Chapter 1 in your textbook includes a section on improving academic performance (pp. 24-29). This section outlines many effective strategies you can utilize this semester (and following semesters) to meet your academic goals.
Should you choose to do this assignment for credit for your weekly blog comments, please read pages 24-29, and complete the following:
- Briefly discuss what you read.
- Describe, in your own words, one strategy listed under each subcategory (e.g., developing sound study habits, getting more out of lectures, applying memory principles). Thus, you should describe 3 things.
- Reflect upon your personal study strategies. What has worked, what hasn't worked? What do you plan to continue, what do you want to change? How are you going to achieve this?
Remember, you should be writing these comments as if you were going to print them out and hand them in. Thus, spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. is important!
Improving your academic performance begins with you. You may not have received much information on appropriate study tips, how to take notes in class, etc. before, which is why it is very much important to learn how to do so in order to get the most out of your education. Setting up a schedule for studying helps guarantee you will have the time, and reminds you that you have to study. Finding a place you can concentrate in is about as important as it gets. If you're sitting in a distracting place, you are going to get next to nothing accomplished. Learning how to read more efficiently and take notes in class more efficiently, you will be able to get the most you can out of texts and lectures. Applying memory principles is very important when it comes to learning as well. I believe that organizing information may very well be the most important aspect of the memory principles.
ReplyDeleteDeveloping sound study habits is very much so easier after you find a place you can concentrate in. No television, no Facebook, no talkative friends, etc. is where this would be most effective. Getting more out of lectures is as simple as using active listening procedures. This is where paying full attention to the lecturer comes into play with paying attention to nonverbal cues as well. Applying memory principles easier when you organize your information. Having files stored in the right places on you computer, highlighting what's necessary, bookmarking pages, etc. will help you to locate information in the future.
I know that I am more apt to do my homework and accomplish things if I am in my own room. This is why the library doesn't work for me all to well. I get too busy people watching and day dreaming. In my room, I am by myself without people to distract me. I organize my information by keeping the majority of my information in one place, on my iPad. If not on my iPad, I am sure to label every notebook used and whatnot for each course. This makes it easy to turn back to information from the past when studying. I plan on continuing to study and read in my room alone because that is when I am most productive as well as improve my organizational skills.
The text out of the book on improving academic performance includes various strategies and pointers to make every one that reads it a more successful university student. There are four sections total. These include developing sound study habits, getting more out of lectures, and applying memory principles. In the first section, there are three subcategories on developing sound study habits. All of these subcategories give specific ideas on how to make studying more successful. The first one was to schedule specific times during the week that will be devoted to homework. This will help one to not procrastinate and have more meaningful study time. One strategy to do this is to make a schedule hour by hour for the full week. After all of the commitments are on the schedule, times devoted to studying need to be filled in. With each study time slot, a specific task should also be included. The second point is that one needs to have a place that is solely devoted to studying with minimal distractions. Contrary to many students’ beliefs, loud music and watching TV do negatively impact studying. Lastly, the text explains that it is necessary to reward your studying. Sometimes it is easy to push off studying because the reward of a degree or a good grade in the class is too far away. The second section entitled, getting more out of lectures, describes five pointers that will maximize what a student learns in lecture. These five pointers are use active listening, prepare for lectures by reading ahead, write down lectures in your own words, look for subtle and not-so-subtle clues about what the instructor considers to be important, and ask questions. Each of these pointers is pretty self explanatory. One strategy that can be used to get more out of lectures is to simply put any distractions away and focus solely on the instructor. Actively listen to what he or she says and then interpret the information in a way that makes sense to you. The final category is applying memory principles. This section had five subcategories. The first was engage in adequate practice. This section outlines overlearning as a positive thing that will help with recall during tests. The next section is entitled use distributed practice. This section states that it is more beneficial to space studying out over the course of a few days rather than cramming the day before the test. The third section includes organizing information by outlining reading assignments. The fourth section is on emphasizing deep processing. This section states that it is beneficial to relate concepts to one’s life in order to learn them more successfully. The last section was on using mnemonic devices. This section goes over various techniques such as acrostics, acronyms, rhymes, and method of loci as potential techniques to enhance memory with mnemonic devices. A strategy that can be used to is to not procrastinate and begin studying for a test five days or so before the exam. This will allow for more spaced practice and better retention overall.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was reflecting on some of my study habits, I realized some of my habits were good and some were bad. Some things that I have not worked for me that I need to change is that I need to study for test before the night before the test. I find that I forget things I knew the night before when the test is in front of me. Also, I commonly lose focus during lectures and find myself wishing I had paid attention after the class is done. I commonly use mnemonics to help me learn, and this has worked well for me. Some things I plan on changing after reading this is to make a reasonable schedule for doing homework and complete tasks in each listed time slot. This will help me prepare for exams using spaced practice instead of cramming. I also plan to pay better attention during lectures by putting my phone away. I plan on continuing reading and using mnemonics. I am going to achieve this by just sitting down and pounding out a schedule each week on Sunday before classes start. I am also going to put my phone on silent in my backpack.
