Creative Study Tips

Today I met with a few students to figure out ways they could improve study skills. Here are some of the suggestions I made. These tips are specific to unique learning needs and go beyond the standard approach of read, take notes, recite and review. They are creative ways to make life as student more successful and less stressful! If you need to spiff up your approach to study, experiment with any strategies here that appeal to you.

For the Hands-On Learner
For the person who considers herself a very "hands-on" learner and has a hard time with abstract concepts, I said find an example of the idea and then imagine it very vividly. Make it as real in your imagination as if you were experiencing it in your life. For instance, if you are learning about ADHD, imagine what it would be like to have your mind racing in high gear all the time, to feel fidgety, to keep switching from one task to another, to do many things at once, and to feel irritable and edgy because no one understands why you can't sit still. See if you can imagine yourself in the skin of someone with all the symptoms you are reading about. Think of people you know who might have a diagnosis of ADHD and reflect on how their behavior fits with what you are reading. Does this match with what you imagined?

For the Sleep-Deprived
One student works a night shift and doesn't get enough good sleep, so tends to drift off every time she sits to read the textbook. I suggested she stand up to read her text. Put a box on a counter to lift the text to a convenient reading height, and make notes in a notebook or on index cards. Read for ten minutes, take a break and do a simple chore or just stretch and move for a minute or two. Then read and take notes for ten more minutes. Take a longer break when needed, but keep coming back to the text for more short reading sessions.

Zoning in on Key Words
One student had overwhelmed herself trying to memorize the entire definition of each new term highlighted in the text. I told her to figure out the key words in the definition and only highlight or take notes on those. In addition, write down a brief example that illustrates the idea, in her notebook or on flash cards.

Looking up Unknown Words
A number of students were skipping over words they didn't really understand, trying to make sense of the text in a general way. I strongly suggested using a dictionary to clarify. It will take more time at first, but they will quickly enrich their vocabularies and find studying gets easier. Not to mention, they will actually understand what they are studying!

Supplementing the Text
Another student wanted more interactive learning tools but didn't want to spring for the fee for materials available with our textbook. For him, searching on-line for a video related to his interesting or puzzling topic could be useful. For instance, curious about biological clocks and circadian rhythms, he could Google "video circadian rhythms," or "psychology video biological clocks."

Hope these tips are helpful. Good luck with your classes!