Water cooler: Tips for returning to school
Before the homework and tests start piling up, take a look at these studying tips to help you stay afloat and be prepared for all the learning that the school year is going to throw your way.
Get organized. Cramming is not only stressful, but it leads to lackluster results and does very little for actual retention. The best way to avoid last-minute studying is to know what lies ahead in the quarter or semester. Use a planner or wall calendar, whatever works as a more effective reminder for you and your family, and plot every date you have for quizzes, tests and deadlines so far. A wall calendar in a high-traffic area of the home is especially helpful for families because it gets everyone on the same page at a glance and makes it easier for parents to hold their students accountable to their schedule and deadlines.
Many teachers will give students a syllabus with test dates, but not every student will hold on to or revisit a syllabus throughout the class duration. Transferring these dates to a personal calendar not only helps students keep track of upcoming assignments, but it helps students better conceptualize just how much time they have between each important date. This helps eliminate any surprises and gives students a chance to plan ahead and break down how much studying they should be doing each day.
Remember that studying is more than staying up on homework. Effective studying requires active engagement with material. A great way to build studying into regular homework is to take notes while completing assignments. It may feel like extra work at first, but really it can be very efficient and effective in the long run. You already have to go through the material to complete the assignment, so while it’s on your mind jot down some notes and questions. This helps students digest the material as they are completing the assignment and become aware of what concepts they don’t understand, preparing them to actively engage in class the next day with questions at the ready. This can serve as a rough draft for a study guide, making material review a lot easier than it would be to sift through pages of text that hasn’t been visited in days or weeks.
Learn how to take effective notes. First, remember that notes are not an exact copy of the instructor’s words or of the material. Notes are meant to be shorter versions of what you have learned, put into your own words. This helps material become learned rather than only memorized. Next, figure out your favorite method of notetaking. Cornell notetaking is a popular method that divides a sheet of paper into columns – one big column on the right for taking notes in the moment and then a smaller column on the left for writing down the key points as the material is reviewed. At the bottom is a section for overall summary. However, that is just one method. Find what works best for the way you learn. Youtube has a ton of notetaking tutorials if you would like to learn about different methods.
Preview the material. Prep your brain before diving in to studying by skimming through the material, looking at pictures and captions, titles, subheads and fact boxes. This gives the brain some context for the in-depth reading and review. Context helps you understand how all of the details relate which clears up the bigger picture and naturally facilitates better critical thinking and analysis.