Study Skills
This month's drill was prepared by
MFRI Field Instructor Gloria Bizjak
INSTRUCTOR GUIDE
Time Required: 3 Hours
Teaching/Learning Materials: Easel pad and markers or board and chalk, optional LCD and laptop for
PowerPoint slides
References:
 Robinson, Adam (1993). What smart students know. New York, NY: Three rivers Press
 Kizlik, Bob (January 2010). Effective study skills. Retrieved February 2010 at
http://www.adprima.com/studyout.htm
 SW Ohio Educational Opportunity Center. Study tips. Retrieved February 2010 at
http://www.clc.uc.edu/sweoc/Study_Tips.aspx
 WyzAnt. Study guides and strategies. Retrieved February 2010 at
http://www.studygs.net/metacognition.htm
 Dartmouth Academic Skills Center. Where to study/how to study. Retrieved February 2010 at
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/study.html
 How to Study.Com. Becoming a flexible reader. Retrieved February 2010 at
http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/studying/33/becoming-a-flexible-reader/
 About.com Homework Study tips. Retrieved February 2010 at
http://homeworktips.about.com/od/studymethods/a/noise.htm
Motivation: You have just registered for your first or for another emergency services class, and you are
wondering if it will be easy or hard. Maybe you have always been a good student, getting good grades
easily. Maybe not. But are there easy ways to study? This lesson will review some study techniques.
Some of them you may already do; some of them you may find helpful if you begin to practice them. All
of them require time and work on your part, but they will be helpful in organizing your study methods
and helping you learn and remember the material in your new class.
Student Performance Objective: Given information, resources, and opportunity for discussion, at the
completion of this session, participants will be able to list, describe, and practice study skills.
These study tips, techniques, methods, and guidelines are based on researched educational strategies,
observations, and outcomes and are suggested by teachers and professors of various schools,
colleges and universities and professional study centers.
Enabling Objectives

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

List common study problems.
List steps to take to plan and organize study time.
Describe methods for effective reading.
Describe methods for effective note taking.
Overview:
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Common Study Problems – POWERS
Study Time – A - PLUS
Effective Reading
Effective Note Taking
I.
Common Study Problems—if studying is hard, you may have P O W E R S problems
A.
Procrastinating: Putting off your planned start to study
1.
Finding other things to do
a.
Texting, e-mailing, phoning friends
b.
Watching t.v., listening to music
c.
Reading other than class/course material
d.
Doing personal tasks or miscellaneous other stuff
2.
Thinking you will have time later to study
a.
Tomorrow or next week
b.
Before the assignment is due
c.
Before the exam
B.
Overwhelmed:
1.
Feeling there is too much work to complete before the next class
a.
Multiple chapters to read
b.
Too many boring pages in a chapter
c.
Long or difficult assignments requiring time, reading, and/or research
d.
Papers to research, plan, write
2.
Feeling you cannot learn the material
a.
It is too hard
b.
It is confusing
C.
Wasting time: Having unorganized study skills and habits
1.
Looking for needed study materials
a.
Note paper
b.
Pens, pencils, highlighters
c.
Text books, resources, handouts
d.
Assignments
2.
Figuring out where to start
a.
What should you do first?
b.
How do you get started?
c.
What should you concentrate on?
d.
Should you highlight the text, outline on paper, make computer notes?
D.
Environmentally challenged: Using inappropriate, distracting places to study
1.
Home Interruptions
a.
Family
b.
Tasks/chores
c.
Meals
2.
Fire Station/Office Interruptions
a.
Emergency service calls/duty chores
b.
Office work/requirements/meetings
3.
Other noisy/distracting places you have chosen to study
E.
Recalling by cramming:Trying to learn everything in one study session before the exam
1.
Why waste all semester when you can memorize everything in one night
a.
That’s what caffeine is for
b.
That’s what friends’ notes are for
F.
Sleeping: Too tired and falling asleep while trying to study
1.
You forgot to schedule sleeping into your schedule
2.
Your fatigue makes you unable to concentrate or focus
3.
You are burned out with the P O W E R S of common study problems
II.
Study Time: Guidelines to help earn an A - P L U S
A.
Attend: Make a commitment
1. Attend class
a.
