How$to$Succeed$as$a$Student$

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How$to$Succeed$as$a$Student$
compiled)by)John)O'Connell2)September)2005)
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!!!!See!below!for!Time!Management!Techniques,!Reading!Tips,!Note!Taking!Techniques,!
and!Other!Misc.!Great!Study!Tips!
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$$$$Time$Management$Techniques$
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!!!!Time''!the!one!thing!nobody!has!enough!of.!The!thing!about!time!is!that!it!can!be!
easily!mismanaged.!This!is!especially!true!when!it!comes!to!homework!and!studies.!
Everyone's!heard!the!old!cliche!that!for!every!hour!you!spend!in!the!classroom,!you!
need!to!spend!two!hours!studying!outside!the!classroom?!This!is!actually!a!good!
rule!of!thumb,!but!isn't!quite!true!for!every!class,!and!certainly!not!for!the!student!
who!uses!good!study!technique.!The!tricky!thing!about!time!management!is!that!it!is!
unique!to!every!person.!There!is!no!exact!formula!for!managing!your!time!wisely,!
but!these!guidelines!are!proven!methods!by!which!you!can!expect!a!greater!level!of!
academic!success.!
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1. Commit!to!your!goal.!You!want!to!finish!college?!You!want!to!do!well?!You!
have!to!be!willing!to!let!anything!that!would!otherwise!distract!you!from!this!
goal!take!a!back!seat.!
2. Create!a!daily!checklist!of!tasks.!Put!studying!on!your!checklist!and!place!it!
near!the!top!of!your!list.!Statistically,!the!first!three!items!on!a!checklist!
usually!get!done!in!any!given!day.!When!you've!completed!your!study,!cross!
it!off!your!checklist!and!accomplish!the!next!item.!
3. Create!a!24'hour!schedule!for!every!day!of!the!week!and!shade!the!blocks!of!
time!that!you!spend!on!your!necessities,!e.g.!work,!classes,!sleep,!commuting,!
meals,!etc.!These!are!built!in!time!blocks!that!everybody!has.!Next,!evaluate!
your!open!time!slots!and!reserve!appropriate!amounts!of!time!for!study.!
4. Evaluate!your!average!weekly!workload!of!assignments/homework!and!try!
to!distribute!that!evenly!over!each!day!that!you!have!study!time!allocated.!
5. Do!a!little!bit!each!day.!Make!the!commitment!to!make!some!forward!
progress!each!and!every!day.!Even!if!you!don't!do!every!bit!of!studying!that!
you!originally!aimed!for,!any!progress!is!better!than!none.!Read!a!chapter!
and!take!notes!on!it,!or!review!your!lecture!notes,!but!absolutely!do!not!
allow!the!time!to!go!unused!or!wasted.!
6. Keep!a!day!planner!or!some!other!means!of!having!your!schedule!available!at!
a!glance.!This!can!help!you!make!decisions!about!planning!your!time!wisely.!
Avoid!any!conflicts!with!your!study!time!if!at!all!possible.!
7. Build!in!small!breaks!in!your!allocated!study!time.!Just!because!you!may!have!
reserved!3!hours!to!study!does!not!mean!that!wouldn't!benefit!from!a!quick!
break!every!now!and!then.!Some!researchers!advise!you!to!study!for!about!
45!minutes!and!then!allow!yourself!to!take!a!2!to!3!minute!break.!Note:!this!
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is!the!time!to!stand!and!stretch!or!use!the!restroom,!not!the!time!to!go!check!
the!sports!scores!on!TV.!
8. DO!NOT!PROCRASTINATE.!You!already!know!that!procrastination!leads!to!
disastrous!consequences.!Do!not!put!off!your!study!time.!Just!because!you!
happen!to!have!weekends!free,!do!not!try!to!schedule!all!of!your!study!time!
for!the!upcoming!week!into!the!weekend.!You'll!be!rushed!and!you'll!take!
shortcuts!that!will!rob!you!of!a!quality!education.!Make!it!a!point!to!do!some!
study!every!day.!
9. Make!studying!convenient!for!yourself.!If!it's!not!convenient,!it!probably!
won't!get!done.!
