Effective Study Habits and
Note –Taking Skills
Student Success Center (SSC)
LT. 308, 314, 315
Establish Good Study Habits
• Develop a weekly study plan
- When, where, how
• Thoroughly review instructor course syllabus
- Look for instructor specific study tips
- Ensure you have a clear understanding of grade
calculation
• Eliminate any negative thoughts or feelings
- “This is to hard; I’ll never finish in time; I don’t
understand my instructor; College isn’t for me.”
Establish Effective Study Groups
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Limit group to only 4 members
Select a group leader (responsible, task oriented)
Determine Study dates and times
Decide what specific information to study
- evenly divide information
- hold members accountable for their portion
• Ensure each session is structured
- exactly what will take place and who is responsible
Health and Wellness
• Avoid studying on an empty/excessively full
stomach
• Avoid studying when sleepy
- If possible follow a regular sleep pattern
• When possible, exercise!!!
Cramming
• As much as possible, avoid cramming!!!
• If you have to cram, focus on re-enforcing the
information you already know. Typically, you will not
remember information you attempted to learn the night
before an exam; furthermore, you may confuse the
information you already know. Therefore, it is better to
ensure you know SOME information than to be
confused on most information.
Note - Taking Tips
• Use different hand written font styles for different topic
sections (ALL CAPS,
cursive, print, bold, italics, underlined)
• Use stars and other symbols in the note margins to identify
information that will be on test.(This will help you decide what to study)
• Use different color ink on different days to distinguish material
• Highlight important information when reviewing
(If everything is highlighted, nothing is highlighted)
Developing these skills over time will help
make you a more successful student!
Operation: Graduation
Learn skills today for tomorrow’s Jobs