Top Ten . . .
Study Strategies
Learning Resources Center
University of Pennsylvania
www.vpul.upenn.edu/lrc
#1: Preview the text
Why would I want to do that?
 Helps you determine what you already know about the topic and
how much you need to learn.
 Helps you plan how to break the reading assignment into
manageable chunks so that you use your time efficiently.
How do I do that?
 Read the table of contents to understand the topics of
each chapter and how they relate to each other.
 Read all the headings and subheadings.
 Learn all you can from pictures, maps and graphics.
 Read the questions or problems at the end of the
chapter.
 Divide the assignment into smaller chunks and begin
reading.
#2: Take notes in the
text
use your highlighter cautiously!
 If you’re going to highlight, make sure you use your
highlighter sparingly to identify the really important
main ideas.
Best Way?
Write short summaries, questions or comments in the
margin of the text.
helps you to engage with the text and gives you a
running record of your understanding
Or . . .
Take notes in a separate notebook
Remember – you are synthesizing and summarizing,
not copying.
#3: Review your notes
within 24 hours
True or False?
Without ongoing review we lose 98% of the total sum of
ideas entering the mind within a 4 week period of time.
True!
 Review your class notes within 24 hours in order to
transfer what you’ve heard from your short term to
long term memory
 Take a few minutes each day to skim through your
notes, fill in information you missed, and identify
questions you have.
#4: Study for an exam
with the format in mind
Not all exam questions are created equal.
 Modify your study strategies to reflect the type
of thinking skills required on the exam.
 Have a sense of how many questions will be on the
exam so that you can allot enough time to each
question.
#5: Study actively
Sound familiar?
 You have a Biology test tomorrow, but you feel
confident that you know the material.
 You’ve read all the chapters and reviewed your
lecture notes.
 You take the exam and it seems as though the
questions don’t represent the information you
were told to study.
What went wrong? . . .
. . .you didn’t study
actively.
“So, how do I do that?”
 Draw diagrams or charts representing relationships
between ideas
 Work through practice problems and old exam
questions
 Create a study group and quiz each other
 Cover up your notes and talk through a concept as
though you were teaching it to someone else.
 Make flash cards or study sheets and review them
regularly.
#6: Form a Study Group
Some facts about study groups:
Provide
greater opportunities to question, review, clarify,
and discuss.
an audience to read, respond to, and discuss their
drafts of their papers.
Encourage a variety of problem-solving strategies.
Help
 reduce procrastination
increase motivation
 ease anxiety.
“Okay, I have a study group...
now what?”
IMPORTANT! Set an agenda to make sure your
study session doesn’t become a social session
Practice problem-solving techniques
Practice teaching one another
Test each other
Compare class notes
Have each group member take responsibility
for leading a discussion on one part of an
assignment
#7: Make Your Time Visual
Gives you more control over your use of time.
 Write due dates on a monthly or semester
calendar.
 Create a weekly schedule with designated study
times.
 Make “to do” lists – cross off items when you
complete them
 Keep your calendar and “to do” lists in a highly
visible spot – refer to them regularly
#8: Be Conscious of Your
Environment and Time of
Day
 Environment
Can mean the difference between productively
completing an assignment and staring blankly into
space
Consider
level of background noise
level of comfort
types of distractions.
 Time of Day
 Study your most difficult subjects when you are
most alert.
#9: If You Have Trouble
Beginning a Paper...Just
Write!
 Freewriting
Instead of staring at a blank screen, just start
typing whatever comes into your head
Once you’ve had a chance to purge, begin directing
your freewriting to ideas that are relevant to your
paper.
 What if that doesn’t work?
 Discuss your ideas with a friend
Ask your friend to just listen and write down what
you say so that you have a record of your
thoughts to use as the basis for your paper.
#10: Get to Know Your
Teachers
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Why?
They’re experts in the content of the course
They’ve studied this material themselves
They’re well-positioned to help you develop effective
study strategies in that particular course/discipline
The more they know you the more they can help you
Visit office hours BEFORE you begin having
problems
Make an appointment at the beginning of the year so
that your teachers know who you are and how they
can help you.