10. Take!your!books!with!you!everywhere!you!go.!You!can!use!your!break!time!
at!work!to!read!a!quick!few!pages!in!your!text!book.!Make!it!convenient!for!
yourself!to!study!while!you!wait!for!the!bus,!or!at!the!doctor's!office.!Waiting!
rooms!are!great!opportunities!to!pull!out!your!books.!
11. Use!unplanned!time!opportunities!for!study!first.!When!a!hole!suddenly!
opens!in!your!schedule,!fill!it!first!with!study!time!and!then!for!extra'
curricular!activities.!
12. Do!not!try!to!cram!before!exams!or!before!major!papers!are!due.!You!
shouldn't!need!to!dip!into!your!sleep!time!if!you!have!been!properly!
allocating!study!time.!When!you!cram,!your!chances!for!success!are!greatly!
reduced!and!the!quality!of!your!work!goes!right!into!the!toilet.!People!who!
procrastinate!and!cram!are!often!tempted!to!take!shortcuts!that!can!be!quite!
hazardous!to!their!academic!success.!Cheating!would!never!be!an!option!for!
the!student!with!a!well'balanced!approach!to!study.!
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!!!!Managing!your!time!is!a!discipline.!Nobody!can!teach!it!to!you;!you!have!to!figure!
out!what!works!for!you.!Using!the!techniques!presented!here,!you!can!avoid!many!
common!pitfalls!and!greatly!increase!your!scholastic!success.!Remember,!you!have!to!
advocate!for!yourself!when!it!comes!to!time!management;!your!friends!can't!get!you!
through!college.!The!most!common!cause!of!time!mismanagement!for!college!students!
is!peer!pressure.!When!your!friends!invite!you!out!to!that!3Gkegger!party,!you!may!feel!
awkward!in!declining!because!you!have!to!study,!but!in!reality,!it's!just!one!partyGG
there!will!be!others.!Managing!your!time!wisely!is!an!investment!in!yourself!that!will!
pay!exponential!dividends!down!the!road.!Remember!that!foolish!people!will!always!be!
servants!to!the!wise.!
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$$$$Reading$Techniques$
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!!!!We've!all!heard!about!the!importance!and!benefits!of!active!listening!and!how!it!
improves!communication!between!two!parties,!but!did!you!also!know!that!there!is!
such!a!thing!as!active!reading?!Active!reading!combines!various!modalities!to!help!
cement!the!reading!material!in!a!student’s!mind.!Like!listening,!reading!is!also!a!
form!of!communication—from!the!author!to!the!reader.!So!doesn’t!it!follow!logically!
that!being!actively!engaged!in!your!reading!would!lead!to!dramatically!improved!
comprehension!and!reading!efficiency?!This!section!of!study!skills!provides!you!
with!proven!methods!for!successful!reading!and!comprehension.!
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!!!!Before!beginning!any!reading!assignment,!it!is!best!to!create!an!atmosphere!that!is!
conducive!to!reading.!Ideally,!this!is!a!quiet!place,!free!from!distractions!such!as!
phones,!TVs,!and!radios.!Too!many!times,!students!try!to!study!while!watching!TV!or!
listening!to!music!on!their!iPods,!but!these!stimuli!actually!diminish!your!ability!to!
focus!and!comprehend!your!reading.!You!may!find!yourself!reading!the!same!
paragraph!multiple!times!just!to!retain!the!information,!or!you!may!find!that!you!
have!read!whole!sections!of!a!text!and!can’t!remember!any!of!it.!These!simple!tips!
and!hints!can!exponentially!enhance!your!level!of!comprehension!and!the!efficiency!
with!which!you!read.!
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1. Get!familiar!with!your!books.!Like!every!other!muscle!in!the!body,!your!brain!
functions!better!when!it!is!adequately!warmed!up.!Follow!these!simple!quick!
guidelines!to!get!your!brain!into!the!right!gear!for!reading.!
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2. Before!you!just!start!flipping!to!the!assigned!chapter,!take!a!few!moments!at!
the!beginning!of!the!quarter!just!to!flip!casually!through!your!books.!Become!
familiar!with!how!they!are!formatted.!Browse!the!Table!of!Contents!so!you!
have!an!overall!understanding!of!how!the!book!progresses.!
