Successful Students

10

 

10.   Successful students are good time managers. Successful students do not procrastinate. They have learned that time control is life control and have consciously chosen to be in control of their life.
An elemental truth: you will either control time or be controlled by it! It’s your choice: you can lead or be led, establish control or relinquish control, steer your own course or follow others. Failure to take control of their own time is probably the no. 1 study skills problem for college students. It ultimately causes many students to become non-students! Procrastinators are good excuse-makers. Don’t make academic harder on yourself than it has to be. Stop procrastinating. And don’t wait until tomorrow to do it!

 

The 10 items listed above are paraphrased form an article by Larry M Ludewig called Ten Commandments for Effective Study Skills which appeared in The Teaching Professor, December, 1992.

“Learning Technologies and Online Education”

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Study for Multiple Exams

Part 1

How I study for multiple exams, deal with multiple projects: Really it is my time management that I explained above. If I see I have multiple things due or to study for all at the same time I spread out my time beforehand. For example, if I have a test Monday, and 2 tests Tuesday then I will study for my Monday test Thursday and part of Friday. Start Studying for my next test on the second half of Friday and part of Saturday, then my second Tuesday test on Saturday as well as part of Sunday. Then Sunday night I can review for my Monday test because I already studied for it. When that test is over I can begin reviewing for the other tests.                                        

My overall study method: I try to break it up over several days or at least two. I get bogged down if I try to pull an all nighter

How I’ve overcome an initial bad grade: If I received a low grade I probably knew it was coming because I didn’t prepare properly or I didn’t use the right study habit for that class. I usually try to go over what I did wrong and sometime discuss with the teacher what I can do differently on the next exam or what they suggest I do for study for the next exam.

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Sarah’s Academic Success Story

Part 2

My test study method: I have different strategies for different types of tests or subjects. For me, any type of math is exceptionally difficult so I had to spend extra time on that. I would go back through the homework problems focusing on the problems that I had extra difficulty on. Many times I would ask the teacher for any additional study materials they could provide. If it was a class that required memorization or applying concepts I would create a sort of study guide for myself many times focusing on what were key focal points in the class. If I knew there were going to be essays I would try to take the terms and apply them to an example or create different questions on the concepts focused on throughout the semester.

My time management secret: I always always always carry a planner with me. I even use different color highlighters to show what each event on my calendar is for. For example, pink is personal, yellow is school, orange is work, blue is for appointments, and green is for my sorority. Although I use white-out frequently, I can see in bright yellow that if I have that project for finance due on Tuesday, I need to start working on it on [the previous] Wednesday so I can just get it done. My friends have always been amazed at how early I get things accomplished but that is really all I do.

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Sarah’s Academic Success Story

Part 1

Time management became a key factor in my study skills for college. In high school, there were times I was able to study for an hour or two the night before a test and get away with it. This was not the case in college. I made sure in college I was prepared for each class. Sometimes that meant writing out the terms for the chapter we read (even if when it isn’t required) to better understand them. That way when the midterm or test comes around I was able to understand what I was studying. I started taking excellent notes in class in college. I may have done this in high school, but in college I started typing up those notes after class. This helped me remember what I just went over in class then when I had a test one week later I was more likely to remember then as well.

My overall study method: Structured. One thing I learned was I had to adapt or change my study method according to the class. I couldn’t study for a Religious Class the same way I studied for a Finance class. But making sure I had enough time to study for each class – even if it meant carrying a planner with me at all times was a big part of my success.

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Effective Study Methods

Part 1

My test study method: When it comes time to study for the test, I usually start 2-3 days before the test. I go through my notes and make flashcard on what was important for those sections, paying special attention to what the teacher said would be on the test if there was a review session. Also, I go through the book and read the inset stories and add to my flashcards. If there are practice problems or online assignments or old tests, I use those to help me study for the test as well. Once the test is over, I keep the flashcards so that I have them for the next test or for the final. Flashcards are a marvelous learning tool. The key to remembering something is to repeat it numerous times-spaced rehearsal. If you forget something, it is because you haven’t repeated it enough times for an extended period of time. Repetition is a law of learning; therefore, to learn and remember, to recall, it is mandatory that you repeat over and over the things you desire to learn and remember. You may be thinking, “Oh, no, repeating something.” You need to get used to it. For example, the more you practice a song on the piano, the better you become at playing that song. Learning and remembering is like playing the piano-the more you practice saying or doing it the better you can remember it. Look now at what you remember. You remember it because you have repeated it numerous times since first being exposed to it. So, Practice rehearsing those things you desire to remember, and they will stick with you.

Practice-->Proficiency-->Pleasure

The better you remember, the more pleasure you obtain from studying and learning.

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Academic Success
Part 1

My great academic success: In my principles of marketing class, we had to come up with a new product and sell it. My group ended up with a couple supposedly bad students according to our new teacher since they were the last ones picked up. In the end, they helped out more than needed since I was team leader I assigned them certain pieces of the project that became solely their responsibility. Delegating work always helps since it allows a group member of individual work without separating the group.

English, math, foreign language tips: Math basically just takes practice. I always tell students to take a blank piece of paper and write everything you know about what you’ve learned or what you’re studying for in the class. If you don’t remember everything or start drawing blanks, then you need to study more and review your notes. Note cards work really well for foreign language.

Here are my final words of wisdom for students who want to get better grades in college: Go to class, make friends with people in class just in case you’re absent, and remember that you should want to learn.

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I Will Persist Until I Succeed

Part 2

How I’ve overcome an initial bad grade: When receiving a bad grade, I just try to do better on the second exam and study harder. It’s hard when you have your first test in a class and have no idea what to expect. The second one is usually easier since you know what to expect from your teachers.

My strategies for written assignments: Start early and make sure that you have a proofread. Also, with written assignments, having a timeline planned out can help like by setting a certain number of pages done by a certain day before the paper is due.

How I succeed in team projects: COMMUNICATION! Despite your group synergy, communication is crucial. I remember I ran out of cell phone minutes constantly when working on a group project for my marketing research class. It’s really important that everyone is on the same page and getting the same emails. The worst is when two people are working on the same portion of the project and don’t even realize it.

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I Will Persist Until I Succeed

Part 1

Heather A.’s Academic Success Story

In high school, I didn’t study as much in groups as I do in college. I feel I learn better when I can teach other people information and we can exchange notes taken in class because sometimes other students pick up on more important information than others.

My overall study method: I prefer to study in small groups and practice problems where I can work out the methods verbally with others. My test study method: I have very different techniques. For financial tests, I try to work on problems given in class as well as problems from power points and homework. When it comes to marketing classes, I review my notes and try to make diagrams to describe different processes.

My time management secret: One of my biggest secrets is to look over the information that you just learned when class is over. After reviewing the information, it sticks a little bit better than waiting until the night before the test.

How I deal with multiple projects/tests: I try to work on whatever has the shortest deadline and work from there. My overall study method: I tend to do massive studying blocks of about an hour or so in order to really learn the material.

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