The Art of Being a Good Student . . .

How to Beef Up Your Study Skills

Once upon a time, educators believed that people were either “good students” or “bad students.”

Good students found it easy to absorb information and pass tests about it.

Bad students found it hard to soak up information and pass tests about it.

Some educators foolishly believed that the ability to study efficiently was an indicator of intelligence – that good students were smarter than bad students.

Then all that changed. Psychologists realized that studying wasn’t directly tied to intelligence. They started to understand that some very intelligent people simply lacked specific study skills that could be taught.

So, what are good study skills? Here are some simple approaches that we recommend to our students at StraighterLine.

First, Learn to Read More Effectively

Does your mind wander when you have to read a long passage? If so, your reading skills need a quick tune-up. Here are some steps to take:

First, minimize distractions. Find a quiet place where you can read and concentrate.

Second, get an overview of your reading selection by skimming it. Pay special attention to chapter titles, subheads and boldface text. After you skim, you’ll have a good idea about what your reading selection is all about.

Third, dig a little deeper by skimming the first and last sentences of each paragraph to discover the main ideas they contain. Make notes in the margins or highlight important information or ideas.

Fourth, read each paragraph or short section more closely. As you do, identify its main idea and supporting arguments. Again, make notes or use a highlighter.

Fifth, retell the information to yourself or to someone else. When you explain aloud the main idea and supporting arguments, you cement the information in your mind.

Sixth, review what you have read, and the notes you took, every few days.

Seventh, reflect about the material. Try to see how it fits into the bigger picture of the subject or course that you are studying.

Second, Learn to Take Notes More Effectively

Whether you are taking notes on online course materials, lectures, or reading assignments, here are some steps to success:

Write the main ideas larger than the supporting ideas. (Or underline them, or write them all in capital letters.) This technique helps you remember the big ideas and makes it easier for you to review them later on when you study your notes.

Leave lots of white space. Cluttered notes are overwhelming and harder to read.

Make a separate outline that summarizes your notes. It should clarify the main points and supporting information.

Write in your margins or highlight important ideas. The idea is to make the most important material stand out from surrounding information.


Related Posts
The Other SAT (StraighterLine Aptitude Test)
3 Classic Study Strategies that Speed Online Learning
Why Online Study Takes the Risk Out Of Learning

Related Training
College for $99 a Month
Online College Algebra Course
English Composition Online Course
Macroeconomics Online Course
Online Accounting Course

3 Classic Study Strategies that Speed Online Learning

If you want to get some perspective about the power of computers as teaching machines, think about Socrates. That’s right – Socrates, the dude who did himself in by drinking hemlock juice. History tells us that every day, Athenian students would gather in a circle around Socrates while he gave long talks and engaged them in spirited conversations.

That’s a pretty inefficient way to learn. Today, we can fire up our computers and review page after page of information, all presented in an engaging, interactive format. If Socrates saw the teaching power of computers, he would probably drop his toga and run for the nearest Best Buy to get one of his own.

Yes, computers are powerful learning tools. But the problem is, they are also capable of quickly delivering vast quantities of information - more information than most people can easily absorb. If you’ve ever had the feeling that it’s challenging to shuttle all that information from your computer screen into your cerebral cortex, these classic learning strategies can help.

1. Strategy one: Take notes. Sounds pretty unexciting, right? But the fact is, taking notes on paper while you are studying online is a highly effective way to internalize information. And there is more to it than simply writing down facts so you can study them later on. When you write down information, you remember more of it. Try it – it works.
   
   
2. Strategy two: Talk to people about what you are learning. Old Socrates knew the power of dialogue as a learning tool. When you talk stuff over, you remember more of it. And it still works today. So if you’re taking say, an online accounting course, get in the habit of saying to a friend, “Hey, let me tell you what I learned today.” (You might need to get new friends every week or two, but you’re learning, right?)
   
   
3. Strategy three: Start using your knowledge as soon as you can. If you’re taking an online college statistics course, say, start analyzing companies right away – or find a way to start using your new analytical chops on the job. One of the most powerful ways to internalize concepts is to start using them. As soon as information becomes practical, not theoretical, it sticks in your mind.
   

And another strategy for better online learning . . .

Make sure to select online courses that have been developed by organizations like Straighterline, that deliver information in an engaging, interactive format. It takes great course developers to create great online college courses – and you’ll find them here.


Related Posts
How Distance Learners Can Make College Rock
Why Online Study Takes the Risk Out Of Learning
Can the U.S. Government Help You Pay for College?
How to Beat the Hidden (and Very High) Costs of Applying to College

Related Training
College for $99 a Month
Online College Algebra Course
English Composition Online Course
Macroeconomics Online Course
Online Accounting Course