3. Read!the!chapter!summary!BEFORE!you!read!the!chapter.!Chapter!
summaries!capture!the!highlights!of!the!chapter,!so!why!not!clue!yourself!in!
before!you!dive!into!the!reading?!This!way,!you’ll!know!in!advance!how!to!
discern!important!information!from!supplementary!information.!
4. Pay!close!attention!to!any!bolded!or!italicized!text,!or!callouts!in!a!reading!
assignment''this!is!a!visual!indication!that!it!is!important!to!know.!
5. Take!a!couple!of!minutes!to!lightly!skim!the!chapter!page'by'page,!allowing!
your!eyes!to!capture!any!bolded!headings,!or!significant!tables!or!figures.!Do!
not!allow!your!eyes!to!linger!on!any!one!part!too!long.!The!point!is!simply!to!
allow!you!to!warm!up!to!the!subject!matter!and!give!you!a!frame!of!
reference.!
6. Use!highlighters!sparingly.!Large!segments!of!highlighted!text!can!defeat!the!
purpose!of!highlighting.!Try!to!highlight!only!keywords!or!phrases,!not!entire!
paragraphs!or!sentences.!
7. Have!a!pad!of!paper!and!pencil/pen!close!by!and!take!notes!while!you!read.!
Writing!things!down!gives!your!brain!another!modality!with!which!to!
reinforce!the!material.!Most!people!remember!things!much!better!if!they!
combine!reading!with!writing!it!down.!Write!down:!
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❏ Any!new!words!to!which!you!do!not!know!the!definition.!Look!up!the!
definition!of!the!word!and!write!it!down.!This!significantly!helps!
develop!your!vocabulary.!
❏ Questions!you!may!naturally!ask!yourself!about!the!subject!matter.!
Feel!free!to!challenge!the!author’s!thought.!If!you!agree!or!disagree!
with!something!you!read,!this!often!makes!great!classroom!discussion!
points.!Writing!down!your!questions!also!prevents!you!from!
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forgetting!to!ask!the!questions!when!you!get!to!class!because!you!have!
them!all!recorded.!
❏ Paraphrase!main!points!as!you!read!
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8. When!you!are!done!reading!a!chapter/section:!
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❏ Re'read!the!chapter!summary.!Often!this!will!solidify!the!
concepts/ideas!you!have!just!read.!
❏ Take!a!moment!to!WRITE!DOWN!a!short!summary!of!the!main!point!
of!the!chapter/section/article!you!have!just!read.!
❏ Close!the!book!and!review!your!notes.!This!is!a!good!time!to!reflect!on!
new!vocabulary!words,!and!see!if!you’re!able!to!answer!any!of!the!
questions!you!had!written!down!as!you!read.!Save!any!questions!you!
could!not!find!answers!for!and!bring!them!up!in!class.!Instructors!love!
an!interactive!classroom!and!welcome!dialog.!
❏ Take!3!to!5!minutes!to!allow!your!mind!to!absorb!what!you!just!read.!
Put!down!your!book,!close!your!eyes!and!just!try!to!reflect!on!the!
subject!matter.!Some!people!find!it!helpful!to!stand!up!and!stretch!
while!they!do!this.!Do!whatever!works!for!you!as!long!as!you!try!to!
remain!focused!on!recalling!the!subject!matter.!This!is!not!the!time!to!
turn!on!the!radio!or!TV.!
❏ When!reading!long!chapters,!take!frequent,!short!(1!minute!or!less)!
breaks.!Take!this!time!to!reflect!on!what!you’ve!read!while!giving!your!
eyes!a!break!from!the!text.!
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!!!!Many!students!may!regard!these!tips!as!inefficient.!They!may!feel!that!taking!notes!
while!you!read,!or!skimming!chapters!takes!too!much!time!and!gets!in!the!way!of!just!
getting!the!reading!done.!However,!significant!ongoing!research!has!demonstrated!
nearly!conclusively!that!applying!these!strategies!for!reading!actually!increases!
reading!efficiency.!Students!are!able!to!retain!the!information!for!a!much!longer!
period!of!time,!and!because!they!don’t!spend!time!reGreading!sections!in!an!attempt!to!
pick!up!what!they!missed!due!to!improper!reading!technique,!they!are!able!to!process!
the!information!and!move!on!to!the!next!reading!assignment.!Try!these!helpful!hints!
and!if!you!are!not!completely!satisfied!after!just!3!weeks,!we’ll!refund!your!money!no!
questions!asked!!
