Developing Good Study Habits that Will Improve Test Scores
College is a unique experience for everyone. For some, learning and test taking comes naturally, but for many it is an acquired skill. Whether you are looking at colleges in Nampa or any other city, it is essential that you form good study habits that enable you to test well. Most college course grades are determined by four tests a semester and nothing else. The following habits will help you to be your best when it comes to exams: copious note taking, reviewing often, and using your resources.
Notes, Notes, Notes
Anyone who has made the transition from high school to college learns in their first lecture the substantial differences between the two. College courses are fast paced often covering an entire chapter in one class period. In college, you are treated as an adult who is responsible for taking ownership of your own learning. For this reason, it is essential that you take copious amounts of detailed notes. The art of note taking involves being able to weed out the superfluous from the essential, testable information. It takes time, but is a skill that can only be learned through practice. Over time, you will find yourself easily picking out the most important points in a lecture and jotting them down quickly and efficiently.
Review Often
Taking pages of notes isn’t going to do you any good if you don’t review those notes often. At least once a week, sit down and review all the notes you have taken for a specific class that week. Make additional notes about any concepts that are unclear and take the time to thoroughly learn them. If the class covers an especially large amount of information, your professor may have his lectures recorded and available online. This is another great way to review any concepts that seem fuzzy. The most important thing is not to let yourself get
behind. It is much easier to retain information that is built upon itself one week at a time than to try and cram the last few days leading up to an exam.
Use Your Resources
Most college classes have a variety of resources to help keep you on top of things. Your professor has office hours that are dedicated to students with questions about class. Most of them have at least one teacher’s assistant (TA) who also has hours in which they can help answer any questions you may have about course content. TAs may also hold weekly or bi weekly supplemental instruction (SI) meetings where they review the information your professor has gone over in class that week and answer questions in a group form. These are especially helpful when it gets closer to exam time as they review all possible information on which you ma y be tested.
College isn’t the same experience for everyone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed. Whether you are at a Nampa college campus or a campus in Long Island, taking notes, reviewing often and using your resources are the keys to developing good study habits that will improve your test scores.
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