by Jennifer E. Brown

Created on: October 11, 2008

The key to becoming successful in college is to form strong, effective study habits. Throughout my years as a student, I have used trial and error to find the best ways to study. While some have been successful, others have needed multiple attempts to become effective. Teachers are effective in how they prepare their exams, and such things as math, humanities, languages, and sciences are all going to be tested differently. I hope some of my trial and error techniques benefit you as well.

First, read the material assigned to you in the syllabus. This is vital to your time spent as a student. If you don't read the material, how are you going to know the test material? Likewise, how do you expect to do well on the tests? As you read, consider which note taking technique works best.

It's important to highlight key information either in your textbooks or in your notes. If your school is similar to mine, we're not allowed to mark in our texts. In my notes, however, I highlight and color code my information. For terms, I usually choose a bold color such as pink. I underline it instead of a bold going it-it just makes my notes looks cleaner. My definitions go in yellow, and if the teacher says "This will be on a test," I put an asterisk in blue. It helps keep me very organized. Be cautious, however, because too much highlighting can be ineffective.

Another way to organize your information is chapter outlines. These may be time-consuming, but I have always found them to prove beneficial. Here's what my outline usually looks like:

I. Main Title
A. Subtitle
1. Main Point
a) sub main point
b) sub main point
2. Main point
a) sub main point
b) sub main point
B. Subtitle
II. 2nd Main Title

If this outline is done correctly, then it will allow you to retrieve information quickly in an organized way. I've studied for tests this way, and gotten high grades. Don't forget to label, or you may get lost in your outline.

Fourth, a technique I frequently use for my math courses are practice tests. Face it, there's no easy way to study for math except to practice, practice and practice the problems some more. If you're attentive in the course and taking effective notes, then working through the problems shouldn't be hard. However, if it is-go through the quizes and tests you've had, and your homework, and give this a try.

If you've tried these so far with no success, strike up a conversation with your neighbor who sits beside you. Suggest you set up a study group outside of class to compare notes and prepare for tests. Chances are that if you're struggling, then there is someone else struggling too.

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