The textbook pages were about different strategies for improving grades and study skills. Some of the skills include: developing good study skills, improving your reading, how to get more out of lectures, and applying memory principles. Under each of the main skills there are subtopics on ways to improve each of the main skills listed above.
ReplyDeleteDeveloping sound study habits: Reward your studying- Many people do not like studying because the payoffs are not immediately seen. To encourage yourself to study, you need to create a reward for yourself after you complete the studying. The reward could be as simple as a quick Facebook break to going out to eat with friends. Each person's reward system is going to be different, because everybody is motivated by different things.
Getting more out of lectures: prepare for lectures by reading ahead- It is important to read the section of your textbook that you are going to cover in class before you cover it so that the material is not completely new to you when it is covered in class. It you have read the section in the book and listened to lecture, you are able to ask for better clarification if the section is still not making sense.
Applying Memory Principles: Use Distributed practice- When students split up their study time over a period of time, there is better retention. If students only study a little bit at a time, they are better able to absorb it then if they try and cram everything learned during the unit into only a few hours. It is better to split your study time up into shorter time frames over a few days than one long time frame the night before.
The biggest study strategy that I use is to create flashcards for the vocabulary on tests. This strategy has worked multiple times for me within multiple classes. The study strategy that did not work for me is studying in the library. I cannot focus and get easily distracted with people watching. I learned after one time that the library is not for me. I really do not plan to change any of my study habits. They have worked for me for three years, I believe they will get me by this semester. The only thing that I may work on is starting to study earlier for tests. I will achieve this by reviewing after each lecture instead of right before each test.
This section in the book indicates ways to make studying much more effective, such as planning a study schedule, studying in a good place, and rewarding yourself for shorter-term rewards. In addition to these tips, it discusses ways to better memorize what you are studying by using repetition, mnemonic devices, rhymes, and many other strategies. Overall, it gives many great tips to help you study both smarter and more effectively.
ReplyDeleteOne very important part of improving academic performance is planning a study schedule. By planning ahead and writing it down, it helps students to stay committed to the study schedule as well as to avoid having to cram at the last minute. This section also points out that many students tend to put off larger assignments or projects last, which essentially leads to students procrastinating and doing a poor job. By accomplishing these large projects in smaller pieces, students can avoid doing them all at one time and doing a poor job.
Another problem that many students encounter is the fact that they may not see the results of their studying right away, which in turn might discourage them. By rewarding yourself for smaller accomplishments, such as doing well on an exam or even making it through a specific section in a textbook, students can set up goals that they are able to see met in a reasonable amount of time, instead of waiting to see the results of long-term goals.
Using mnemonic devices such as acrostics and acronyms are a great way to remember long lists of items. When using acrostics, the first letter of each word is used to create a saying or a phrase that can be used to trigger the words or lists that students need to memorize. For example, the colors of the rainbow can be remembered by the phrase Roy G. Biv, in which each letter of the phrase stands for the first letter of a color in the rainbow. Since students usually create these phrases on their own, it can be a very effective memory tool.
I personally have changed my study habits immensely over my past 3 years of college. Coming into college, my study habits consisted of maybe printing off the notes for class and then cramming the night before an exam. While i was able to make this work for me at that time, I now have many different strategies. I am very adamant about keeping track of my schedule in my planner, and writing down each assignment or reading that I need to complete before the next class period. I now print off all of the notes that professors post and keep them all organized together. I also begin studying for exams 2-3 days in advance, so that I don't feel stressed and rushed like I did when I would cram. I would like to be able to look over the material for each class after that class, so I feel like I don't instantly forget what we have learned previously.
I chose to read Improving Academic Performance. Reading this section of chapter one seems as though it will be very helpful for future tests. One of the main points was to schedule times for studying, I have been trying to do that this semester and by doing so I am feeling less stressed about school work. Another main point that I found interesting was how to get more out of in class lectures. They did research on the fact that if you go to class you will do better in that particular class. In the past I have been bad at going to class but this semester I have no problem going and I am going to continue to go to every class and I already feel better about getting good grades and feeling out how the teacher works in each class. With scheduling study times and going to class I have found that I make more time to read a chapter before that class period. I am absorbing a lot more information about this class this way and I am going to continue to use this technique. It will also help with cramming because I will know the material beforehand.
