Organizational Learning Skills
A Student Guide to General Study Tips
During school:
- Write all assignments in one place.
- Ask questions. If you do not understand, or if you want to know more, ask your teacher questions. Chances are, someone else wants to know the same thing and is glad you asked.
- Try not to daydream. If you need to, count how many times your teacher says a certain word. You may not learn as much from the lesson as you would if you gave it your full attention, but at least you are giving it partial attention. You may absorb bits and pieces of what your teacher says, and you will not be as embarrassed if your teacher calls on you to answer a question.
- Right after school, glance over your assignments to see if you have all the information and materials you need. That way, if you need more information, you have time to call a friend.
- Identify your ideal study time and try to study at that time, every day.
- When you are studying, minimize distractions. Find a quiet place to work and gather all the materials you need before you start.
- Do not try to do homework while watching TV. You might make silly mistakes, and your mind won't be focused on learning. Schedule separate times for each activity.
- Study difficult subjects first while you are most alert.
- Do not study similar subjects back to back. You might get your English reading confused with your social studies reading, or confuse your French verbs with your German nouns.
- Take 10 minute study breaks for each 45 minutes of studying. These breaks will keep you refreshed and help you focus on your assignments. Make sure 10 minutes doesn't turn into 30 minutes, though!
Cool and Useful Student Resources at http://www.teleport.com/~burrell/
List important terms and ideas.
Explain ideas in your own words.
Apply new ideas to other ideas in the chapter or unit.
Relate concepts to ideas in other chapters.
Network ideas: Combine what you know in new ways for projects and papers.
Developed by Ben Silliman and Jessie Moore
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