, and then turn away and go about their day-to-day business. They would start work at the last possible moment, waste much of the day in idle conversation with co-workers and personal business, leave work at the earliest possible time, and then spend their evenings socializing or watching television.

In frustration, I began to study psychology and metaphysics. I eventually learned that there are a series of universal principles and timeless truths that explain much of human success and failure. These principles explain happiness and unhappiness, riches and poverty, health and ill health, and good and poor relationships. These mental laws explain why some people have wonderful lives and why others do not.

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The Law of Control The first law that I discovered was the Law of Control. This law says that, You feel happy to the degree to which you feel you are in control of your own life. You feel unhappy to the degree to which you feel you are not in control of your own life. Modern psychology calls this Locus of Control Theory. Psychologists differentiate between an internal locus of control and an external locus of control. Your locus of control is where you feel the control exists in each area of your life. This location determines your happiness or unhappiness more than any other factor. For example, if you feel that you are the primary creative force in your own life, how you make your own decisions, and that everything that happens to you is a result of yourself and your own behaviors, you have a solid internal locus of control. As a result, you will feel strong, confident and happy. You will think with greater clarity and perform at higher levels than the average person. On the other hand, if you feel that your life is controlled by other factors or people, by your job, your boss, your childhood experiences, your bills, your health, your family or anything else, you will have an external locus of control. You will feel like a victim. You will feel like a pawn in the hands of fate. You will soon develop what Dr. Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania calls learned helplessness. You will feel helpless and unable to change or improve your situation. You will soon develop the habit of blaming others and making excuses for your problems. This type of thinking leads inevitably to anger, frustration and failure.

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The Power of Belief The next law I discovered was the Law of Belief. This is the basic principle that underlies most religion, psychology, philosophy and metaphysics. The Law of Belief says that, Whatever you believe, with conviction, becomes your reality. In the New Testament it says, According to your faith, it is done unto you. In the Old Testament, it says, As a man thinketh, in his heart (his beliefs), so is he. William James of Harvard wrote, Belief creates the actual fact. The fact is that, You do not believe what you see, but rather, you see what you already believe. Your deeply held beliefs form a screen of prejudices that distort your external reality and cause you to see things not the way they are, but the way you are.

The worst of all beliefs are self-limiting beliefs. These are beliefs that you have developed through life, usually false, that cause you to believe that you are limited in some way. Your negative beliefs soon become habitual ways of thinking. You may believe that you lack intelligence, creativity, personality, the ability to speak publicly, the ability to earn a high income, the ability to lose weight, or the ability to achieve your goals. As a result of your self-limiting beliefs, you continually fail in mathematics subjects, sells yourself short, give up easily in the pursuit of a goal, and even worse, tell other people around you that you lack certain qualities or abilities. Your beliefs then become your realities.

You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are. In developing success study & exam habits, one of the most important steps you take is to challenge your self-limiting beliefs. You begin this process by imagining that you have no limitations at all. When you develop your mind to the point where you absolutely believe that you can do anything you put your mind to, you will find a way to make that belief a reality. As a result, your whole life will change.

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As we will discuss later, beliefs are the hardest things of all to change. But there is good news. It is that all beliefs are learned. And anything that has been learned can be unlearned. You can develop the beliefs of courage, confidence and unstoppable persistence that you need for great success by reprogramming your subconscious mind in a specific way. Your Self-Fulfilling Prophecies The next law that I discovered is the Law of Expectations. This law says that, Whatever you expect, with confidence, becomes your own self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, you do not necessarily get what you want, but rather what you expect. If you confidently expect something to happen, this expectation has a powerful effect on your attitude and your personality. The more confident your expectations, the more likely it is that you will do and say the things that are consistent with what you expect to happen. As a result, you will dramatically increase the probabilities that you will achieve exactly what you are hoping for. One of the wonderful things about expectations is that you can manufacture your own. You can get up each morning and say; I believe something wonderful is going to happen to me today. As you go through the day, you create a force field of expectations that surrounds you and effects the people with whom you come in contact. And in some remarkable way, a series of wonderful things, both large and small, will happen to you throughout the day.

A successful student expects them to be successful in every subject of study and successful people expect to be successful, in advance. Happy people expect to be happy. Popular people expect to be liked by others. They develop the habit of expecting that something good will happen in every situation. They expect to benefit from every occurrence, even temporary setbacks and failures. They

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expect he best of other people, and always assume the best of intentions. And they are seldom disappointed.

The flipside of positive expectations are the negative expectations that many people have. Unhappy people expect to fail more often than they succeed. They expect that other people will hurt or disappoint them. They expect their ventures to do poorly. Instead of expecting the best, they expect the worst, and because the law is neutral, they are seldom disappointed. One of the most important things you can do to assure a happy, healthy, prosperous life, is to expect the very best from every person or situation, no matter how it may look at the moment. Develop the habit of positive expectations. You will be amazed at the effect this has on yourself and on the people around you. You Are a Living Magnet The next law I learned about was the Law of Attraction. This law says that, You are a living magnet; you invariably attract into your life the people, ideas and circumstances that harmonize with your dominant thoughts. This law of attraction has been written and spoken about for five thousand years. It is one of the most important of all principles in explaining success and failure. The law of attraction says that your thoughts are activated by your emotions, either positive or negative, and that they then create a force field of energy around you that attracts into your life, like iron filings to a magnet, exactly the people and circumstances that are in harmony with those thoughts. Like all mental laws, the law of attraction is neutral. If you think positive thoughts, you attract positive people and circumstances. If you think negative thoughts, you attract negative people and circumstances. Successful, happy people continually think and talk about the things they want to attract into their

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lives. Unsuccessful, unhappy people are continually talking about the people and situations that cause them to feel angry and frustrated.

One of the most important habits you develop is the habit of keeping your mind full of exciting, positive, emotionalized pictures and images of the exact things you want to see materialize in your life, and in the world around you. This is one of the most difficult of disciplines, but one that pays off in extraordinary ways. As Within, So Without The summary law of the laws we have just discussed is the Law of Correspondence. This law says that, Your outer world is a reflection of your inner World. It is as though you live in a 360-degree mirror. Everywhere you look, you see yourself reflected back at you. People treat you the way you treat them. The way you think about your physical body will be reflected in your health habits and your appearance. The way you think about people and your relationships will be reflected back to you in the quality of your friendships and your family life. The way you think about the subject will be reflected on your test paper. The way you think about success and prosperity will be reflected in the results that you enjoy in your career and your material life. In every case, your outer world reflects back to you, like a mirror image, exactly what you are thinking in the deepest recesses of your mind. When you put the Laws of Cause and Effect, Belief, Expectations, Attraction and Correspondence together, you arrive at the great universal principle that explains your life and everything that happens to you: You become what you think about most of the time.

