Across the Disciplines

TIME MANAGEMENT AND STUDY SKILLS

People aren't born good students. It takes practice and dedication, but anyone can become a good student. The two most important things that all good students share are effective time management and strong study skills.

Time Management and Setting Goals:

There are only 24 hours in a day, and managing those hours effectively is the key to success as a student. The following are suggestions for getting organized and managing your time.

• Write out your goals. Once you have written something down it becomes your plan of attack. Write in pencil so you can make changes when necessary. Cross off accomplished tasks, don't erase. Seeing what you've already done encourages you to keep working.

• Get a planner! Planners are great for keeping track of assignments and progress. With all assignments written down in the same place you are less likely to forget about an assignment. Planners also have calendars for planning large assignments.

• Set up a priority system. Mark your daily assignments on a scale of importance from one to ten, one being the most important, and then do the important work first. Homework that is due tomorrow would get a one, homework that is due next week would get a two, and so on.

• You do not want to end up with a ten page paper to write the day before it is due, so plan ahead. Use your calendar to break your paper up into manageable chunks - research sessions, outline, draft, and final paper. Have your final paper done a few days early and bring it in to the Writing Center for any extra help.

• Allow yourself approximately two hours to study for every hour you spend in class. It sounds like a lot, but remember your goals!

• Plan your study time for when you are most alert. Some people learn better in the morning, some at night. Which one are you?

• Study in short sessions. You remember more from ten one-hour sessions than from one ten-hour session because you do not overload your brain.

• Study the difficult or boring subjects first when you have more energy. Saving your favorite subject for last makes you more likely to finish.

• Use your down time. When you are doing laundry or waiting for the bus is a great time to get reading assignments out of the way. And remember short sessions are better for retention.

• Tell your friends and family that you are studying and need to be undisturbed. Turn off the TV, the radio, and the telephone during study time. Friends and family can leave a message.

• Try using the same location each time you study. The library is perfect for this.

• Use the resources that are available to you! The Internet, the school library, and The Writing Center are all there to help you achieve your goals.

Exercise:

Plan for the following two assignments for the month of April with your group. Make sure to keep in mind how much each assignment is worth in your overall grade in the given class.

 STUDY SKILLS:

In addition to managing your time, there are tricks to get more out of the time you spend studying. They can help you learn more in less time.

• Preview the material. Look through the table of contents and skim through the section of the chapters to get an idea of what you will be reading. This prepares your brain to absorb the information.

• Before you start reading, know what you want to get from the chapter. Reading with a plan helps you skip over irrelevant facts and focus on what is important for the lesson.

• Read actively. Underline passages and take notes on the chapter. Write questions or thoughts in the margins, and use a dictionary to look up unfamiliar terms. Make note of concepts you have trouble with and ask your professor or other students for help.

• When you have finished reading, recite what you have learned to yourself in your own words to see how well you understand the material.

Taking Notes:

Preparing for and Taking Tests:

Tips for Taking Multiple Choice Tests

1. Scan the test first to familiarize yourself with the questions
2. Try to come up with an answer before looking at the choices
3. Eliminate any answers that are obviously wrong
4. Don't be fooled by an "obvious" answer that may be a trick
5. If two answers seem identical, they are probably both wrong

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Tips for Taking Essay Exams

1. Make a list of all of the information you can recall that should be included in your answer
2. Put your ideas in order by writing a number next to the items on your list
3. Write your first paragraph, including key points you will cover in your essay
4. Write as legibly as you can
5. Leave yourself time at the end of the exam to reread your essay and make any necessary changes

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This handout is based on the following texts:

Allen, Jane E. "When Drivers Get a Busy Signal."   LaTimes.com 3 Feb. 2003.  4 Feb. 2003

Fry, Ron. How to Study.  5th ed.   Franklin Lakes: Career, 2000.

Smith, Laurence N. and Timothy L. Walter.   The Mountain is High: Unless You Take the

Walter, Timothy L., et al.   Student Success: how to Succeed in College and Still Have Time

For further reference, see also:

Langan, John.  Reading and Study Skills. 5th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 1992.

All of the above texts are available in The Writing Center.

For more information, please visit The Writing Center.

Rev.10/24/03