ReplyDeleteUnder Developing Sound Study Habits, I think finding a place to study where you can concentrate is an important key to studying. When I study I have to have it quiet with the tv going or people talking. Improving Your Reading involves ways in which not only reading the material but ways to soak in what you have read. For me, writing down key points in a notebook as I read has been a good way to remember the material. Getting More out of Lectures points out that if you prepare for lectures by reading ahead for that class it is easier to digest the information that the teacher presents to you. Also you will have less material to digest. Applying Memory Principles involves practicing the material you are learning. If I repeatedly review information I am more likely to remember it for a test. I usually take down my notes from the book and lectures and then repeat it to myself until I can remember it without looking at my notes.
"Improving Academic Perfomance" discuesses the issues faced by students when it comes to studying and offers solutions to help face these problems. The pages offer 3 helpful solutions to battle common problems faced by students, such as procastination, lack of focus, and loss of interest. The three strategies firstly includes Getting More out of Lecture. For example, writing down the teachers words into your own language helps with retention of the material and helps in gaining better knowledge of the materials. Secondly, Applying Memory Principles, such as Emphasizing Deep Processing helps with retention because it avoids the issue of cramming and feeling of fatigue from studying a material in a bulky amount of time. Thirdly, Developing Sound Study Habits, such as Setting Up a Schedule for Studying helps in getting that motivation that one needs to study and helps with time management of materials that one can cover. I would say that I have used all three of these strategies at some point in my life, especially setting up a scheduled time for studying. Doing so has helped greatly through out my academic career. However, I haven't been consistent in using this study method. What has definitely not work for me in the past is cramming, especially night before the test. I tend to be mentally and physically exhausted after cramming. During the spring semester finals, I did realize that breaking down my study hours into different times of the day or week helped with retention of the material and helped me do a whole lot better on my tests. I plan to continue this method of studying for my tests and quizzes and hope to also create a schedule for studying. I plan to keep myself accountable by having study buddies that I will ask to help keep me on track and hopefully this semester will be different from the rest.
ReplyDeleteThe "Improving Academic Performance" section of Chapter 1 contained a lot of useful information. Whether preparing for test-taking or class in general, the process of both developing habits and making them part of a routine are essential to academic success. Such habits are helped made sound by making a study schedule that you can stick to and being sure to carry it out in an area that provides little (or, ideally, no) distraction. A good way of being sure that you follow your study schedule is to reward yourself upon study completion or after a test. For example, when I finish studying for a test, I have a habit of treating myself to a particularly good meal/snack that I don't usually have. That way, I have something to enjoy after studying but not distract me while the studying is taking place.
ReplyDeleteAnother way to make the most of your studying is to take good notes and be sure to focus on the main ideas. Most often, recurring ideas, words, and themes are the kinds of information that will show up on tests, so taking note of such information right away is beneficial when test time rolls around. Flash cards, mnemonic devices, and other methods are good ways of memorizing, especially when done on a regular basis; research has shown that outlining reading material is also a good way of organizing information in a way that can be easily retained.
1. Developing Sound Study Habits: Find a place to study where you can concentrate. Retaining information comes most easily when you are by yourself in a quiet area that you are familiar with. Rather than sitting near a TV or other people and assuming you will not be distracted by either of them, it is safer to avoid the possibility of distraction right away and just stay away from things that might take your mind off of studying without you realizing it.
2. Getting More Out of Lectures: Attending Class. While it may seem like common sense that attending lectures and doing well in class go in hand, many students take this fact for granted. There have been several occasions where I want to avoid class simply because I don't feel like going, but that never has positive results; I always end up feeling like I'm behind. Therefore, it is essential that students attend class, pay attention, and follow along with notes as thorough as possible.
3. Applying Memory Principles: Organize information. When taking notes, it is very much to the student's benefit to outline information both from lectures and the text. Such activity has been shown to increase the likelihood of retaining the information written down and recalling it when needed.
A particularly poor study habit of mine has been to cram for tests in the 24 hours before taking the test itself. This proves effective for remembering the information long enough to take the test (and sometimes hardly that) but forgetting most of it once I hand the test in. Therefore, I would like to get better at retaining information. Instead of trying to overload my head hours before a test, I need to start studying a week before tests. This would give me adequate time to re-read the text, add to notes/outlines from lectures, and emphasize the important themes so that they will be ingrained in my memory and able to be recalled when the time comes.