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Just think! You become what you think about most of the time. You always move in the direction of your dominant thoughts. Everything in your outer world is controlled and determined by what you are thinking in your inner world. The good news is that there is only thing in the universe over which you have complete control, and that is the content of your conscious mind. Only you can decide what you think about most of the time. And fortunately, this is all the control that you need to shape your own life and determine your own future. By taking complete control of your conscious thoughts, you can control the direction of your life. By taking control, you will feel happy, powerful, confident and free. You will become unstoppable. You can improve the ability of your school work immeasurably by first analyzing your present study methods and then changing those methods and then changing those methods which are known to be ineffective. The procedure necessary for improving your habits of study includes the following: First, answer the items in the study Study Habits Inventory below. It is a weighted checklist of specific habits and attitudes which bear an important relationship to scholastic success in college or university. Directions: The following is a list of statements of situations, habits and conditions which affect the use of study time and consequent success in school work and study. You are asked to state your habits with regard to these items, not in accordance with what you think you should or should not do, or what you see others do, but in accordance with what you, yourself, are in the habit of doing. Please answer all questions.

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A. Reading and note taking habits.

After each statement, you will find three columns. Place a check mark in the column which you feel most nearly describes the truth of the statement in your own case now. If the statement is rarely or never true in your own case, make a check mark in column 1; if the statement is sometimes true, make a check mark in Column 2; if the statement is often or always true, and make a check mark in Column 3. B. Habits of Concentration Instructions
A. Reading & Note Taking Techniques 1. I have to re-read material several times the words dont have much meaning the first time I go over them 2. I have trouble picking out the important points in material read or studied; tend to take down material which turns out to be unimportant 3. I go back and recite to myself the material studied rechecking any points I found doubtful 4. I pronounce the words to myself as I read 5. I miss important points in the lecture while copying down notes on something which has gone before
B. Habits of Concentration

1 Rarely Or Never

2 Some times

3 Often Or Always

Score

Ref Pages

6. I find it hard to keep my mind on what I am studying dont know what I have been reading about when I get through 7. I have a tendency to

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day-dream when trying to study 8. It takes me some time to get settled and warmed up to the task of study 9. I have to wait for the mood to strike me or for an inspiration before starting a task; I am likely to waste time
C. Distribution of Time & Social relationships in Study

10. My study periods are often too short for me to get warmed up and concentrated 11. My time unwisely distributed; I spend too much time on some things and not enough on others 12. My periods of study are interference such as telephone calls, visitors and distracting noises 13. I find it hard to force myself to finish work by a certain time, under pressure; work is unfinished, inferior, or not in on time 14. I study with others rather than myself 15. My enjoyment of loafing, bull-sessions or chewing the fat interferes with my study 16. I spend too much time reading fiction, going to shows, etc, for the good of my school work 17. Too much social life interferes with my school success dances, dates, and

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trips
D. General Habits & Attitudes of Work

18. I get fussed and nervous on exams-blow up and cant do myself justice or tell what I know 19. I plan out in my mind the answer to a subjective or essay type examination question before starting to write the answer 20. I finish my examination papers and turn them in before time is called on the examination 21. I try to get each point as I go over it, rather than to go on at the time and then go back later to clear up doubtful points 22. I try to carry over and relate material learned in one course to that learned in others 23. I try to summarize, classify, and systemize the facts learned, associating them with previously learned material and facts 24. I am conscious that I have been out of school too long, or took basic subjects too long ago 25. I try to do some over learning working beyond the point of immediate memory 26. I find myself too tired, sleepy, and listless to study efficiently 27. I have to study where I can smokemust go out and

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have a smoke when working at the library, etc 28. Dislike of certain courses and professors interferes with my school success

Second, Score the various study item. Find out the score value of your answer for each item and write it in its appropriate space in the inventory. Add all scores with positive signs; add all scores with negative signs; then subtract the smaller sum from the larger sum. Do not, however, place too much dependence on this total score, since you may have a high positive total score and still have one or two poor habits which are represented by large negative numbers. If your total score is below a plus 30, which is the average for a large group of freshmen, you certainly need to examine your individual scores with great care. Third, determine which habits need to be improved. Encircle all those items in the inventory which received a negative score. Each indicates a habit which is associated with poor academic achievement. Careful investigations have shown that students who are doing school work below the average for their level of ability habitually study in the way indicated by the negative score. Students whose school work is above the average for their level of ability do not study in this way, but in the way indicated by the positive scores. The score is especially important if your answer was in Column 1 or Column 3. The size of the score is somewhat indicative of the importance of the habit.

Fourth, find out how you can improve upon your poor habits. Almost any habit can be changed by persistent effort. For any habit that tends toward low scholarship there is an alternative habit which is characteristic of students who achieve high scholarship. You will find the location of the appropriate suggestions in this

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manual for improving your study and reading habits in the column labeled Reference Pages in the inventory. Read the entire manual at least once in order to see habit relationships. Fifth, write out six or eight of the study & reading suggestions that are most important for you in the blank spaces below. Put these into practice everyday. You should look over the suggestions once a day for at least a week to determine whether or not you are practicing them. When these become habitual, you should add further needed suggestions. Sixth, check yourself by taking again the Study-Habits Inventory which is located on pages 30 32. You should have practiced the new study habits for at least a month before you take this inventory. Score yourself as before and compare your scores with those you received on your first inventory. SELECTED SUGGESTIONS Use the space below for writing in those suggestions which you will want to put into practice as a result of the preceding analysis. Whenever possible, secure specific assistance in your study improvement from a psychologist habits

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Chapter Two

Planning your work

You should regard your School, college or University as you would any job for which you should agree to work certain scheduled hours. Having formed the habit of keeping a schedule, the adjustment you will be forced to make when you leave school and get a job will not be so severe. Imagine what would happen if an industry were carried on in the way that many students carry on their study. Suppose a manager should tell employees only that it was up to them to work hard and to do their best, without telling them when or how they should work. A tremendous waste of labour would result. To avoid such waste, efficient managers plan each move with care.