Always go the first session
1) Meet the instructor and other students
2) Get the syllabus
a)
Contains course schedule
b)
Is a contract explaining rules, penalties
c)
Explains grading
d)
Explains what is expected of you
3) Get an overview of the class
4) Get (or have) the textbook
5) If you must miss the first session, call the instructor and arrange to meet
and get the syllabus and assignments
b.
Miss few (preferably no) sessions
1) Material in each session is often key to understanding all other sessions
2) Read ahead (or after) if you must miss sessions
a)
Write notes and questions
b)
Contact the instructor with questions, ask for assignments
2. Attend to organization: Use a day planner
a.
Study time
1) Schedule time to study each day
a)
Don’t study for too long a stretch—pace yourself, take breaks;
studying tired is not effective
b)
Plan a study time and try to study at the same time each day
c)
Start studying when planned—do not procrastinate
d)
Set study goals, e.g., finish this section of the chapter before a break
2) Plan sufficient time with each lesson, chapter, or topic
3) Study when rested and alert; cramming wastes time since no learning is
accomplished
4) Study/review a little each day
5) Review class notes first and ensure understanding
6) Do the hardest assignments first when you are alert and fresh
7) Do a final review close to when you need to know/use the material (exam
or class)
b.
Schedule other daily must-do items
1) Working, eating, and sleeping
2) Errands and appointments
3) Exercising and sports
4) Family time and socializing
B.
Prepare: Be organized and ready to study
1. Have a place to study
a.
A quiet room (home, library, office) that is free of outside distractions
1) Introverts need a quiet place
2) Extroverts and ADHD students need background “quiet” noise
b.
If you need noise, keep a low volume or use “white” noise
1) Avoid television: Commercials and programs will be distracting
2) Music tempo changes, favorite songs will be distracting
2. Have study items in your study place
a. Use your day planner to track class dates, assignments, tests, and personal
tasks
b.
C.
Stock your study place with items you will need
1) Paper, pens, pencils, highlighters
2) Text, workbook, handouts, assignments, dictionary/thesaurus
3) Computer, printing paper, ink, CDs/thumb drives
4) Adequate lighting, desk/table, comfortable chair
Learn: This is not the hard part but may be time consuming (remember your schedule)
1. Before class
a.
Read the chapter early; read ahead
1) Don’t’ wait until the last minute
2) Read relaxed with time and not stressed for time
b.
Highlight key points
c.
Outline for better understanding
d.
Look up/research (Internet) words/items you don’t know/understand
e.
Write questions for class—which may be answered in class
2. In class
a.
Come prepared: Read the material
b.
Listen carefully
c.
Ask questions
d.
Participate in discussion
e.
Take notes
1) Permanent reminders of what you need to remember
2) Writing helps send it to memory
3) Organize notes into headings and subheadings or graphs
3. After class
a.
Reread or rewrite your notes to ensure you understand them
b.
Do a quick review of the chapter
c.
Read the next chapter and make connections
D.
Understand: If you don’t get it, ask about it or look it up
1.
Take interest in what you are studying: As you read, make it make sense
a.
Can you relate this material to previous material or to the job?
b.
Do you understand the concepts?
c.
Can you determine the key points? (Bold headings in the text)
d.
Do you know where to look if you want more information?
1) Other textbooks and reference books
2) The Internet
e.
Do you know who to call? The instructor, other students, someone who
already took the class
2.
If you don’t understand, move on or stop and review
a.
Subsequent material may clarify what you don’t understand now
b.
Reviewing previous material may provide some insight to new material
3.
If you forgot a concept, review the material or points briefly
a.
If you attended to it the first time your read it, it is in your memory
b.
A quick review will refresh your knowledge and you may find you understand it
better this time
c.
If you didn’t attend to it the first time, take time to do it now; to move on without
understanding wastes time as subsequent material will not make sense
4.
Overlearn
a.
Reread, review, recite, recall
b.
Practice, act out, incorporate learning as part of your habits/job
c.
Talk/write about it, use it
E.
Study effectively: Time is valuable—use it productively
1. Develop study skills: Effective study skills require time, work, and practice
2.
III.
a.
Study actively: ask questions, review notes, find key concepts, look for links
b.
