STUDY SKILLS

The SQ3R method

• The SQ3R method is a proven way to sharpen study skills. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review.. It is a good slogan to commit to memory to carry out an effective study strategy.

• Survey - get the best overall picture of what you're going to study BEFORE you study it in any detail. It's like looking at a road map before going on a trip. If you don't know the territory, studying a map is the best way to begin.

• Read the section in the book before class and/or look at the powerpoint.

• Question - ask questions for learning.• The important things to learn are usually

answers to questions. Questions should lead to emphasis on the what, why, how, when, who and where of study content.

• Ask yourself questions as you read or study. As you answer them, you will help to make sense of the material and remember it more easily because the process will make an impression on you.

• Those things that make impressions are more meaningful, and therefore more easily remembered.

• Read - Reading is NOT running your eyes over a textbook. When you read, read actively.

• Read to answer questions you have asked yourself or questions the instructor or author has asked.

• Always be alert to bold or italicized print. The authors intend that this material receive special emphasis.

• Also, when you read, be sure to read everything, including tables, graphs and illustrations. Often times tables, graphs and illustrations can convey an idea more powerfully than written text.

• Recite - When you recite, you stop reading periodically to recall what you have read.

• Try to recall main headings, important ideas of concepts presented in bold or italicized type, and what graphs charts or illustrations indicate.

• Try to develop an overall concept of what you have read in your own words and thoughts.

• Try to connect things you have just read to things you already know. When you do this periodically, the chances are you will remember much more and be able to recall material

• Review - A review is a survey of what you have covered.

• Rereading is an important part of the review process. Reread with the idea that you are measuring what you have gained from the process.

• During review, it's a good time to go over notes you have taken to help clarify points you may have missed or don't understand. The best time to review is when you have just finished studying something.

• Don't wait until just before an examination to begin the review process.

Study tip #1

• Read the material to be covered in a lecture beforehand, and as you are reading create an outline, leaving plenty of space.

• Take this outline to the lecture and add to it new information the teacher gives.

• Highlight parts that you already have listed that are things the teacher stresses as important.

• List questions that you have at the bottom of the outline, with lines to write the answers on.  If the teacher gives the answer during the lecture then write it in the space provided, the questions that are answered, ask for answers.

Study tip #2• When summarizing a chapter of a subject,

type the information out in question format (e.g. instead of simply typing "alveoli are thin in shape which results in fast diffusion of substances..." type "Discuss the structure of alveoli. How does their structure aid them in their primary role?")

• Then type in the answer and, when the chapter summary is completed, print a copy.

• Get a family member or friend to ask you the questions and check your the answer.

• This also works well if you prepare flashcards. It can help you learn new vocabulary more effectively.

Read – How to Read text Effectively

• This method of absorbing material in three passes is useful for many students. It is a way of tackling each section of the text in a specific and analytical way, with ways to test knowledge and assist a student in retaining new knowledge.

• The First Pass: “Skim” the text • Have your notebook, highlighter, pen and

pencil handy for notes. It is probably best to have a separate notebook for each subject.

• First, skim over the text you plan to read in this study session.

• As you skim the text, write down, in your notebook, the main headings or subheadings of each section. Leave about a half page of blank space under each note you make. Headings and subheadings, or other important text, is often made noticeable through use of bold, underlined or italicized text. Try to notice the main ideas in this first pass through the text.

• Second Pass: Focused Reading• This time, read more intently. Go back to the

start of the text. As you read the text under each heading or subheading, make notes of the main ideas. Try to list the main idea at the top, then list the more detailed points in the text that support the main idea. Bullet lists of these supporting points will usually work well.

• Don’t forget to pay attention to pictures, bar graphs, tables or other illustrative methods used to support the author’s point(s).

• Third Pass: Testing your reading • On a separate piece of paper, make a list of

the questions at the end of each section which the textbook authors have written for you to test your knowledge.

• Go back to the start of each section, and just read through each section, one at a time. See if you are now able to answer the questions for each section after you read it all the way through. Don’t try to do this with more than one section at a time, especially with very difficult text.

• If the text does not provide you with questions, you can formulate your own using the wording in the headings and subheadings. You can see if you are able to define what each heading is talking about after you have completed your third pass.

• One good way to review is to use flashcards. You can create your own to act as a study guide on simple, ruled index cards.

• You already have the perfect set of information to use on flash cards from your notes from the text. Your bulleted lists and your main headings can be used to create questions or “fill-in-the-blank” notes or definitions of relevant vocabulary terms, with the answers written on one side and the question on the other.

• You can also use the questions in the textbook as flashcards, with the answers written on the back.

• Explaining what you have learned to someone else helps you remember it.

Using the Multiple choice practice booklet

• USE IT FREQUENTLY TO REVIEW CONTENT

• After each class, check what you know and remember by doing the appropriate questions

• Check your answers, and use the text and/or the powerpoint to correct your answer.

• DO NOT try to memorize the multiple choice questions.

And finally…

• Use the class site on Chatt and check it often.

• It has:– a calendar to help you plan– Assignments and handouts– Answers to the most of the questions in the text– Powerpoints

• There are many many sites on the Internet with study skills. Check them out…they have lots of good ideas to deal with organization, and procrastination.

• Find out what works for you!!!!