No doubt you have had the experience of being confronted with several tasks simultaneously and have found that in such a situation, you either failed to do any one of them or you were able to get started wholeheartedly on one task only after a long delay. The pressure of each task prevented you from concentrating completely upon any one, causing you to turn in a futile fashion from one to another. This type of indecision is called mental conflict. A declaration, however, that you will study your French at eight oclock tomorrow settles the conflict; the proper mental set is established, other inclinations are opposed in advance and when the time comes you almost automatically do the task scheduled. A planned programme is one of the greatest aids in making your work smooth-running and effective.

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1. Put into your schedule the hours spent Sleep. You should arrange to get at least seven or eight hours every night. 2. Schedule the hours spent in necessary activities, such as meals, class laboratories, and work for pay. Cross-hatch or lightly fill in these squares so that they will stand out as the fixed periods and the blank squares as the ones to be planned for. 3. Plan your study periods. Determine the approximate number of hours necessary for each subject from your trial record on Time Chart No.1. The average student who has no more than one laboratory course will probably need to spend from 24 to 30 hours a week in study in addition to time spent in laboratories and classes. Some students will need to spend more time; a few can spend less. The less your academic background, your mental ability, or the effectiveness of your habits of work, the more time you should spend in study. Dont judge how much time you should by how much someone else spends. Students differ as much in this as they do, for example, in physical strength or skill in tennis. 4. Arrange some time for reaction. You should spend a minimum of 15 hours a week in conversation, social activities, lighting reading, and other forms of relaxation. 5. Adapt the length of each study period to the type and difficulty of the material to be studied. For example, if you are doing drill work involving rote memorizing, you should not over 20 minutes without a change or at least a rest. If you are reading a novel or writing a paper, however, you may work several hours without a change. Most students find it best in textbook studying to work intensively for forty minutes to an hour and then rest for a few minutes. During the rest period, get a drink, walk around, or do something else that will give you muscular or

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visual relaxation. While resting, avoid any activity such as conversation which would make it difficult to return to whatever you were doing. This will eliminate the danger of mental distractions and the necessity for warming up again to your study. 6. Place each study period as close to its class recitation as possible. Thus, if you have history at 8:00AM on Wednesday, you will remember more if you study the assignment Tuesday night rather than the preceding Monday night. It is highly efficient to review class and lecture notes and do preliminary advance preparation immediately after a class if you have a free period. If possible, provide a brief period for reviewing the lesson just before going to class, but do not wait for that period to do your first studying of the assignment. 7. Do not waste the hours between classes. The hours from 8:00AM to 6:00PM are the hardest to schedule. Assign them carefully to classes, study, and recreation. 8. Do not change directly from the study of one course to another similar to it. For example, if you are taking two foreign languages, never study one of them right after having studied the other. 9. Study your most difficult courses during the time of the day when you work most efficiently. Follow the Schedule, Allowing for Some Changes. 10. Place a copy of your schedule on the wall in front of your desk where you can see it easily. Study your schedule carefully at the beginning of each day and check on yourself at the end of the day. After you have made a time chart and followed it for several weeks, you will be surprised how easily you fall into regular habits. Just as it is easier to get up at 7:00 O clock after you have made it a habit. You will be further

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astonished at the amount of free time you will have as compared with the amount you had under your former careless daily routine. 11. Make changes whenever necessary. Your schedule will need to be revised, and at times broken. It should be, not an inflexible system which takes away all spontaneity of action, but rather a guide to efficient effort. 12. Dont be too heroic in your belief that you can follow a schedule easily. You may become discouraged in your attempts, particularly in the beginning. It is, however, vitally important for you to keep applying the schedule until it becomes a habit.

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Chapter Three

Improving your reading ability

A. Know WHEN and HOW to vary youre Reading Rate. 1. Factors determining reading rate include: a. The difficulty of the material, which may range from the lightness of a light novel to the heaviness of a very technical book. You may be able to read something light at the rate of 600 words per minute and yet not be able to read with understanding more than fifty words of chemistry per minute. b. Your familiarity with the vocabulary of the material. A lawyer can read in a few minutes and with perfect understanding material which you might understand only imperfectly after puzzling over it for hours. c. The purpose for which you read. You may read a novel primarily for the plot, for the beauty of description, for the method of characterization, or for all of these purposes. Your reading speed will vary accordingly. You ordinarily read the newspaper rapidly and casually, but for an oral report you would read it slowly and critically. 2. Speed used in reading may roughly be described as: a. Skimming, which is the most rapid way of reading? Use if for: (1) determining whether a book has certain information you are looking for; (2) finding the authors method of organization; (3) getting a general idea of the books usefulness to you. b. Rapid Reading, Which is speed without skipping? Use it (1) to get a fairly complete understanding of the material read; (2) when 27

reading familiar material with the purpose of picking up new ideas of to refresh the memory; (3) for finding the answer to a specific problem. This rate is most appropriate for reading fiction and light non-fiction. c. Normal or average reading, which represents a slowing down for the sake of thoroughness. Use it (1) to get a fairly complete understanding of the material read; (2) in making an outline; (3) for summarizing; (4) in collecting information for a theme or report. The average college student will need to read from about 200 to 400 words per minute of average textbook material. If you have doubts about your reading ability, arrange to take a reading test. d. Heavy reading, which calls for the slowest rate. Use it (1) in evaluating or criticizing; (2) in reading very difficult or unfamiliar material; (3) for discovering a method of solving a problem. This rate is particularly necessary for intelligent reading in physical sciences, mathematics, and philosophy. You may not be able to read effectively more than four or five pages an hour at this speed. B. Increase Your Speed of Reading. Extensive experimentation has shown that particularly anyone can greatly increase his rate of reading. Many people can double their speed without any loss in accuracy. Studies show gains ranging from 25 percent to over 100 percent increase in speed, accompanied by no loss and often by an improvement in understanding or comprehension. An increase in reading rate is often accompanied by better comprehension, because a relatively faster rate calls for closer concentration and necessitates the grouping of words in larger units, such as phrases or sentences. The following suggestions will help you in improving your reading rate:

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1. Eliminate throat or lip movements and the hearing of the words. If you whisper or use lip movements, you are able to read silently only as fast as you do aloud. You may detect any lip movement by placing your fingers on your lips as you read. 2. Make a definite effort to correct errors which you tend to make consistently. For instance, you may tend to overlook the word not or you may continually misread a certain word. 3. Read for ideas, not words. The eyes do not move gradually across the line as you read but rather by jumps, pausing at each jump. Most students while reading material that is not too difficult are able to see several words during pause. However, some students pause or look upon every word including even such minor ones as a, an, and the. To overcome word reading, practice reading enough words at a single glance so that you get ideas rather than isolated words. 4. Try to get the main thought of each paragraph. Generally, two-thirds or more of the sentences of each paragraph are illustrative or supplementary. The central idea is frequently stated in a topic sentence of the paragraph. 5. Have in mind something definite that you are looking for, such as a point of information, answer to questions, or solutions to problems. 6. Focus your attention only upon the meaning. If you are concerned about your eye movements or the time it takes you to read the present material, you are trying to pay attention to both what and how you are reading. This division of attention will slow you down, since it is impossible to pay attention effectively to two or more things at one time. 7. Reduce re-reading to a minimum. Read easy material without re-reading any parts. Do not stop to puzzle over sentences that are obscure on the first reading, as you would if you were solving a problem. Later

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sentences sometimes make clear the meaning of earlier sentences. If this does not occur, then you can re-read the obscure sentences. Gradually, you will learn to understand without re-reading. 8. Try to read more rapidly. Continually forces yourself to read faster and still get the thought. Simple as this sound, it is a very important aid in increasing your reading rate. At first, you may experience a feeling that you are missing some of the content; however, in checking your comprehension you may find that this feeling is misleading. 9. Time yourself on various types of material, and then try to beat your own record. Keep a graph or chart to show your progress. a. Read easy fiction under limits. Read a novel of seventh or eighthgrade difficulty, keeping a record of the number of minutes required to read ten full pages at intervals of about fifty pages. This will give you a measure of any increase in reading speed as you read the book. b. Use the running start in reading articles and stories. Read the first two paragraphs thoroughly. Then, timing yourself, read the first two paragraphs a second time and continue reading further until you finish. Since you will read the beginning paragraphs twice, you should be able to read them faster than you would have ordinarily. Thus you will gain a certain momentum which will enable you to read the remainder of the selection faster than usual without requiring too much effort on your part to read faster. c. Compete with yourself in reading your assignments. Select five pages from one of your assignments and read these pages in your usual manner, keeping a record of the number of minutes and seconds it takes you to read them. Then, select five more pages and read them as fast as you can without any conscious loss in comprehension, keeping a record of the time required for reading.

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Compare the time necessary for the first five pages with that necessary for the second five pages. Continue this process until your habitual rate of reading is as this increased rate. C. Get the Writers Meaning by Finding His Framework or Organization. Any material which is well written is organized. However, do not always expect to be able to determine the writers organization. Readin g for meaning requires the ability to follow the authors sequence of ideas rather than to note isolated facts. With practice you can make it a habit to notice the plan of development of the material. Make use of the following methods to help you get a blueprint of the material read: 1. Make use of the editors signals:
a.

The table of contents, located in the first few page of the book, gives you a birds-eye view or map of the ground covered, because the chapter headings
make up the main topics of the book.

b. Each chapter usually has within it headings, printed in special type, which indicate the chief divisions of the chapter. These make up the main subtopics of the book. c. Often, each paragraph or group of paragraphs is introduced by topic printer in italics or boldface type. These are further hints as to main points. Of course, not all books have these signals; but use them whenever they are available. 2. Find the writer use and development of paragraphs. A paragraph is generally a signal that a different idea is being developed which should help show the steps in the writers thoughts.

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a. Be able to recognize the introductory paragraph and the summary paragraph in a chapter. The former frequently gives the purpose of the article and sets the stage for what is to follow. The latter, which is usually found at the end of a chapter or section, consists of a condensed restatement of the principal points or main ideas. It may occur within a chapter for the purpose of summarizing the discussion to that point. Sometimes a summary is expressed in the introductory paragraph. b. A paragraph topic may be developed by gicvng examples, contrasting or comparing two objects or things, giving reasons for a statement, giving the solution to a problem, repeating the main idea in different words, or by explanatory or descriptive details. 3. Make use of topic sentences. Paragraphs are usually written according to one of the following patterns: a. The topic sentence (which expresses the main thought)is most frequently located at the beginning of the paragraph: also, it may be located at the end of the paragraph; occasionally, but rarely, it is located in the body of the paragraph. b. Sometimes no main topic sentence is given but the main idea is to be inferred from the details given. c. Further, a single topic sentence may suffice for a group of paragraphs when each new paragraph deals with a new group of details rather than a new thought. 4. Make use of signal words. These are connectives which show relationships existing among the various points. a. Full signals are words like first, second, and symbols like (1) and (2). These reveal directly the writers points.

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b. Half-signals also indicate the writers points or ideas, but not as clearly as full signals. some half-signals quite frequently used included the following: (1) Another fact: next, then, further, besides, moreover, but. (2) Another time: then, soon, mean while, later, at last, finally. (3) Another place: there, here, above, beneath, on the other side. (4) A specific case: for example, especially, in particular. (5) A conclusion: therefore, consequently, for this reason.

The sentence, He was interviewed by the secretary, then by the president, and finally by the whole board, illustrates the use of half signals indicating time. 5. Note the writers framework while you are reading. This will vary a great deal according to the writer and the nature of the material. The following example indicates one way of noting the writers organization. You may think to yourself:

This is the authors introduction; he has announced his purpose or main idea. This is the first important point which he illustrates. Now he is wandering away from the main thread of thought. He is back on the main road again and is making a second point; he restates this point several times. Now he is making a third point, a fourth, and a fifth, offering supporting statement for each. Finally he makes certain conclusions based on the preceding facts.

