Study Smarter

Not Harder
Academic Achievement
Center
Cook Library
CK524
www.towson.edu/aac
achieve@towson.edu
(p)410-704-2291

The 4 Ws and H of Studying

What
How

Why

When

Where

What is it?
What

does it mean to study to you?

Review vs. Self-Test

What

is the difference?
Why is it important?
How often do you do each?

Light
Concentration
40 min
5-10 min

Medium
Concentration
Deep
concentration
5-10 min
Van Blerkom, D. 2009. College study skills: Becoming a strategic
learner. Boston, MA. Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

When Do You Study?

Morning?
Afternoon?
Middle

of the night?

Managing Your School and

Social Life
Its

okay to say no
Harder subjects first
Create a schedule and stick to it

Finding a Place to Call Your

Own
Where

do you like to study?

Are there distractions?
How effective is your location?

Why Do You Study?

Consistency is Key
Make

a plan that works for you

Determine how long you can
concentrate for

Benefits of Studying
Less

chance of cramming
Constantly reviewing
Active learning

How Do You Study?

Active Studying (Blooms)

What

is active studying?
Blooms Taxonomy examples

Study Strategies
Study

strategies that will help you be

successful in any class.

Study Method #1: Repetition

Review

your notes the same day you get

them. Thats when your brain remembers
the best!

Then

review your notes daily. Give your

brain the chance to repeatedly see the
information.

Study Method #2: Writing

Rewrite
Type
Or

your notes

your notes

do both!

Study Method #3: Condensing

Day

1: Write out everything you need to

know. Youll have several pages.

Day

2: Condense this information into half

the number of pages. Take out extra
words not needed, not important details.

Day

3: Condense this information into one

page divided into four sections.
http://www.gearfire.net/3-effective-methods-to-study-for-exams/

Study Method #4: Talking to

Yourself
Say

or sing your notes out loud

Read

only 1 sentence of the notes at a

time
Cover the sentence up and say it several
times.
Check your notes to make sure that you
got the sentence right
This

words great for diagrams too!

Cover

up the labels and try to guess them

correctly.

Study Method #5: Talking to

Someone Else
Teach

the material you just read to

someone else.

If

you cant remember all the information

you might need to re-read.

Study Method #6: Flashcards

While studying flashcards,
What I know
What I dont know
What I guessed right
Focus

make 3 piles

your studying on the What I dont

know and What I guessed right piles

Study Method #7: Mind Mapping

Rewrite

your notes using only key words

and images

Study Method #8: Study Buddy

Use a study buddy

Have a friend ask you questions about your notes.

Answer their questions without looking at your
notes.
If you get a question wrong, ask your study buddy
to tell you the right answer. Make a list of the
questions you get wrong.
After the last question, have your study buddy ask
you the questions you got wrong again.

Study Method #9: Mnemonics

Catchy

words or phrases

SPONCH
sulfur,

phosphorus, oxygen, nitrogen,

carbon, hydrogen = the 6 most
common elements in biology
King Philip came over for good spaghetti
Kingdom Phylum Class Order
Family
Genus
Species

Study Method #9: Mnemonics

Visualizing
Fondant

is a sweet, smooth,
elastic icing. If its freezing
you need a blanket.
Fondant looks like a smooth
blanket over a cake or
cupcake.
Buttercream is a light,
creamy frosting.
Buttercream is creamy!

Study Method #9: Mnemonics

Chunking

Abraham Lincoln was shot on

April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes
Booth
Abraham = April
Abraham Lincoln has 14 letters
= 14
He was a president and you
can vote for president when
you turn 18 = 18
Lincoln is a type of car that
can by found on the highway
going 65mph = 65

Study Method #9: Mnemonics

Story

Method

Counties in Southern England: Avon, Dorset,

Somerset, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Devon,
Gloucestershire, Hampshire, and Surrey.

An AVON lady is walking towards a strange

house. She is hot and sweating in the SUMMER
(Somerset) heat. Outside the house, there is
giant CORN (Cornwall) growing, but it's
beginning to WILT (Wiltshire) in the heat. She
knocks on the DOOR (Dorset), which is opened
by the DEVIL(Devon). He is smearing honey on
a HAM (Hampshire), making in GLOSSY
(Gloucestershire) in the bright sunlight. The
Avon lady panics, screams 'SORRY' (Surrey),
and runs back down the path.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTIM_01.htm

Contact Us!
What We Have to Offer:

Workshops
Tutoring
Academic Coaching

Academic Achievement
Center at TU

Upcoming Events:

Test Taking Strategies

- Wednesday

March 5th

Call: 410-407-2291
E-mail:
achieve@towson.edu

LA2105

Twitter@AACTowson

Active Reading Strategies

- Tuesday

March 11th

UU306

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