Improving Study Skills

You can always improve your study skills. Developing good skills and habits in high school will help you make learning the material more effective and ease the transition to college classes. In college, learning is a much more individual effort so going the extra mile in high school will pay off later on.

Some good study skills to develop:

Questioning. If a concept doesn't make sense to you, ask someone to explain it. Talk with a teacher or even a classmate who gets it. Ask questions until you feel you have a grasp on the topic.

Make studying a regular habit. And don't just focus on getting homework done. Really put effort into learning, understanding and applying the concepts learned in class to your daily activities.

Take notes every day in class. Then review those notes. Highlight key points. Write down questions you want to ask and points to study further.

Go beyond the assignment. Writing helps many people retain information, so take advantage of that and write down key points from reading assignments, make flash cards or create your own practice tests.

Schedule it. Don't let studying become just another item on the to-do list that remains undone. Schedule a regular time and place. Keep distractions to a minimum.

Studying is really about developing a set of habits and skills that work best for you. Like any habit, it can be difficult to get into a routine, but stick with it and you'll find it gets easier.

Source: ACT's News You Can Use
Posted: 12/16/2009