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!!!!Note$Taking$Techniques$
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!!!!Taking!good!lecture!notes!is!a!great!way!to!be!engaged!and!focused,!and!provides!
a!tremendous!opportunity!to!create!your!own!study!guide!!Note!taking!techniques!
are!an!important!tool!in!your!study!strategy.!How!many!times!do!you!see!people!
trying!frantically!to!capture!every!word!the!instructor!utters!during!lecture?!
Contrary!to!what!most!instructors!would!tell!you,!not!everything!they!say!is!worth!
writing!down.!This!method!is!really!inefficient!and!can!render!your!lecture!notes!
completely!ineffective!as!study!tools.!A!better!strategy!is!to!learn!how!to!capture!
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only!important!pieces!of!information!from!the!lecture.!This!section!provides!hints!
for!taking!lecture!notes!that!are!concise!and!usable.!
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1. Rule!your!paper!with!a!2'inch!margin!on!the!left!leaving!a!six'inch!area!on!
the!right!in!which!to!make!notes.!During!class,!take!down!information!in!the!
six'inch!area.!When!the!instructor!moves!to!a!new!point,!skip!a!few!lines.!See!
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/cae.tut/TCornell.htmfor!an!illustration.!
2. At!the!top!of!each!page,!write!the!class!title!and!the!date.!Number!your!pages!
of!notes!in!case!they!ever!get!misplaced.!This!helps!you!get!them!back!into!
proper!order.!
3. Use!a!pencil!and!ditch!the!pens.!When!taking!notes,!pencils!are!best!because!
you!can!erase!and!rewrite.!If!you!make!a!mistake!using!a!pen,!you'll!have!to!
scratch!it!out!making!your!notes!appear!messy!and!unorganized.!Pick!up!a!
good!mechanical!pencil!so!you'll!always!have!a!sharp!lead,!and!keep!a!
separate!eraser!handy.!
4. Start!each!lecture!session!of!notes!on!a!fresh!page.!Do!not!start!taking!notes!
where!you!left!off!from!the!previous!class!time.!
5. All!notes!should!be!done!with!bullets!
6. Notes!do!not!have!to!be!complete!sentences!
7. Notes!must!make!sense!
8. Notes!must!always!be!in!your!own!words!except!for!key!specialized!terms!of!
phrases!specific!to!the!discipline!you!are!studying!
9. Notes!must!always!be!neat,!and!organized!so!that!when!you!go!back!to!read!
them!you!will!understand!what!you!wrote!
10. When!you!change!topics,!start!a!fresh!page!
11. Do!not!forget!at!the!end!of!each!topic!to!summarize!your!notes!and!write!
questions!that!you!still!have!
12. When!you!come!to!an!important!word!that!is!unique!to!your!topic!write!it!
into!your!notes,!with!a!definition.!
13. Always!write!down!definitions!of!new!terms!given!in!lecture.!
14. Only!write!down!main!points.!Do!not!try!to!copy!verbatim!lectures.!Often!an!
instructor!will!provide!main!points!and!then!color!them!in!with!useful,!but!
not!totally!necessary!information.!Your!notes!are!intended!to!help!you!study!
after!lecture,!so!as!a!rule!of!thumb,!only!write!down!things!that!will!jog!your!
brain!concerning!the!main!topic.!
15. Write!down!anything!the!teacher!sees!fit!to!write!on!a!
whiteboard/chalkboard/overhead/.!Another!rule!of!thumb:!if!the!teacher!
thinks!it's!important!enough!to!write!it!down,!so!should!you.!
16. Use!only!one!side!of!the!paper!for!taking!notes.!Reserve!the!back!of!your!
papers!for!any!illustrations!or!diagrams,!and!questions!you!may!have!during!
the!lecture.!
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!!!!Good!note!taking!helps!your!notes!become!effective!study!and!referral!tools.!If!you!
follow!these!tips,!you!can!expect!to!achieve!better!concentration!during!lectures!
because!you!won't!be!caught!up!trying!to!write!down!everything.!Your!brain!will!be!
better!equipped!to!think!critically!during!lecture!and!contribute!questions!or!