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D. Get The Meaning Of Each Unfamiliar Word 1. Secure its meaning from the context. In the sentence, john scrutinized the pen, since he thought it might be the one he had lost, you can guess the meaning of the word scrutinized: from the rest of the sentence. Furthermore, the meanings of words depend entirely upon the manner in which they are used in a sentence. For example, the word order would have different meanings in each of these two sentences: I should like to place my order now, and The order of names should be reversed. 2. Secure its meaning by analysis. In order to do this , you should: a. Know the most commonly used prefixes, as Trans (across). b. Learn such common suffixes, as able (capable of being). c. Make use of word roots such as part (carry). Thus transportable would mean capable of being carried across. d. Try to discover whether the word contains within it familiar shorter words such as solid in solidarity. 3. Look the word up in the dictionary if its meaning is still vague. Unless the word is absolutely essential to an understanding of the paragraph, look it up after you have finished the paragraph or section. Otherwise frequent pauses to look up words will disturb the rhythm of your reading and reduce your speed. 4. Learn to use a phonetic attack if you cant pronounce unfamiliar words which if heard would be understood. (See back pages for reference to a phonics workbook.) E. Do Not Skip Tables, Graphs, Drawings, Or Maps These aids are put into your textbook to give you a concise summary of main points. Since they give you a visual picture, you should remember them more easily than you would any word explanation they summarize in a

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small amount of space facts and relationships that would otherwise require hundreds of words. F. Evaluate Whatever You Read. 1. Test your own thinking. Is it free from personal prejudice or emotional bias? Do you read this material with an open mind or do you only retain that which supports certain conclusion which you have already established? 2. Test the writers reliability. What experience has the writer had in the subject with whom he is dealing, and how authoritative are his sources of information? 3. Test the authors use of words. Since some words have many meanings, the author may cause you to believe something which you would not believe if you had known what he meant by certain words. Also, he may use certain emotionally toned words to which you react favorably in order to make you accept statements you would not otherwise accept. 4. Test the statements themselves. Do they agree with other established facts and conclusions, and are they self-consistent: does the author offer any proof for his statements; if so, is his proof sound? G. Interpret and apply the facts that you learn. No doubts friends and parents have said to you, you know better than that. What they really mean is that you should make better use of what you know. The value of knowledge is determined by the use you make of it. Some suggestions that will increase your ability to use your knowledge are: 1. Make associations with the past. Relate new ideas to facts that you already know; relate material learned in one course to that learned in other courses.

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2. Think up illustrations and examples of your own. Force yourself habitually to recall experiences and examples of your own which either support or contradict the writers or speakers statements. 3. Talk about the material you or hear. Take every opportunity to discuss with your parents, friends, and instructors the various ideas and facts which you learn. 4. Apply your knowledge. Put into practice the principles you learn. You may memorize all the material in this pamphlet, but it will be of little value until you use the ideas in improving your study.

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Chapter four

Studying your textbook assignment

One of the poorest but yet most widely used methods of studying a textbook assignment is to read it through and then, if time permits, to re-read it. Students using this method often are unable to recite in class although they can recognize the correct answer when someone else gives it. Experimental studies show that the following method, devised by F.P. Robinson, will greatly increase your understanding and ability to remember your assignments. Some comments made by students using it are: I predicted 15 of the 20 questions asked: and Ive been getting Ds in history but I got a B yesterday.
The Survey Q3R Method

SURVEY 1. Make a hasty survey of your assignment to get the main ideas. This need not take over two or three minutes. Note the title of the chapter; read any introductory, summary, and concluding paragraphs and leaf through the assignment to determine the main sections (generally three to six), thus getting the framework of the chapter. To being reading your lesson without this birds eye view is like beginning an automobile trip without a road map or without knowing where you are going.

QUESTION 2.

Turn the first heading into a question. This will arouse your

curiosity and give you a purpose in reading. The question will make important points stand out while explanatory detail, elaboration, and repetition is recognized as such. If there are no

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headings, ask questions that you think might be asked by your instructor. READ 3. Read to answer your questions. This means that you read to the end of the headed section. Your rate of reading will depend on your purposes, the difficulty of the material, and your familiarity with it. While reading, make use of editors signals (italics and boldface type), topic sentences, signal words (first, further), and various summaries (including graphs and charts) to help you organize the material.

RESTATE

4. After you have read the first section, look away from your book and try briefly to restate the answer to the question. Use your own words and if possible give an example. If you cant give the answer, reread the section. Then jot down cue phrases in outline form in your notebook, particularly for later review. Make the notes brief. NOW REPEAT STEPS 2,3 AND 4 ON EACH SUCCEEDING HEADED SECTION. THAT IS, TURN THE NEXT HEADING INTO A QUESTION, READ TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, RESTATE THE ANSWER, AND OUTLINE. READ IN THIS WAY UNTIL THE ASSIGNMENT IS COMPLETED.

Studies indicate that a quick review or restatement immediately after each reading period will insure almost 50 percent greater efficiency in remembering. REVIEW 5. When your lesson has been read; look over your notes to get a birds-eye view of the various ideas and their relationships. Check your memory by covering up the notes and trying to recall the main points. Then expose each main point and try to recall the sub

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points listed under it. Further, you should always go over your outline just before a test. You tend to forget most of what you learned during the first 24hours. But remember that you can often relearn in a few minutes what took you an hour to learn the first time.

In the beginning, the Survey Q3R Method may seem strange and difficult. However, after you become familiar with the method, it will result in a far greater mastery of your assignments, with no increase in time spent in studying. It has these advantages: you are learning to distinguish between main ideas and details; you trains yourself to answer questions as you would on a test; you reduce mind-wandering because you make frequent checks; you make brief notes-using your own words best possible use of the principles of memory.

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Chapter Five

Improving your memory

Many students consider the memorizing of a lesson something quite different from the mastering of the lesson. This is misleading because the understanding of an idea involves the remembering of certain related ideas. Memory provides the materials for thought. Memorizing the important points of a lesson is a necessary part of mastering. Use a memory system only for learning facts which allow for no associations or for something you have particular difficulty in remember. to expect more from them would be using valuable time learning peculiar associations which might be more efficiently used learning directly what you wish to remember. Experimental evidence indicates certain principles of memorizing which lead to more efficient remembering. These principles are: A. Be Sure You Understand Any Material You Wish to Remember.

In an experiment on matchstick puzzles, some students concentrated more upon learning the solution and other studied the principles involved. A month later the students who had learned the solution rather than the principles could remember much less. They did not have poorer memories; rather, they failed to understand what they learned and therefore forgot more. B. Learn with the Intention of Remembering. Experiments have shown that whenever there was no intention to remember, very little progress was made despite many readings. The classical absent -

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minded professor doesnt forget his umbrella as he leaves the classroom but rather as he arrives. He sets his umbrella down mechanically with no intention of remembering where it is because he is thinking of his lecture. C. Learn to outline or organize the facts. Contrast the difficulty in remembering the series apple, pecan, cherry, pear, walnut with that of memorizing the same words arranged in two groups: (1) fruits: apple, cherry, pear; (2) nuts: pecan, walnut. In similar manner, organize the ideas in your lesson so they are grouped under main ideas or key words.

