How To Study

Pages

I Your Preferred Learning Style

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II Becoming a Flexible Reader
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III Good Listening In Class
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IV Capitalization Rules 4
V Building Vocabulary 5
VI Math Tips 7
VII The RQWQCQ Strategy for Solving Math Word Problems
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VIII Guidelines When Taking Multiple-Choice Tests
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IX TRUE/FALSE EXAM QUICK TIPS
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I
Your Preferred Learning Style
A learning style is a way of learning. YOUR preferred learning style is the
way in which YOU learn best. Three learning styles that are often identified
in students are the Auditory Learning Style, the Visual Learning Style, and
the Tactile/Kinesthetic Learning Style. Read about each of these learning
styles to identify YOUR preferred learning style.

Are you an Auditory (audio) Learner?

Auditory Learners learn best when information is presented in an auditory

language format. Do you seem to learn best in classes that emphasize
teacher lectures and class discussions? Does listening to audio tapes help
you learn better? Do you find yourself reading aloud or talking things out to
gain better understanding? If YES, you are probably an Auditory Learner.

Are you a Visual Learner?

Visual Learners learn best when information is presented in a written

language format or in another visual format such as pictures or diagrams.
Do you do best in classes in which teachers do a lot of writing at the
chalkboard, provide clear handouts, and make extensive use of an
overhead projector? Do you try to remember information by creating
pictures in your mind? Do you take detailed written notes from your
textbooks and in class? If YES, you are probably a Visual Learner.

Are you a Tactile (tangible) /Kinesthetic Learner?

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Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners learn best in hands-on learning settings in
which they can physically manipulate something in order to learn about it.
Do you learn best when you can move about and handle things? Do you do
well in classes in which there is a lab component? Do you learn better when
you have an actual object in your hands rather than a picture of the object
or a verbal or written description of it? If YES, you are probably a
Tactile/Kinesthetic Learner.
Your learning style is your strength. Go with it whenever you can. When
you can choose a class, try to choose one that draws heaviest on your
learning style. When you can choose a teacher, try to choose one who's
teaching method best matches your learning style. When you choose a
major and future career, keep your learning style firmly in mind.
II
Becoming a Flexible Reader
To become a flexible reader, you need to know how to select and use a
reading style that is consistent with your purpose for reading. There are
three important reading styles you should learn to use. Each has its own
purpose. Knowing when and how to use these three reading styles will
make you a flexible reader. Read to learn about the three reading styles
used by flexible readers.

* Study Reading is the reading style used by flexible readers when their
purpose is to read difficult material at a high level of comprehension.
When using the Study Reading style, you should read at a rate that is
slower than your normal reading rate. Further, as you read you must
challenge yourself to understand the material. Study Reading will often
require you to read material more than once to achieve a high level of
comprehension. Sometimes, reading the material aloud will also help you
improve your comprehension.

* Skimming is the reading style used by flexible readers when their purpose
is to quickly obtain a general idea about the reading material. The
Skimming style is most useful when you have to read a large amount of
material in a short amount of time. When using the Skimming style, you
should identify the main ideas in each paragraph and ignore the details in
supportive sentences. Because you are only looking for the main idea in
each paragraph you read, a lower level of comprehension is to be expected
than when using the Study Reading style.

* Scanning is the reading style used by flexible readers when their purpose
is to quickly locate a specific piece of information within reading material.
The piece of information to be located may be contained in a list of names,
words, numbers, short statements, and sometimes even in a paragraph.
Since you know exactly what you are looking for, move your eyes quickly
over the reading material until you locate the specific piece of information
you need to find.

Before you begin your next reading assignment, identify your purpose for
reading. Decide if you are reading for a high level of comprehension, trying
to get a general idea about what you are reading, or looking for specific
information. Then use the reading style that is appropriate for your reading
purpose.

III

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 Good Listening In Class
It is important for you to be a good listener in class. Much of what
you will have to learn will be presented verbally by your teachers. Just
hearing what your teachers say is not the same as listening to what they
say. Listening is a cognitive (relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by
the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception) act that requires you to pay
attention and think about and mentally process what you hear.

