STUDY SKILLS PROGRAM
CONNIE MESSINA, PHD

I – Interest
A – Activate
M – Manage
A – Affirm
G – Gather
O – Organize
O – Outline
D – Decide
S – Strategize
T – Test
U – Use
D – Do
E – Evaluate
N – Normalize
T – Try It!

I - INTEREST
Identify:
• Reasons for Studying
• Value of Education
• Why should I learn?
• How does it feel to learn?
• How to Make Learning matter!

A - ACTIVATE
• “Charge yourself up”
• Instill enthusiasm for the journey!
• Work at making learning a lively experience
• Rev up your motivation to succeed and do well in your studies

M – MANAGE
• Organize yourself and the workload
• Be in charge of your studies
• Control external distractions
• Have a plan to succeed

A - AFFIRM
• Self-talk, which values you
• Self-talk, which gives you worth
• Self-talk, which accepts you as a human
• Self-talk, which is realistic not idealistic

G - GATHER
• Accumulate & save reference materials
• Assemble organized notes and files
• Work on library utilization skills
• Learn effective note taking skills

O - ORGANIZE
• Create orderly structure
• Arrange files systematically
• Save all previous projects electronically
• Save all PDF’s of articles reviewed

O - OUTLINE
• Arrange topical materials logically
• Be orderly in keeping your files
• Make sure class notes make sense
• Save reference materials with a sense to them

D - DECIDE
• Prioritize your goals in your studies
• Make good choices in planning priorities
• Make a commitment to your plans
• Follow through with your plans

S - STRATEGIZE
• Systematically plan your learning model
• Manage your study and learning according to the plan
• Use the SQ3R model
• S-Survey
• Q-Question
• R-Read
• R-Recite
• R-Review

T - TEST
• Be prepared and affirm your abilities
• Prior to test use your pre-planned study model
• Follow your roadmap
• Use your notes and files
• Relax during the test
• Let go of the stress after the test

U - USE
• Use multisensory activities for learning
• Discover your personal learning style
• Develop a personalized study formula
• Insure your study plan operates automatically and consistently

D - DO
• Knowledge is what YOU do about it!
• Knowledge is not just what you know!
• So apply what you learn in all that you do!
• Grow in competence rather than rote memory
• Expand your critical thinking skills!

E - EVALUATE
• Continuously judge your study skills program
• Identify the value of following your plan of study
• Critically assess what stays and what goes in the plan
• Keep what works and let go of time wasters

N - NORMALIZE
• Become habituated in you study skills
• Make study a “normal” part of your life
• Have study become a habitual routine
• Make life-long learning a part of your life

T – TRY IT!
• Just don’t talk the talk!
• Walk the walk!
• Make it normal for you!
• Make it work for you!
• Experience the success in giving it a try!

10 Websites to help further the goals of I AM A GOOD STUDENT
1. Buck County Community College-The Basics of Effective Learning: A community colleges website for students who need to improve their study skills which can be used by students in middle and high schools to get a head start on improving their skills. http://faculty.bucks.edu/specpop/studyskills.htm
2. Enhance-Learning free Study Skills Worksheets: for Secondary Students to supplement the materials in I AM A GOOD
STUDENT: http://www.enhanced-learning.net/studyskillsmainpage/study-skills-worksheets-for-free.php
3. How to Study: Tips on Improving Study Habits for College http://www.howtostudy.org/
4. How to Study.com: Another How to site to build your study skills: http://www.how-to-study.com/
5. Infoplease Study Skills: A useful site to get expanded help in study skills: http://www.infoplease.com/homework/studyskills1.html
6. LessonPlanet.com: www.lessonplanet.com/ and then put in the Search Box: Study Skills. You will get loads of templates to help your students to work at improving their study skills by better organizing themselves
7. Study Guides and Strategies: A treasure chest of guides and activities to enrich students learning at all grade levels http://www.studygs.net/
8. TeAchnology: Worksheets to assist students to expand their study skills with fun activities. http://www.teachnology.com/worksheets/time_savers/studyskills/
9. University of Redlands: Academic Skills Worksheets: for students entering college: http://www.redlands.edu/studentlife/7266.aspx
10. Wikipedia Study Skills Guide use this online encyclopedia to build your study skills and at the same time to acquaint you with this huge online resource http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Study_skills