D. Select or Create Key Words to Represent the Facts to be Remembered

Try to find certain catchwords or key words which will serve as guide posts to which you can tie the thread of thought. For example, typical key words for section II on Improving Your reading Ability would be: (1) vary and increase your speed; (2) get the writers ideas; (3) evaluate, and (4)use. E. Take Advantage of Your Memory Type.

Some people are visual minded, other remember better by ear (saying it out loud), and a few memorize best by writing out the material. However, most students find visualizing the best method. In that case, getting a mental picture of graphs and charts and making and visualizing summary outlines are valuable are valuable aids to study. F. Memorize by using the method most appropriate for the materials to be memorized.

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1. Memorize word for word those materials which are more effectively learned in that way. Formulas, dates, laws, etc., are of this type; however, even much of these materials can be organized. 2. Memorize poems, plays, speeches, or similar materials by repeating the whole selection from beginning to end until the general pattern becomes familiar, after which you should work on the difficult parts. Units and memorize each of the units. G. Use Short practice Periods. 1. It is more efficient to give complete attention to memorizing something for twenty minutes than it is to give half of your attention to it for an hour. Hence three different periods of twenty minutes each spent in memorizing are far more effective than one period of sixty minutes. 2. Pause for a short while after intensive memorizing; let your mind rest completely: do not take up a new mental activity for several minutes, or the new material may get mixed up with that which you were trying to memorize.

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H. Use a flash system. This consists of writing the words to be learned on one side of a 3x5 card and then writing its meaning on the other side. At regular intervals go through all your cards testing yourself by giving the meaning of each word. This method is particularly effective for memorizing a technical vocabulary. Formulas, dates in history, and a foreign language vocabulary. Further, these can be carried with you so that whenever you have a few minutes spare time, you can review them.

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Chapter Six

Increasing your ability to concentrate

Concentration is the ability to direct and control attention. It is not something which some people are born with and others are born without. It consists of a habit or many habits which are formed in relation to certain tasks. A. Find the Cause of Your Minds-Wandering 1. You many find yourself distracted by little things which interfere with concentration. Maybe you are supposed to make a phone call or to write a letter home. It may be best for you to perform these duties immediately if that is possible. But if you are in the midst of study, jot down the task, idea, or problem on a scratch pad so that you will be reminded to take it up later. Doing this will enable you to put it out of your mind until you complete your studying. 2. Possibly you have too little or too much confidence regarding the number of activities you can handle, the grades you feel yourself capable of getting, or the vocational goal you can attain. An. Objective examination of your abilities may show you the desirability of changing your goals. 3. You may have financial difficulties, an unsuccessful love affair, feelings of inadequacy, and so on. If so, try to determine as emotionally as possible just what the problem is, what changes are needed, and what changes can actually be made. This will reduce or eliminate thinking in a vicious circle and will bring you face of face with the objective facts. It may be best for you to talk over your problems with someone in whom you have confidence or with a counselor. The most important thing is to come to a

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decisive stand concerning your problem, whether or not it results in immediate action, and then stick to it. B. Develop work Habits Which Will Aid Concentration 1. Develop regular habits of study in certain places. Try to study a subject in the same place and at the same time. By so doing, you will develop habits which will make it much easier for you to contrite. Keep your place of study sacred to that purpose. Loaf and do your recreational reading somewhere else, thereby insuring an attitude of study when you sit down at your study table or other appointed place for study.

2. Work in a place where noise and distractions are at a minimum . If it is impossible to find a quite place, do not let that become an excuse for not studying. Experiments show that students can become so well adapted to a noisy environment that it will not hinder study efficiency; however, the noisy environment will require you to exert more energy in order to concentrate. In adapting yourself to distractions, it is better to disregard rather than to react to any disturbances. When people fret over annoyances in their study periods their own anxiety is a greater source of distraction than is the actual disturbances. 3. Study at your desk in a chair that isnt too relaxing. An easy chair is often conducive to sleep. 4. Keep on your desk only those things necessary for study . Have no distracting objects on it, such as magazines or pictures of your girl friend, since they encourage mind-wandering. 5. Do not study in an overheated room. A room that is a little too cool rather than too warm will stimulate better study habits. 6. Set a definite goal or task and complete it . Possibly your job is so vague or seems so large that you becomes discouraged before you start. Then,

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break it into a number of small jobs that are definite and immediate and tackle each part at a time. Long-time goals may sometimes best be achieved if you break them into smaller and closer goals. 7. Decide the order in which your jobs will be done. You often find yourself with so many things to do that when you start on one your mind wanders to others and, in the end, you dont finish any. Decide the order in which you are going to tackle your jobs, writing it down if necessary and crossing each item off as completed. 8. Begin working immediately: do not wait for inspiration-strive through the motions, and concentration will soon follow. If you have to prepare a theme, begin writing something even if it has no relation to your subject. The act writing will often arouse appropriate thinking processes. You will be surprised at how quickly your interest can be aroused. 9. Compete with yourself. Select a task which you can get done in the amount of time you have and force yourself to finish it. You have time left over increase the amount of work you tackle each day until you are just barely able to finish it in the allotted time. This will force you to concentrate and work efficiently. 10. Attend to one thing at a time. Do not try to attend to or do several things at once. for instance, some students attempt to read an assignment and at the same time worry about whether or not they will remember the facts in the assignment. If you worry about whether or not you will remember what you are reading you will find the use of the survey Q3R Method of great value. Since you make frequent reviews in using these methods, you will not need to worry about having missed certain points while reading, since you will check up on them in the review.

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C. Use The Following Techniques If You Still Cant Concentrate.

1. Change to another subject. Studying a more interesting course or just the act of making a choice often bolsters concentration. 2. Visualize your instructor and classmates as you study. Imagine yourself reciting pr listening in class while the assignment is being discussed. Thus you create a personal reason for study which often helps concentration. 3. Read only one paragraph before stopping to restate the main idea or ideas. Reducing your reading to a single paragraph before restatement will make it easier to state the main idea and thus you will be moir likely to experience a feeling of success. A feeling of accomplishment will aid concentration. After you are able to read single paragraphs with

understanding, you should be able longer sectors as suggested in the Survey Q3R Method. However, if you cant read and understand a paragraph after several tries, close your book and relax. The good student learns when closing the book is justified and is not just a superficial excuse for evading study.