Here are some things you should do to be a good listener in class.

* Be Cognitively Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Make sure you
complete all assigned work and readings. Review your notes from previous
class sessions. Think about what you know about the topic that will be
covered in class that day.

* Be Emotionally Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Your attitude is

important. Make a conscious choice to find the topic useful and interesting.
Be committed to learning all that you can.

* Listen with a Purpose. Identify what you expect and hope to learn from
the class session. Listen for these things as your teacher talks.

* Listen with an Open Mind. Be receptive (interested) to what your teacher

says. It is good to question what is said as long as you remain open to
points of view other than your own.

* Be Attentive. Focus on what your teacher is saying. Try not to daydream

and let your mind wander to other things. It helps to sit in the front and
center of the class, and to maintain eye contact with your teacher.

* Be an Active Listener. You can think faster than your teacher can speak.
Use this to your advantage by evaluating what is being said and trying to
anticipate what will be said next. Take good written notes about what your
teacher says. While you can think faster than your teacher can speak, you
cannot write faster than your teacher can speak. Taking notes requires you
to make decisions about what to write, and you have to be an active
listener to do this.

* Meet the Challenge. Don't give up and stop listening when you find the
information being presented difficult to understand. Listen even more
carefully at these times and work hard to understand what is being said.
Don't be reluctant to ask questions.

* Triumph (conquer) Over the Environment. The classroom may too noisy,
too hot, too cold, too bright, or too dark. Don't give in to these
inconveniences. Stay focused on the big picture - LEARNING.

IV
Capitalization Rules
There are many times when a word or words must be capitalized.
Here are ten capitalization rules you should know and use. An example is
shown for each rule.
1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence.

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Ex. - It is important to know when a word must be capitalized.

2. Capitalize the pronoun “I.”

Ex. - Do you think I should study for another hour?

3. Capitalize proper nouns (names of specific people, places, events, and

organizations).
Ex. - I believe that George Washington was our greatest president.

4. Capitalize days of the week, holidays, and months of the year.

Ex. - We usually go on vacation during July and August.

5. Capitalize the first word in a quote.

Ex. - I was pleased when my teacher said to me, “You are a wonderful
student.”

6. Capitalize the name of a language.

Ex. - Next year I will study Spanish literature.

7. Capitalize the official title of a person when used with that person’s
name.
Ex. - My friend told me that Dr. Hawkins is a great chemistry teacher.

8. Capitalize initials in someone’s name.

Ex. - My favorite author is J. R. R. Tolkien.

9. Capitalize the first word of a salutation or closing.

Ex. - With warmest regards,
Amanda Warren

10. Capitalize the first word and last words and each important word in the
title of a book, movie, etc. Do not capitalize little words within a title
(e.g.,a, an, and. as, if, for, or, the). Also, do not capitalize prepositions.
Ex. - I was much moved when I read To Kill a Mockingbird.

There are many capitalization rules. Knowing and using these ten
rules is a good start.

V
Building Vocabulary

Using Context Clues to Learn Word Meaning

When authors write, they often include context clues to the meaning
of words they use but think that some of their readers may not know. The
context clue is usually presented in the sentence or paragraph in which the
word occurs. Sometimes a visual such as a picture is provided.

Here are six types of context clues used by authors to help the
reader understand the meanings of words. An example is provided for each.

1. Definition context clue

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 The author includes a definition to help the reader understand the
meaning of a word. In the following example, “tainted” is defined as having
a disease.

The people of the town were warned not to eat the tainted fish. The local
newspaper published a bulletin in which readers were clearly told that eating fish
that had a disease could be very dangerous. This was especially true for fish caught
in Lake Jean.

2. Synonym context clue

The author includes a synonym to help the reader understand the
meaning of a word. A synonym is a word that means the same as or nearly
the same as another word. In the following example, the synonym “pity”
helps the reader understand the meaning of “compassion.”

After seeing the picture of the starving children, we all felt compassion or pity
for their suffering.

3. Antonym context clue

The author includes an antonym to help the reader understand the
meaning of a word. An antonym is a word that means the opposite of
another word. In the following example, the antonym “eager” helps the
reader understand the meaning of “reluctant.”