These pages discussed what good study habits really are. The book also talked about getting the most out of lectures. It is hard to concentrate when a professor just lectures the whole time but take what you can out of it. It also talked about different memorization strategies. Cramming for a test is not the best idea if you want to do well. You can also use different ways of memorizing such as mnemonic devices and rhymes.
ReplyDeleteUnder developing sound study habits, I chose find a place to study where you can concentrate. What is important about this study habit is that you need to find somewhere where you will not be distracted. This place can be different for each person. If you know that something is going to distract you then don’t even go there. It would be a good idea to pick a few places that you know will be a good study environment so that you have choices.
Under getting more out of lectures, I chose prepare for lectures by reading ahead on the scheduled subject in your text. It is important to do this so that not so much new information is being thrown at you all at once. You will already know what you understand and don’t understand which will allow you to pay more attention in class to the things you are not sure about. This is very important when you are having a difficult time in the class.
Under applying memory principles, I chose engage in adequate practice. The more you review the information the more you are going to remember. The more you practice, the more you will be able to find a deeper meaning of what you are really learning. Overlearning is considered to be a positive thing. It helps to test yourself because it forces you to memorize and understand at the same time. It also helps you to figure out what you do and do not know.
I consider my personal study habits pretty good. I am very good at memorizing stuff but it often times forces me to use mnemonics and rhyming to get a full grasp. I do find that I study best when I simply lock myself in my room and just get it done. In the library I tend to get distracted. One thing I do need to change is that I tend to cram things. It has worked very well for me so far but I would like to see the difference it makes to spread my studying out. I will need to look at my planner and designate certain times for studying for my tests ahead of time.
This section of the book gives students tips and guide on how to be successful. Some information given in this section is advice on how to find a good place to study; showing how important it is for stunts to have a calm and quiet place to study and do homework effectively. Another tip given in this section is to use distributed practice. From this, it explain how cramming for a test is not as effective as spreading out time to study for an exam.
ReplyDeleteA strategy I read about in this section and also personally use a lot is Mnumonic Devices. This is a process of creating keys and phrases to help students remember information for an exam. Another strategy is getting more out of lectures. Studies show that taking strong notes during lectures will help students succeed in the course. Lastly, the third strategy I read about is rewarding your studying. Rewarding yourself is a great way to stay motivated and keep students pushing towards their goals.
For me my favorite studying strategy is not one specifically mentioned in the book, but is using flash card to study information. Personally, continually going over definitions helps me mentally prepare for tests. Another study strategy I most often use is rewarding my studying. If I am studying in the library I will reward myself with a break once I have studied for a certain amount of time or made it to a certain point in my work. These are a few of my study habits.
In these pages, I read about how to study more efficiently and how to get the most out of my studying. It gives you advice on how to not procrastinate your work and to plan out your study schedule. Also, lectures can be pretty boring so you won’t benefit from some of them as much as you should. To get the most out of lectures you should try to prepare by reading ahead on what you will be discussing during your next lecture and write down in your own words what you think the lecture was about. This reading also helps with memory principles and how it can benefit you with studying.
ReplyDeleteSetting a time for studying is necessary when you have a lot on your plate. If you wait around until you feel like studying, then it probably won’t ever be done. Procrastinating is really easy to do, but when it comes to doing a good job on that assignment, it won’t be beneficial. If you get the assignment done right away, then you won’t have to worry about it later and you have more time to do other things. Find a good place to study where there won’t be any distractions. You will be more efficient and get your work done faster. To improve your reading, don’t overlook any of the summaries if there are any. It will help you remember and comprehend what was in the text. To organize your reading assignments you could make an outline for it. Mnemonic devices are very useful when you are studying. Some ways you could use it are acrostics and acronyms. An example would be “Roy G. Biv.” That stands for the colors in the light spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
I think I have a pretty good study schedule, but it isn’t the best. I do use mnemonic devices all of the time and I love using them! They make studying so much easier and you feel awesome on a test when you put them to use. I should set a better schedule on when I need to study, because if it isn’t that interesting I usually wait until the day before and try to study. Having a study buddy will help too, because I have a friend in almost all of my classes and when you set a time for more than one person, you are more likely to follow through with it.