Think of possibilities, explanations, and relationships, not dead ends
Use the SQ-3R strategy
a.
Survey the material: like looking at a roadmap before a trip to know where you
are going
1)
Get an overall picture or overview of the material before you read
2)
Read chapter introductions; look at chapter headings and
subheadings; look at pictures/charts/graphs and captions; read
summaries
b.
Question
1) Ask/write questions as you read: who, what, why, how, when, where
2) Look for answers to questions from class, from your reading, from the text
3) As answers make sense, material makes an impression, impressions are
meaningful and remembered
c.
Read actively
1) To answer your or your instructor’s questions
2) To note concepts under section headings
3) To note bold or italicized words/print
4) To attend to tables, graphs, illustrations (photos, art) which often
summarize or convey info from text
d.
Recite/Recall to Remember
1) Periodically, stop and recall what you have read
2) Recite/remember main headings/concepts, bold/italicized words, info in
charts/graphs
3) Try to create/understand the overall concept and state in your own words
4) Make connections to info you already know
e.
Review: Survey what you have covered/learned
1) What did you accomplish?
2) Reread to discover what is understood/familiar
3) Reread notes to identify what you do not understand
4) Review at the end of study period while knowledge/questions are fresh
5) Before an exam do a final review
Effective Reading
A.
Reading: a primary means of acquiring information
1.
Reading an assignment is just the beginning, not the end
3.
Read with purpose; know your purpose before reading
a.
Reading to study
1) Read difficult material for comprehension
2) Read at a slower rate than normal reading
3) Read to understand
4) Read more than once
5) Read aloud, if it helps to hear the words
b. Skimming
1) Read to quickly get a general idea of the material; lower comprehension
2) Useful when you have to read a lot of material in a short time
3) Identify main ideas and ignore details for now
c. Scanning
1) Read to find specific information you have read before
2) Move your eyes over information to find what you want
B.
Find the main idea:
1.
Each segment of a text contains a main idea
a.
Chapter
b.
Section
c.
Paragraph
Main ideas make highlighting or outlining easy
a.
Find main chapter/section/paragraph points
b.
Develop subpoints
Find significant details
1.
In subpoints/details to support main ideas
2.
Link details with main idea and main idea with other supporting information
3.
The more links, the easier it is to remember information
2.
C.
IV.
Effective Note Taking
A.
Taking notes
1.
A skill to be learned, practiced, refined
2.
Keep notes logical and legible
3.
Use a notebook to record all notes
B.
Outlining textbooks
1.
Underlining with pen/pencil: not very effective
2.
Highlighting with marker
a.
Highlight key concepts or words only
b.
Do not highlight entire paragraphs
c.
Mark key ideas and subpoints as if outlining on paper, e.g., Roman numeral I,
subpoint A, subsequent subpoints 1., 2., 3., a., b., c., etc.
C.
Lecture notes: Use the SQ-3R strategy
1.
Survey: Listen for and focus and concentrate on main points
2.
Question: Think of and ask questions, write questions to research later
3.
Read and reorganize notes and questions: number, make arrows to links
4.
Recite in class: ask questions, participate in discussion
5.
Review what the instructor and students have discussed; review/rewrite notes
D.
Think
1.
Sitting passively is wasting time and does not enable learning
2.
Think about what is being said before writing it down
a.
Do not write down every word: time consuming, misses information
b.
Reorganize what is said then write (this is easy if you read the assignment)
c.
Connect what is said with how you think or made relationships to info
d.
Ask for clarification when needed, revise your notes
Study Skills Summary:
Student Performance Objective: Given information, resources, and opportunity for discussion, at the
completion of this session, participants will be able to list and describe study methods.
These study tips, techniques, methods, and guidelines are based on researched educational strategies,
observations, and outcomes and are suggested by teachers and professors of various schools,
colleges and universities, and professional study centers.
Review:
 List common study problems and some points under each
o Procrastinating
o Overwhelmed
o Wasting time
o Environmentally challenged
o Recalling by cramming
o Sleeping
 List some study tips to earn an A-Plus and some points under each
o Attend to commitment and organization
o Prepare
o Understand
o Study effectively
 List points for effective reading
 List points for effective note taking