Joe was reluctant to take on the position of captain of the basketball team. He
was afraid that the time it would take would hurt his grades. On the other hand, Billy
was eager for the chance to be captain. He thought that being captain of the team
would make him very popular in school.

4. Description context clue

The author includes one or more descriptions to help the reader
understand the meaning of a word. In the following example, descriptions
of President Kennedy as having charm, enthusiasm, and a magnetic
personality help the reader understand the meaning of “charismatic.”

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, our 35th president, improved human rights and
equal rights for all people. He was a very charismatic president. People were
attracted to his charm and enthusiasm. His personality was described as magnetic.

5. Summary context clue

The author makes a number of statements that help the reader
understand the meaning of a word. In the following example, statements
about being rude, showing no respect, having poor manners, and being
impolite help the reader understand the meaning of “impertinent.”
Andrea was a very impertinent young lady. She was so rude that she talked
while her teacher was explaining a lesson. She showed no respect for other students.
Her manners were very poor. Even her parents thought that Andrea was impolite.
She was exultant

6. Visual context clue

The author includes a picture, drawing, chart, graph, or other type of
visual to help the reader understand the meaning of a word. In the
following example, the picture and its caption that is close to the sentence
helps the reader understand that “exultant” means great joy.

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 Peggy had an exultant look on her face.

Using the context clues provided by authors can help you learn the
meaning of many new words.

VI
Math Tips
Here are some “how-to’s” that will come in handy.

How to Round a Number

To the nearest ten

If the ones digit is 5 or more, round to the next highest ten (68 rounds to
70).
If the ones digit is less than 5, round to the next lowest ten (33 rounds to
30).

To the nearest hundred

If the tens digit is 5 or more, round to the next highest hundred (384
rounds to 400).
If the tens digit is less than 5, round to the next lowest hundred (427
rounds to 400).

To the nearest thousand

If the hundreds digit is 5 or more, round to the next highest thousand

(7,602 rounds to 8,000).
If the hundreds digit is less than 5, round to the next lowest thousand
(7,268 rounds to 7,000).

How to Find an Average

To find the average of several numbers, add the numbers together and
then divide the sum by the number of numbers.
The average of 17, 30, 6, and 7 = 60 ÷ 4 = 15

How to Tell if Two Fractions are Equivalent

Cross multiply the fractions. If both products are the same, the fractions
are equivalent.

3 and 9 3 x 24 = 72 3 and 9 are equivalent fractions.

8 24 8 x 9 = 72 8 24

5 and 3 5 x12 = 60 5 and 3 are not equivalent fractions.

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8 12 8 x 3 = 24 8 12

How to Find a Percentage

To tell what percentage one number is of a second number, divide the first
number by the second. Move the decimal point of the resulting quotient
two places to the right.

Example: What percentage is 20 of 300?

20 ÷ 300 = .067 = 6.7%

How to Change a Fraction to a Percentage

Divide the numerator by the denominator. Move the decimal point of the
resulting quotient two places to the right.

6 = 6 ÷ 15 = .4 = .40 = 40%
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How to Change a Decimal to a Percentage

Move the decimal point two places to the right.

0.792 = 79.2%

VII
The RQWQCQ Strategy for Solving Math Word Problems

RQWQCQ is a good strategy to use when solving math word problems. Each
of the letters in RQWQCQ stands for a step in the strategy.

Read - R
Read the entire problem to learn what it is about. You may find it helpful to
read the problem out loud, form a picture of the problem in your mind, or
draw a picture of the problem.

Question - Q
Find the question to be answered in the problem. Often the question is
directly stated. When it is not stated, you will have to identify the question
to be answered.

Write - W
Write the facts you need to answer the question. It is helpful to cross out
any facts presented in the problem that are not needed to answer the
question. Sometimes, all of facts presented in the problem are needed to
answer the question.

Question - Q
Ask yourself “What computations must I do to answer the question?”

Compute - C
Set up the problem on paper and do the computations. Check your
computations for accuracy and make any needed corrections. Once you
have done this, circle your answer.

