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Two Highly Effective Study Tips by Roger Lewis Fischel
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Two Highly Effective Study Tips |
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Education
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Everyone seems to have their own ideas about effective study tips. Some experts say that one thing works well while others say precisely the opposite. Here is the thing. Everyone learns differently. We all have a dominant learning style and from one to three secondary learning styles that influence the way we learn. In this blog, I propose that you take the study tips I provide, test them to see which ones work best for you and which ones are less effective. I am a highlighter and a writer of marginalia. I am also a re-reader finding that if I read something more than once, the information has a good chance of absorption. I read recently that these are among the least effective study tips known to man. But, for a linguistic/visual learner they work quite well. There are no magic bullets when it comes to effective study tips. Quite the contrary. There are only study tips that work for you. The earlier you discover your study tools, the easier school becomes. That said, in today's article I concentrate on two highly effective study tips that I believe nearly all students can use. 1) Elaborative Questioning, and Distributed Study. Both call for creative ways to address new material and build confidence in understanding connections. Elaborative Questioning Every three year old child understands the idea behind elaborative questioning. They are constantly asking why. Why questions open the door to making connections between new and old knowledge. They also open the door to new ideas altogether. Why questions come in many forms and raised in various circumstances. Some why questions ask, 'why is this related to that?' Others, tend to compare two points of view. 'Why does Joe think this and Max think that about the same thing?' Why questions tend to get to the heart of meaning. I often asked my students to explain something further by asking them, 'why do you say that,' or 'why is that possible,' or even just plain 'WHY?' Why extends conversations, helps reinforce connections, questions contradictions, and provides meaning. It is always a powerful question to ask in many situations. Similar questioning using what, how, when, and how also contribute to synthesizing knowledge. Distributed Study Many students make the mistake of engaging in 'study' by cramming before an exam. While this sometimes works in the short-term, it is a rather ineffective approach over the long-term. Let's say you are cramming for a mid-term test for 8-hours. While you may keep enough information to pass the test, it is likely that the information is not retained. This is where distributed study comes along. The idea behind distributed study is to set aside short blocks of time, fifteen to twenty minutes to study a subject. Lets also say you study this subject three times a week. Over the course of 8-weeks, about the time a mid-term test comes along, you studied for from six to eight hours. That is the less than or about the same time you crammed. The difference is that you have a good grasp of the material so that a brief review is all you'll need before the test. I discovered distributed study long before it had a name. When I went to college my roommate reviewed his notes from class and from his reading nearly every night. I asked him, "What are you doing?" "Studying," he said. Well after a discussion about how he studied I decided to try that method for myself. By the end of the first semester in college I found that I learned more and got better grades than I expected. It was eye-opening. After a while I was able to hone the practice to a six-day routine. I studied my Monday, Wedensday, Friday subjects on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. My Tuesday. Thursday classes I studied on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. My study sessions consisted of reviewing notes as well as my highlighted text and marginilia from the beginning of class to the latest new material. As time went on I spent less time on the earlier material and more on the current because I realized the foundation was strong. I followed a pattern like this all through undergraduate school and graduate school. It served me well and it may just serve you as well. A Trial Plan I suggest that you try these, and any other of the effective study tips I offer to see for yourself if they work for you. Remember, there is no magic about developing a workable study plan. It is often a matter of trial and error. You try something. If it works then keep it. If not, then dismiss it and don't look back. Try to understand your own learning style, your preferences so that you align your study habits with your strengths. Only you can figure that out. But it takes work to make it work for you. Dr. Roger Lewis is the owner of Effective Study Tips where he introduces parents and their children to the most effective study habits we know of. Dr. Lewis is a career educator teaching in both middle-school settings and in university departments of education. His specialty is in the teaching of reading methods for k-12 students. He is now retired concentrating on sharing his knowledge with a broader audience.
Related Articles -
effective study tips, study habits, study smart, elaborative questioning, distributed study,
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