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comments!during!class!time.!Take!the!time!to!do!your!notes!right,!because!if!you!do!it!
right!the!first!time,!you!won't!have!to!spend!time!later!flipping!through!a!catalog!of!
unorganized!scribble!from!lectures!past.!
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$$$$Miscellaneous$Study$Techniques$
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!!!!This!is!a!very!generic!list!of!study!techniques!that!have!been!proven!helpful.!Every!
student!has!different!strengths!and!modalities!of!learning.!That!is,!some!people!are!
more!visual!learners;!others!are!more!audible,!while!still!others!are!more!tactile.!
The!best!learning!experience!is!often!some!combination!of!all!of!these!modalities.!
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1. Writing!as!you!read!helps!to!solidify!ideas!in!your!mind!and!engages!a!
different!part!of!your!brain,!improving!your!reading!comprehension.!
2. Make!flash!cards!when!you!have!several!terms!to!learn.!On!one!side,!write!
the!word,!on!the!other,!write!the!definition.!As!you!go!through!the!flash!
cards,!make!two!piles:!1!pile!of!the!terms!you!know!well,!and!the!other!pile!of!
terms!you!do!not.!This!way,!you!can!focus!on!memorizing!the!terms!you!
don?t!already!know.!
3. After!reading!a!chapter,!try!to!create!a!memory!map.!Write!down!the!central!
idea!and!then!draw!connecting!lines!to!supporting!details.!This!can!help!
establish!relationships!between!concepts.!For!more!information!on!memory!
mapping!technique,!visit!http://www.studygs.net/mapping/!
4. When!writing!term!papers!or!essays,!start!early;!do!not!wait!until!the!night!
before!it!is!due!to!write!your!paper.!When!you!first!start!your!paper,!just!put!
your!ideas!into!words!on!the!page.!DO!NOT!concern!yourself!with!spelling,!
grammar,!or!format.!Just!getting!your!thoughts!into!your!document!is!a!big!
step.!Your!job!at!this!point!is!just!to!write.!Later,!you!can!put!on!the!editor's!
hat!and!rearrange/reformat/spell!and!grammar'check.!Just!get!ideas!on!
paper!without!trying!to!edit!yourself!as!you!write.!Let!your!thoughts!and!
ideas!flow!unrestricted.!
5. Edit!your!term!paper!on!paper.!That!is,!print!out!your!term!paper!and!read!it!
on!hard!copy.!Many!times,!your!eyes!miss!critical!errors!when!displayed!on!
your!computer!screen.!This!is!the!time!to!check!the!flow!of!your!ideas;!do!
they!develop!and!support!the!thesis!of!your!paper?!Are!your!paragraphs!
arranged!under!headings!that!make!sense?!Mark!up!your!paper!with!a!red!
pen!and!then!go!back!to!edit!your!soft!copy.!
6. When!taking!any!exam''!take!home!or!in'classroom''read!the!exam!top!to!
bottom!FIRST.!Do!not!answer!any!questions,!just!read!all!instructions.!This!
helps!you!get!an!idea!what!material!you!are!about!to!tested!and!gives!your!
brain!time!to!ramp!up.!
7. During!a!test,!answer!the!questions!which!you!are!confident!about!first.!Get!
the!easy!answers!out!of!the!way,!so!you!can!use!the!remaining!time!to!
consider!and!evaluate!the!tougher!questions.!
8. Speak!up!in!class.!If!you!don't!understand!something,!make!sure!the!
instructor!clarifies!it!for!you.!Nobody!is!judging!you!because!you!have!
questions.!
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9. On!the!first!day!of!class,!introduce!yourself!to!your!instructor!and/or!
teaching!team.!Establish!a!relationship!at!the!very!outset!of!the!course.!Often,!
this!simple!gesture!is!perceived!as!a!genuine!interest!in!the!course!material.!
You!might!ask!if!the!instructor!could!recommend!any!other!books!relating!to!
the!course!that!might!supplement!your!understanding.!Instructors!like!being!
engaged,!so!take!advantage!of!them!as!a!resource.!
10. Utilize!a!professor's!office!hours!for!all!of!the!reasons!listed!in!the!point!just!
above!