After reading pages 24-29 in the textbook, I learned a few more study habits than I even use myself. It discusses study tip ideas in order to help students gain the best education from the way they study for different classes. It talked about where to study, how to "praise yourself" after studying with a reward. It also went into detail on how to read textbooks and lecture notes more effectively. I myself have a horrible memory. After reading different principles on applying your memory, I feel like I may have learned a trick or two in order to better educate myself! Keeping classes and notes organized also makes a big impact on how well you retain all the information you are given. A scattered plan goes hand in hand with a scattered brain.
ReplyDeleteOne study strategy that I read was mark up reading assignments! Don't be afraid to use a pen/pencil and a highlighter if it means making it easier to remember information! Highlighting a reading section can help reading comprehension and when it comes to reviewing the material before the test, she has less to read over.
The second study strategy is attending class. Even if you are getting notes from a friend, missing class is hard to really grasp the full meaning of the material.
The third study strategy is to organize all information before beginning to study for an exam. Making sure all the notes are categorized will make it easier for the brain to retain all the needed information.
My personal study strategies have seemed to work in the past: I really enjoy studying with friends. I always keep my notes super organized day by day that way when I hit the library with friends I can study a section in my notebook, chat for a study break, and then flip the page and continuing with my studies. I feel like giving myself those breaks is what my brain needs in order for me to achieve my goals.
One study strategy I hope to conquer this upcoming semester is studying more than a few days before the exam. I need to start more like the week before that way I give my brain enough time to function and really understand what I am feeding into it.
This section of our text describes how hard it is for students to be effective in their studies and gives tips to overcome bad habits. One of the ways listed to help overcome bad study habits is simply not procrastinate. We don't procrastinate; what are they talking about? It's a simple concept, to not put things off until the last minute, but it does help. I'm working on it, and if you check the time of this blog, its a work in progress. Another way to overcome habits is to take notes in class. Writing something down reinforces the idea in your head and makes it easier to recall. You get more out of your lectures, and sometimes they actually go by faster. Facebook will still be there after class, supposedly. The last tip given to over bad habits is use mnemonic devices. I really like this one especially in Psych classes there seems to be lots of lists to remember and theories. Instead of remembering the whole list, remember just the first letter or first word of each and life is so much better.
ReplyDeleteMy study habits change from semester to semester based on my schedule. I do find that scheduling my life, despite how OCD it makes me feel, helps. The only thing I haven't really figured out how to do is not fall behind on my writing assignments. I have difficulty meeting writing requirements and getting them done on time regardless of when I start them, how much research I do, what class its for, etc...I'm hoping to work on that.
This section in the chapter discusses ways students can improve their performance in school and their classes. It breaks it down into four subcategories which each have their own set of strategies. The four categories are: developing sound study habits, getting more out of lectures, applying memory principles, and improving your reading.
ReplyDeleteReward your studying-I think rewarding your studying is very important. I usually reward myself with a break to check my phone or social media. I also sometimes just get up and walk around to stretch. If you do this then you are more driven get the set amount of studying done and it also gives your brain a break from trying to absorb all of the material at once.
Look for subtle or not-so-subtle clues from instructors during lectures-When in lecture a lot of professors will emphasize parts of the lecture that they deem more important. If you try to pick up these clues, whether its repeating something or the tone of their voice sounds more urgent, this will usually give you a better idea of what is more important to them for you to study. Usually these things will have a better chance to be on an exam.
Organize information- If you organize the content you are studying it allows you to be able and group certain things together later on when you’re trying to remember them. This gives you a better chance to remember things because you can pull it from something else that you grouped it with earlier.
Honestly my study habits have never been the best. My biggest problem is procrastination. I tend to put off reviewing or reading until the last second. This is not good because then I try and cram all of it in at once when it would be easier to learn it in smaller sections. I will and trying to make my study habits more organized and timely so I do not push everything the last second.
Improving academic performance is all about self-discipline. This section gives four helpful ideas to better your academic performance including: developing sound study habits, improving your reading, getting more out of lectures, and applying memory principles. I think developing sound study habits is the most important, because time management is a huge problem for me. One example of something that could help your study habits is simply making a calendar of when you will study. Time management is a common issue and I feel like a regular study schedule would be very helpful. Improving your reading can be achieved by effective, selective highlighting rather than scratching through a few sentences here and there. Applying memory principles is another strategy listed in this section. An example of applying memory principles is coming up with acronyms to remember things such as PEMDAS for math (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiply/Divide, Addition/Subtraction). I personally use the memory principles quite frequently and it is what helps my studying the most. I plan to continue using this strategy while starting to use a study calendar to hopefully increase my study time effectively.
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