Question - Q

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Look at your answer and ask yourself: “Is my answer possible?” You may
find that your answer is not possible because it does not fit with the facts
presented in the problem. When this happens, go back through the steps of
RQWQCQ until you arrive at an answer that is possible.

Use RQWQCQ to help you correctly solve math word problems.

VIII
Guidelines When Taking Multiple-Choice Tests
Here are some guidelines that will help you correctly answer multiple-
choice items.
1. Circle or underline important words in the item. This will help you focus
on the information most needed to identify the correct answer choice.
2. Read all the answer choices before selecting one. It is just as likely for
the last answer choice to be correct as the first.
3. Cross out answer choices you are certain are not correct. This will help
you narrow down the correct answer choice.
4. Look for two answer choices that are opposites. One of these two answer
choices is likely to be correct.
5. Look for hints about the correct answer choice in other items on the test.
The correct answer choice may be part of another item on the test.
6. Look for answer choices that contain language used by your teacher or
found in your textbooks. An answer choice that contains such language is
usually correct.
7. Do not change your initial answer unless you are sure another answer
choice is correct. More often than not, your first choice is correct.
8. Choose “all of the above” if you are certain all other answer choices in
the item are correct. Do not choose “all of the above” if even just one of
the other answer choices is not correct.
9. Choose “none of the above” if you are certain all other answer choices in
the item are incorrect. Do not choose “none of the above” if even just one
of the other answer choices is correct.

Knowing how multiple-choice items are constructed and using these

guidelines will help you improve your score on a multiple-choice test.

IX
TRUE/FALSE EXAM QUICK TIPS

If one part of the statement is false the whole statement is false: All
you are looking for is one word or one piece of information to make the
statement false.
Assume all statements are true: This type of mindset going into a
true/false exam will help because now you are just looking for that one item
to make the statement false.
Reason statements tend to be false: There can be many factors other
than the one mentioned to make it false.
“Always” and “never” tend to indicate that the statement is false:
These types of words are called absolutes and there are very few absolutes
that are true.
Words such as “some,” “most,” “rarely,” and “usually” are often
true: Words that do not give specific meanings are usually true. This is due

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to the fact that these words are not absolutes and refer to more of a “gray
area” of meanings.
Cross-out double negatives: A question may contain double
negatives to confuse you. In cases in which you may see a double negative,
cross out the negative and the prefix.
Statement Cross-out Meaning
Not untruthful Not untruthful truthful
Not indirect Not indirect direct
Not untrustworthy Not untrustworthy trustworthy
Not impossible Not impossible possible

True Or False Examples:

1. ____July is never a winter month. f
2. ____As a general rule, it is important to study two hours for every one
hour of class. t
3. ____Most students would not be dissatisfied by having a 1.00 cumulative
grade
point average. f

Answers:
1. False-“Never” is an absolute; July is a winter month in the Southern
Hemisphere.
2. True-The word you focus on is “general” because it is not giving a
specific meaning.
3. False-Cross out the double negative and then re-read the statement.

Every part of a true sentence must be "true"

If any one part of the sentence is false,
the whole sentence is false despite many other true statements.

Pay close attention to

negatives, qualifiers, absolutes, and long strings of statements

Negatives can be confusing.

If the question contains negatives, as "no, not, cannot"
Drop the negative and read what remains.
Decide whether that sentence is true or false.
If it is true, it’s opposite, or negative, is usually false

Qualifiers are words that restrict or open up general statements.

Words like "sometimes, often, frequently, ordinarily, generally" open up the
possibilities of making accurate statements. They make more modest
claims, are more likely to reflect reality, and usually indicate "true"
answers.

Absolute words restrict possibilities.

"No, never, none, always, every, entirely, only"
imply the statement must be true 100% of the time and usually indicate
"false" answers

Long sentences often include groups of words set off by punctuation.

Pay attention to the "truth" of each of these phrases.
If one is false, it usually indicates a "false" answer

Guessing:

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Often true/false tests contain more true answers than false answers. You
have more than 50% chance of being right with "true". However, your
teacher may be the opposite. Review past’s tests for patterns...

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