11. Get!a!library!card!for!a!library!close!to!you!and!use!it.!Many!times,!you!may!
find!that!a!particular!concept!isn't!making!sense!to!you!as!explained!in!your!
prescribed!text.!The!library!offers!you!a!vast!resource!for!finding!other!books!
that!may!be!able!to!better!explain!the!concept!you!are!struggling!to!
understand.!When!an!idea!is!proposed!many!different!ways,!your!brain!
develops!familiar!relationships!between!concepts,!and!this!gives!you!a!better!
chance!to!gain!the!understanding.!
12. Use!your!local!library!as!a!place!for!you!to!study!if!space!or!a!proper!
environment!is!a!concern!at!home.!
13. To!achieve!success!in!college,!imitate!the!practices!of!successful!students.!
14. Form!relationships!with!your!classmates!early!in!the!term.!Nobody!gets!
through!college!on!their!own.!Talk!to!the!people!you!sit!next!to!and!offer!to!
exchange!email!addresses.!Studying!with!another!person!can!really!improve!
the!breadth!of!your!study.!
15. When!studying!with!others,!remember!to!stay!on!task.!Do!not!become!
distracted!with!unrelated!conversations!or!make!it!a!social!gathering.!Keep!
your!focus!on!study.!
16. When!choosing!a!place!to!sit!in!the!classroom,!sit!as!close!to!the!front!as!
possible.!You'll!have!better!visibility!to!the!visual!aids,!and!you!won't!have!to!
speak!up!as!loudly!when!talking!to!the!instructor.!
17. If!you!happen!to!sit!next!to!a!classmate!who!is!not!paying!attention!or!who!
distracts!you!in!any!way,!feel!free!to!move!at!the!earliest!possible!
convenience.!If!your!seating!is!assigned!and!you!can't!choose!another!seat,!
discuss!it!with!the!instructor!during!the!break!or!at!the!end!of!class.!Inform!
him/her!that!your!neighbors!are!creating!a!distraction!and!you!are!having!
difficulty.!
18. Be!early!to!class.!Arrive!approximately!5!minutes!before!your!class!begins.!
19. Whenever!you!receive!a!handout!in!class,!put!the!date!on!the!top!of!the!page!
and!put!it!in!your!notebook!in!date!order.!You!may!have!to!3'hole!punch!it!
later,!but!make!sure!you!file!it!in!your!notebook.!Handouts!are!often!very!
important;!if!the!teacher!thinks!it's!important!enough!for!him/her!to!go!
through!the!trouble!of!printing!up!copies!for!the!class,!it's!probably!going!to!
contain!information!you!will!need!at!some!later!time.!
20. Put!the!date!on!everything!you!hand!in,!or!receive.!
21. Keep!ALL!of!your!returned!homework,!tests,!quizzes,!and!term!papers.!When!
something!is!handed!back!to!you,!put!the!date!on!the!top!of!the!page!and!file!
it!in!your!notebook.!These!items!serve!as!evidence!if!there!are!ever!
discrepancies!in!grade!reporting.!
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22. When!you!receive!graded!tests,!go!over!each!question!carefully.!Write!down!
questions!that!you!missed!and!research!the!correct!answers!because!this!
makes!an!ideal!study!tool!for!you!to!use!on!final!exams.!You!may!have!missed!
the!question!on!the!midterm,!but!if!it!shows!up!again!on!the!final,!you'll!be!
able!to!answer!it!correctly.!
23. View!all!incorrect!answers!on!a!test!as!opportunities!to!correct!yourself.!
"Mistakes!are!the!portals!of!discovery!"!A!test!is!a!very!useful!tool!because!it!
pinpoints!gaps!in!your!understanding!and!by!taking!a!proactive!approach!to!
filling!in!these!gaps,!your!success!as!a!student!is!all!but!guaranteed.!
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!!!!Below,!you'll!find!some!very!helpful!study!skills!links.!Refer!to!them!often!because!
they!can!dramatically!improve!your!success!as!a!student:!
!
!!!!!!!!*!http://www.how'to'study.com/!
!!!!!!!!*!http://www.how'to'study.com/!
!!!!!!!!*!http://www.d.umn.edu/student/loon/acad/strat/!
!!!!!!!!*!http://www.howtostudy.org/resources.php!
!!!!!!!!*!http://www.sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl.html!
!!!!!!!!*!http://euler.slu.edu/Dept/SuccessinMath.html!
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