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Chapter Five

Taking notes
Good notes have several functions: they help you understand the writers or lecturers plan; they help you remember for a longer period and with greater accuracy; and they give you concise and complete outlines for reviews before examinations. A. Takes Usable Lecture Notes.

1. Study the topic before the lecture in order to be more familiar with the essential ideas. If this is not possible, make a survey of the topic. 2. Sit in a place where you can easily hear the lecture and see the blackboard. Those sitting in the back or by a window or door have to overcome many distractions. 3. Make your notes brief. Condense the thought into a few words. If you try to write too much, you fall behind and be unable to follow the though t o the lecturer or think about the meaning of what he is saying. 4. Do not try to get the exact words of the lecture. Write this thoughts in you words. Use abbreviations whenever possible but use them consequently. Put down in full only such things as the following: references, definitions, formulas, direct quotations and specific facts (such as dates). 5. Organize your notes. Arrange statements in your notes so to show their relation to one other. Two outstanding features of the notes taken by poor students are their unnecessary length and their lack of organization. 6. If you miss as point, dont stop at the moment to recover it. Leave a blank space and get it later from someone else. 7. Use these cues to sport the important points: title and introductory remarks; repetition of the main idea; summarizes; key words; voice

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inflections; pauses; changes in the speaking voice; use of transitional words such as besides, therefore, but. 8. If necessary, review and revise your notes immediately or as soon after your class lecture as possible. Check for misstatements, omissions, and clearness. Never let this review go until the next day. 9. Underline, preferably using a red pencil, all, main points. All you may refer to print or to box in the main points. It is vitally important f or you to use any method, which will make the main points standout thus making it easier to review the material. Use the method of review suggested in the description of the survey Q3R Method. 10. Do not completely rewrite your notes. This is too time consuming and you should learn top make them usable the first time. However, if you have not yet learned how to organize your notes or if your rumbling lecturer, you should do the following: draw a line down your note book page leaving about two thirds of it on the right hand side of for your lecturer notes; leave the other one-third of the paper of other reorganizing the notes after class. For instance, possibly your rambling lecturer made five statements, scattered throughout the lecture, which should be all organized under one heading. You may do this by putting the main heading in the left hand side section and drawing lines from this main heading to the five statements. Work out other organizational aids which may be used to help your notes. 11. Use an 8 x 11 spiral-bound or loose-leaf notebook. If you dont use a

separate notebook for every course, keep separate parts of the notebook for different courses by means of tabs. 12. The suggestions referring to organization, briefness, and use of own words apply equally well to notes made from your text or outside reading.

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13. Research reveals that outlining is superior to underlining. However marginal notations, mighty be used effectively if you use a set of symbols which would serve as a form of outline. Thus marginal notations, which take much less time to make tan underlining, can both help you in

organizing the material while your are reading and aid you in outlining it afterward. B. Keep a Combined Text and Lecture Outline. Use the left-h and page for lecture discussion-section notes and the opposite or right-hand page for your text and outside reading notes on the same topic.

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Chapter Seven

Preparing for and taking examinations

A. Attempt to Overcome Any Nervousness which You May Experience Before or While Writing Examinations. 1. Face the situation realistically. Find out whether you have college ability, adequate reading habits, and effective study procedures. 2. Look upon a test as a competitive game. Regard a test as an opportunity to show your metal. Develop the altitude of the sports man win if you can, lose if you must, but do the best you can. 3. Be concerned about your answers to the questions rather than yourself. If you think about whether your will pass the course or whether you should have written more on the first questions, you use up valuable time and energy which should be devoted to answering remaining questions. 4. Prepare adequately and learn the best methods of taking examinations. No other suggestion is more important for overcoming pre-examination jitters. 5. If you have examination jitters accept them rather than fight or deny them. Fighting nervousness only increase tension.

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B. Prepare Systematical y for Your Examinations. 1. Begin the day after a test to prepare for the next test. Set aside one hour each week for review of each subject. 2. Arrange a schedule for review. Designate the day and hour to be spent each subject for several days preceding the mid-terms and not later than one week preceding the final examinations. 3. Review by making a list of important laws, principals, theories, experiments, or ideas. For example, if you are reviewing a test in English, you will probably want to make a list of all the poems learned, rules of punctuation, etc. 4. Make a condensed summery or outline of the material reviewed. Study the summery or outline thoroughly. Get a complete birds eye view of the subject matter so that you will know all the separate parts are related. 5. Cramming as a concentrated review of materials previously learned is beneficial. Cramming, as a last minute to learn for the first time is harmful, because it results in a confused, mass of undigested material. 6. Predict questions which you would ask if you were the inspector, and then be sure you know the correct answers. Learn what works best for you and follow it regardless of what others do. For example, you may have discovered that working with others or studying just before an exam confuses you; then dont do this, regardless of what others say or do. 7. Find out from the instructor the kind of test that will be given and material to be covered. Some instructors make available examinations from previous year. If so, note what kinds of questions are asked: objective? Interpretation? Discussion? Problems? Were they primarily from text or the lecture? 8. Know the difference between essay and objective examinations. Realize that essay test, which require the ability to recall, necessitate a study emphasis which is different from that necessary for objective test, which

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require the ability to recognize. In reviewing for the former, pay particular attention to: main ideas, together with their supporting points; relationships among various topics, sections, and chapters; the application of the important principles and ideas; and the ability to recall the necessary information. For the letter, review not only the main points, but also the supporting details, and note striking words or phrases and key sentences. 9. Review selectively. Give special attention to phases of the subject in which you are weak. You should refresh your memory with regard to the high points of the section of the chapter reviewed selectively, so that you will be able to connect or associate the unfamiliar material with important familiar material. 10. Analyze previous and present examinations to determine your

weaknesses. Keep all your tests and your quizzes. Ask yourself whether the questions were the ones you accepted , and of those you hadnt predicted, note where they came from. Also deter mine in which of the following ways your answer was deficient: too brief, inaccurate, omission of certain points of a question, careless mistakes, lack of understanding of what the question asked. If you have difficulty in determining what was wrong asks your instructor. 11. Some students especially in mathematics study their assignments and work their problems rather leisurely only to find that during tests they are not able to answer all the questions asked. It that case speed up your work by studying and doing your problems under pressure. Duplicate the test situation by setting youre your alarm clock to ring at the end of certain period of time.

