Find your best time to study. Everyone has a natural body cycle. There are times during the day
when your mind is the sharpest and times when you have energy slumps. Some people are “
morning people” and don’t study as well late at night. Some people are grouchy until sometime
in the afternoon. Night owls probably study best at night. If possible, study at the time when
your mind is most alert.
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Schedule 2 hours of study a week for every hour of class. A three- hour class may require six
hours of study a week. Study in short segments and take frequent breaks. Work up to 45
minutes an hour with a 15 minute break. The mind does not absorb information as well with
long continuous study.
The environment where you study affects how well you learn. Find a good place. It can be your
own desk in your own study. It can also be a kitchen table, a corner of a room used for other
things, or a study carrel on campus. Wherever you study, organize your area for maximum
effectiveness. Ask family members or housemates to respect your space—at least when you are
using it to study.
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Study in the same place at home and at school. New places distract you.
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Use a comfortable chair that won’t strain your back.
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Check the lighting, is it adequate? You should able to see without strain. Too much light
or too little light will strain your eyes and reduce study effectiveness.
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Ventilation? Warm stuffy rooms will put you to sleep. The room should be cool but not
drafty.
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You need a solid flat surface you can write on. Clear off everything except what you are
working on. Keep desk clear when you are not using it.
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Make sure you have your supplies near you. Keep them in a shoe- box or zip-up pouch if
you do not have a desk that you can use all the time.
SUPPLIES
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A desk that has only what you need to study on it.
The notebook that you put together for that class.
Books.
Clock or watch.
Binder, one for each class and paper.
Pens, highlighters, paper clips, inexpensive hole-punch.
Work a little each day. You may not have a solid two- hour block of time each day to spend
studying. You may have to use half hour blocks—part of your lunch break, on the bus to work,
after the kids are in bed, early in the morning, etc. Use these small study blocks productively by
breaking up big tasks into smaller manageable tasks:
 Review class notes
 Read a section of the reading assignment
 Make a plan for library research.
If you must study in long sessions, remember to take frequent breaks.
Dealing With Distractions
External
Internal
DEALING WITH DISTRACTION
EXTERNAL
(Adapted from “Improving your concentration” by Linda Wong.)
Technique
How it Works
Set the Stage
Use the strategies discussed in this workshop to set up your time
and space for studying. “Set the stage” to get down to work.
Red Bow
Place a large red bow (or any other item that serves as a signal)
on your door or in front of you when you are studying. Train
people around you to recognize the signal as a sign that you are
working and are not to be disturbed.
Take-Charge
When the people, or the environment around you, are too
disruptive and outside of your control, take charge and move to
another place or remove the distraction if possible. You can take
charge by refusing to answer the phone, by refusing to turn on
the TV, and by refusing to blame others for your inability to
concentrate in a certain location.
Say-No
Friends and family will frequently ask you to do something with
them or for them when you have planned to study. Keep focusing
on your priorities and just say no. Let them know the times when
you will be available. This kind of assertiveness can be used to
tell your-self “no” to distractions such as snacking, TV or talking
on the phone.
No-Need
Your concentration is often broken by giving attention to minor
noises in the environment, even when you know the source of the
noise. Train yourself not to pay attention. Keep your eyes on
your work and tell yourself “no need” to look up; quickly get
back to your work.
Checkmark
Each time you lose your concentration, make a checkmark on a
“score card” placed on your desk. At the end of your study
session, count the number of checks you received. Set a goal
each time you study to reduce the number of check marks or
distractions.
DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS
INTERNAL
(Adapted from “Improving your concentration” by Linda Wong)
Technique
Mentally “Set
the Stage”
How It Works
Prepare your mind with positive self talk, visualize
success, read an inspirational saying that you like, set
your goals for that study session.
Mental Storage Before you begin studying, identify any worries, emotions
and concerns that might interrupt your concentration.
Box
Place them inside an imaginary box. Mentally shove that
box aside for the time being. Your mental distractors are
put away until you find a more appropriate time to deal
with them.
To–do List
Make a To-do List of chores, responsibilities, or tasks that
you keep thinking about because you feel you need to get
them done. Once the list is made, it is easier to put it “out
of your mind” while you study. When you finish
studying, set a time to deal with items on your list.
Read Smarter
The SQ4R Method
Using the SQ4R can help you to learn and remember what you read.
The SQ4R strategy is based on the idea that what you do before and after you read is as
important as the reading itself. Understanding and using the following strategies will increase
your comprehension and your retention of the information.
SQ4R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Record, Recite and Review.
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Survey the chapter.
Write Questions for each heading and subheading.
Read the information one section at a time.
Record the information.
Recite important information.
Review the information learned from the chapter.
Survey
Why?
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To get an overview of what you will be studying: how the chapter is organized, what
study aids are included, etc.
To give a purpose to your reading.
How?
Survey or “look through” the chapter to get the main idea and the purpose of the chapter.
Look at:
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Introductory Material
Headings and Subheadings
Visual Aids
Footnotes and material in the margins
End of Chapter information
Surveying is a warm-up activity to get your mind focused and prepared for work. It gives you
somewhere to start. It helps you set goals and manage time. You will get a general idea about the
difficulty of the material and the length of the chapter so you can set goals for the amount of
material you can cover in that section.
Question
Why?
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To establish a purpose for reading
To help you concentrate
How?
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Write down questions based on chapter headings and subheadings.
Do not write “Yes” or “No” questions.
Use words like “how, which, when, what, why or who” to write the questions.
Use end of chapter questions.
Make up your own questions based on lectures and other class material.
Writing out questions will increase your interest. It will help you relate new material to what you
already know in order to build comprehension.
Read
Why?
Reading carefully means
 You will not have to spend time rereading later.
 Your mind stays focused and comprehension is increased.
 You develop critical thinking skills that are essential to being a successful student.
How?
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Read carefully, one paragraph or section at a time.
Answer the questions you have written.
Read for main ideas.
Look at charts, maps and graphs.
Record
Why?
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Turns reading into a multi-sensory activity
Helps with memorization
Makes important points stand out
How?
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Highlighting or underlining
Writing notes in the margins of the book
Taking notes
Making flash cards
Recording can help you study effectively because:
1. It helps you to be an active reader and increase retention of information.
2. It gives you a condensed form of the information to study later.
3. The process of writing out information increases memorization.
Recite
Why?
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To improve your memory.
To save time later when studying for tests.
To correct mistaken ideas.
To tell you what you do understand.
How?
Orally. After each topic, stop and answer the questions you have written. Quietly say the
answers to yourself or pretend to explain the answers to someone else. You will be able to pick
up things that don’t sound quite right. If you can’t answer the questions aloud or find the right
words, you may not know the material as well as you thought you did. Worried that someone
will think that you are crazy talking to yourself? Recite somewhere you can’t be heard, like the
bathroom or car. Pets make good listeners and they appreciate the extra attention.
Review
Why?
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To help you remember the key points in the chapter
How?
The last step can be done in a number of ways:
 Study and recite the notes you have taken.
 Answer the questions at the end of the chapter.
 Write the answers to the questions you wrote in the “question” step.
 Create study tools like flash cards or study tapes.
When?
1. Within 24 hours after completing the entire reading assignment.
2. Periodically (once a week) to keep the material fresh in your mind. Ongoing review
means that you won’t have to cram later.