Let’s face it. No one really likes to study. There’s always something else going on that wants students’ attention. Professor Dani Martin was more than willing to share some wisdom when it came to good study habits.
When speaking with Professor Martin, she was more than happy to share her three points of light. The first importantly key she brought up was to not procrastinate the studying part.
“So, let’s say you get assigned chapter one. If you can read chapter one, before the class starts. It allows you to think on it. It allows people to ask the professor to clarify. By reading ahead of class, students are able to digest the information.”
Her second point is quite simple but still very informative. When it comes to reading, she says to “break it up.”
“If you have a chapter, say, thirty pages long; break it up into three parts. Ten pages at a time. You’re able to soak up more information and not feel so drained trying to absorb it all at once.”
Her third point came when talking about note taking. She then talked about an article from NPR. It was a study done by Pam A Mueller of Princeton University, and Daniel M. Oppenheimer of UCLA. They compare note taking from two different resources. One being done via computer and the other done via handwriting.
Both Mueller, Oppenheimer, as well as Professor Martin, discuss the vast differences between the two. Yes, students can type notes out much faster on a computer, but how much are they really taking in? When compared with hand writing a student’s notes, the information students are taking in, is actually a bit more. When typing them out, there can be distractions. Some of us have a tendency to have multiple windows up. ESPN or Instagram anyone? When taking notes in an actual notebook, students concentrate much more on the vital bits of information being taught. It’s a repetitive step that trains people’s brains to take in the nuggets.
One other thing was discussed, was going back to taking notes. Those people that procrastinate, well it’s no secret that some students wait until the very last minute. Instead of binging those shows late into the night, read those notes. Even if it’s just for ten minutes, simply go over the notes. Students can also take that time to read a few pages from the chapter as well. It all comes down to breaking it up so that students can retain what they’ve learned a bit easier.
It can be quite easy to fall behind as students all have those unforeseen circumstances. However, by applying good study habits, students can potentially set themselves up for making their finals a bit easier.
