Study Habit Tips

Hello my dear readers and fellow students. As a college student we must know what are the best method of studying. How to organized, taking down notes, preparing for an assignments, oral report and exams. Being able able to have a good study habits, will make you easy to catch up and less failure on grades.It will help you become more confident, effective, productive and intelligent person in both your personal and professional lives. The following are some tips of it.

Methods of Studying

1.       Get an overview by scanning the assignment quickly. Take note of headings, pictures, graphs, tables and topic sentences.

2.       Go back and study by rereading, summarizing, outlining or underlining important word or sentences.

3.       Summarize, analyze test and clarify ideas.

In addition to these methods here are techniques that will help the student learn:

1.    Write down the assignments completely and accurately. If possible, work on the assignment right after the class so that details are still fresh.

2.   Work on outside reading every day. This eliminates the panic that is often felt as the deadline for submission approaches; thus, allowing the submission of quality work on time.

3.       Have a dictionary ready when studying so that meaning of unfamiliar words can be looked up.

4.       Take a short break between study periods.

5.       When somebody is reading a report, take down short notes.

6.       Take part in class discussion in order to understand the ideas being presented. Ask questions for the purpose of clarifying obscure points.

7.       Keep test papers. Analyze the questions missed and discuss the same with classmates.

Preparing for Examinations

                Preparing for examination begins even before th start of classes, not a day before the examination. Here are some pointers on how to be ready for examination.

1.     Maintain good health. When health is poor, mental efficiency is also poor. It is advised that during semestral breaks, students should have medical and dental checkups. They should also at balanced diet, sleep at least eight hours a day, and maintain personal hygiene.

2.       Be regular and consistent in your studying. Studying begins on the first day of classes, not on the eve of the examination. Do not cram, Instead, review notes every day.

3.       Hold study sessions with classmates or board mats in order to share ideas and information.

4.       Review previous test and other written assignments so as to discover and correct mistakes.

5.      Develop wholesome attitudes. Examinations must not be viewed as punishment or ordeals that one must suffer, but as a tool for testing the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

Taking Examinations

                The following suggestions are to be considered when taking examinations:

1.       Bring all necessary materials- test booklet or paper, ballpen and examination permit.

2.       Go to the examination room at least five minutes before the start of examination.

3.       Read the instruction at least twice before answering the questions.

4.       Go over all the test paper questions in order to determine the nature and scope of the test and to find the easy and difficult parts of the examinations.

5.     Answer the easy items first and then go back to the difficult ones later. Mark the parts that have not been answered so that they can be easily spotted.

6.     If the examination will take more than one hour, rest after each hour by closing the eyes and putting the hands down in a minute.

7.   Review test paper. Go over facts, spelling, tenses and agreement. Check whether any number or page has been omitted.

Answering Essay Tests

1.       He sticks to the topic. He should not include material that have no relation his just so his essay would appear long.

2.       He organizes his essay in such a manner that the reader can follow his thoughts. For these reasons, a student is well-advised to make a brief outline before he answers the essay questions.

3.       He goes straight to the point; that is. He begins with brief sentences that summarize the main points. Long introduction should be avoided.

4.       He leaves some space after each essay answer so that if he still has time left after having answered the entire question, he can add some more data that have been forgotten or omitted.

5.       He used transitional expression to show the logical relationship of ideas.

Giving Oral Reports

                An oral report is usually one of the course requirements in college. However, most students just copy the reports verbatim from one or several text and deliver them so ineffectively that the class does not learn anything.

                The following steps should be kept in mind if one wants to be an effective reporter:

1.    If given a choice of topic, choose one that is interesting primarily to you, and secondly, to your classmate. An interesting topic makes you an enthusiastic report, and the class, an attentive audience.

2.       Consult as man source as possible and acknowledge them in the report through footnotes.

3.       Make an outline so that ideas and information can be organized and presented logically.

4.       Divide the report into three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should arouse the interest of the audience begin which story, a quotation or paradoxical statement or tell the class the importance of the report to them. Then, sustain the interest of the audience through a clear, concise, and logical presentation of facts and through an animated delivery. The last is made possible with the use of gestures, body movement, and facial expression and well modulate voice. End which summary of the ideas presented in the body.

5.     If you feel nervous before the report, take a deep breath and tell yourself that there is really nothing to fear. Considered your audience as your friends who are there because they are interested in what you are going to say.

6.    Used the extemporaneous method of delivery. Even if you have prepare the text of your repot, do not read it word for word. Neither should you memorize it. Instead, you may bring you’re report with you but do not used the same words that you have used in the report just refer to your report once in a while. Better still; just take with you a detailed outline of your report. This method allows for spontaneity, flexibility and eye to eye contact.

7.       Speak to the audience in a conversation tone so as not to tax your speech organ.

Note Taking

                Note are taken either during the lecture or study periods at home or in the library. There are six ways of taking effective lectures notes:

1.       Write notes in notebooks, not on loose leaf paper for the obvious reason that the letter will easily get lost.

2.   Before going to school, read the subject assigned for the next lecture so that you will have an overview of the topics to be covered and thus be able to organize you notes well.

3.       Prepare to take note as soon as the instructor begins the lecture.

4.       Listen carefully to what is being said. While listening, sort out ideas and make a mental outline.

5.       Write down notes in outline form.

6.       Listen for clues like keywords and topic sentences. Write them down because they are important.

                Note-taking is a process systematic thinking. If one wish to get maximum benefit from one’s reading, the note should be well-organized.