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C. Learn How to Write Objective Examinations. 1. Read the direction s twice and underline all significant words in the directions. This is equally important for essay examinations. If there is any doubt about the meaning of the directions, ask the instructor or proctor for an explanation. 2. Find out whether you will be penalized for wrong answers or whether only correct answers will be counted. If there is no penalty for wrong answers, guess; however, if there is a penalty, answer only if you are reasonably sure. 3. If you are not penalized for wrong answers, answer every question without spending too much time on any one question. Those answers you arent sure of or dont know should be marked so you can come back to them later. 4. Try recalling a forgotten fact by some association. Think of the book in which you read it, the page, or an illustration. Or make use of any special association, as, Did I study it just before I got into that argument, Possibly stating the question in a whisper may arouse recall. If you cant recall it, drop it and come back to it later. 5. Underline words such as: only, always, not, usually, in test questions before you answer them. Note that true-false questions including such words as all, always, and never, have no exceptions, whereas those questions including such words as most, generally, and may do allow for exceptions. Note that if one main clause of a sentence is true while the other clause is false, the whole sentence obviously must be false. 6. Try changing the wording of a difficult true false statement so that you are able to understand it better. Negative statements are apt to be more confusing than positive statement. An objective test measures not only knowledge but also carefulness in reading.

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7. On multiple choice questions you can usually eliminate all but two or three answers immediately. Thus lit will be easier to make your choice from those remaining. 8. In answering a word completion test, if you cant remember a word your text uses, explain it in your own words if they carry similar meaning. 9. Pay particular attention to the directions. For example, a question asking you to name or enumerate means that you should list rather than describe or explain. To compare means taking the two things named and showing how they are alike and how they are different. To discuss requires a carefully organized answer. You might organize in terms of kinds, causes, etc. you may want to use illustrations to make the meaning clear. 10. Pay no attention to your neighbor. Those who finish early may have written superficial examinations. 11. Check over your examination papers to determine whether you left out answers to questions or parts of questions, made statements on you paper that you did not mean or which are not clear, and followed directions. Check English errors and correct poor handwriting.

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Chapter Nine

Improving your capacity for study

A. Guard your health. 1. Never attempt to study when excessively fatigued 2. Sleep your normal amount every night. Students differ as to their needs for sleep. Usually seven or eight hours are a desirable minimum. Studying when you are sleepy generally results in a vicious circle: lack of sleep causes poor study, which in turn necessitates more study at the sacrifice of sleep. If you are sleepy at midnight with two hours of work yet to do, it will be better for you to go to bed immediately and get up two hours earlier to finish your work. 3. Do not neglect persistent pain or physical-discomfort symptoms such as headaches, backaches, and colds. Students often tolerate such defects as these for months without doing anything to remedy them. Thus seriously affecting their schoolwork. Always report such ailments to the medical adviser. 4. Have your eyes examined if you suspect them to be a source of trouble. Some symptoms of eyestrain are: habitual frontal headaches, excessive sleepiness, irritability, and restlessness while at study, dizziness, nausea, indigestion, lack of usual interest in reading, and blurring and running together of words on the page. You should consider any one of these symptoms a danger signal. 5. See that light conditions are proper. Do not directly face a light nor work in a shadow. Be sure that the light is uniform over the entire

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page of the book. Unequal illumination of the page will cause eye fatigue. 6. Get some relaxation every day. Provide time in every day for conversation with others, light reading, listening to the radio, or some other activity which will take your mind from your duties. During and immediately after meals is a good time for letting down. 7. Take some form of exercise with fair regularity. That dull and listless feeling, that persistent worry or tenseness may be eliminated by a competitive game or a brisk walk.

B. Make your vocational plans as early as possible.

You may be having difficulty because your courses have no meaning to you. If so, attempt to find the reason: do you lack a vocational goal? Should you be in different kind of school such as a trade or business school? Or would you be happier in some occupation which doesnt require further formal education? Although the formal education decision should be made by you, vocational counselors and psychologists can help you get an appraisal of your abilities and interests means of tests and then can aid in finding vocations that are in harmony with the appraisal. You s should not feel it is a disgrace or a retreat to alter your vocational goal while in college or University. Rather its poor sense to cling stubbornly to a goal which your new insights about yourself tell you is in appropriate for you. It is better to have to take some additional courses that contribute to your new than to be unhappy for years in your Job.

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C. Do not consider it a Weakness to Get Help for a Social or personal Problems. Entering School/college is a critical period in that you may have to adjust to the development of an entirely new set of friends and at the same to learn time to get along without your parents. Many students have problems such as lack of confidence, concern about sex, hostile, feelings, and depressions, all of which interfere with effective study. These problems may be made more severe by parental pressure sometimes loving, but still pressure to make high grades, to become engaged to be married, or to pressure for a certain vocation. Since you would not fear consulting a physician for a broken arm, likewise you should not fear or feel ashamed of going to a psychologist or psychiatrist for a personal; problem. At least one out of five people will consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist sometime during his life his life regarding a personal problem. Experience and research has shown that talking your problems over with some trained person can often benefit you considerably. Just as an abscessed arms feels better when lanced and drained by a physician, so your feelings will cause you less trouble if you talk them over with another person, and particularly with someone trained in that type of work. This talking out process does not just involve getting it out of your system or a release of feelings. Neither does it consist of a trained counselors giving you advice or trying to persuade you to act in certain ways. Primarily, it consists of: releasing your negative feelings; getting a better understanding of the causes of your of your fears, loves, and hate; gaining confidence in yourself; and developing an ability to solve your various problems in a healthy way and by your own efforts.

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Secure an Adequate Background for Each Course. An outstanding cause of failure or poor college work is inadequate preparation in the fundamentals of the various subjects. Mathematics, English, and foreign languages, particularly, presuppose a certain amount of specific training and knowledge on the part of the student. 1. Find out in what respects you are deficient. This may be revealed y diagnostic tests or through conferences with your instructors or class members. Keep a list of common errors and deficiencies and check occasionally to see whether or not you are improving. 2. Make arrangements to overcome any background deficiencies. Review any books or materials previously studied but which you did not master at that time. Ask your instructor to suggest readings that will provide you with the necessary background. It may be desirable for you to hire a tutor if you are seriously deficient. 3. Lear n the special vocabulary for each of you subjects. Make use of flash cards to aid you in learning the basic vocabulary.

Do not be content with merely understanding the foregoing aids; put them into practice. If a college education develops in you a power to study effectively, it has been worth while, even though it does nothing else. To be able to acquire information efficiently, to educate it critically, and to use it to good ends are marks of an educated person.

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