STUDY SKILLS SLIDE SHOW

Study Skills Strategies
From Test-Taking Strategies and Study Skills for
the Utterly Confused
PowerPoint and Activities

• Myth 1: You can’t study for a
standardized test
• Reality 1: Oh yes, you can.
1. Familiarize yourself with the test format.
2. Understand the scoring.
3. Learn the test directions.
4. Take practice tests.
5. Improve your reading comprehension.
6. Review math skills, especially formulas
and computations.

• Myth 2: Everybody knows how to study.
• Reality 2: Just the opposite is true. In fact,
most people waste a tremendous amount of
time trying to figure out how to study.
• Myth 3: The ability to study successfully is
an inborn trait, like the ability to throw a great
pitch.
• Reality 3: Studying effectively can be
taught, just as any other skill can be
taught—and learned.

• Myth 4: Cramming is a good way to get
ready for tests.
• Reality 4: Reviewing concepts at the last
second may help fix a stray idea in your mind,
but for the most part cramming will simply
result in brain overload. When you’re
overloaded, you won’t understand what
you’re studying, so you’re simply wasting your
time.

Assess Your Attitude:
*Rate your study skills and study attitudes by writing down
the numbers of all the statements that apply to you:
1. “I want to study more, but what’s the use? I’m not going
to do well, anyway.”
2. “I just don’t know where to begin.”
3. “The teacher doesn’t like me.”
4. “I can’t get my head into studying because I’m not sure
what I want to study.”
5. “I can never find my books and all the other supplies I
need.”
6. “Because of family situations or other obligations, I keep
missing class. I never seem to know what’s going on in
class.”

Adjusting Your Attitude
#1: “I want to study more, but what’s the use? I’m not going to do
well, anyway.”
If you feel this way, have you ever used these excuses?
• “I’m not smart enough to learn all this stuff. I don’t have the
brains.”
• “The teacher isn’t good, so I’ll never be able to learn what I need.”
• “I don’t have the time to get the grades I deserve.”
• “I’m just not meant for this course.”
• “I had terrible teachers when I was younger, so I won’t be able to
catch up now.”
• “I never paid attention in class. That put me far behind the eight
ball.”

Study smart by having a positive attitude about school and
yourself. Start by …
*Being enthusiastic about learning
*Having discipline
*Deciding that you can do well on tests and papers
*Making friends with people who support your hopes and
dreams
*Not being a quitter
*Preparing for the future
*Using your time wisely

#2: “I just don’t know where to begin.”
If you feel this way, it’s time to take control. Here’s how:
• List all the things you have to do in descending order, from
most important to least important.
• Break your workload down into manageable chunks.
• Schedule your time realistically. Begin studying early and
slowly build as the exam approaches.
• Build in study breaks.
Remember:
Subject skills + smart study = school success

#3: “The teacher doesn’t like me.”
If you feel this way, consider two things:
1. What evidence do you have to think this? Are you being too
sensitive?
2. Teachers are humans. They tend to judge students by the
way they act in class so treat your instructors with respect
and they will treat you with respect.
*be on time *be courteous
*be prepared each day *take notes
*pay attention *participate

#4: “I can’t get my head into studying because I’m not sure what
I want to study.”
If you feel this way, set short-term and long-term goals. See
sample chart on next slide.

Goal: To raise my grades five points in
three months.
September October November
Week 1: Write down all
assignments
Attend extra help. Check my progress.
Week 2: No TV until
homework is done.
Cut computer surfing
and games.
No music while
studying.
Week 3: Take better
notes
Study with a classmate
who earns great grades.
Visit the library weekly.
Week 4: Reread notes
every night before bed.
Read one extra book a
week.
Reward myself!

#5: “I can never find my books and all the other supplies I need.”
If you feel this way, then create a study space for yourself at home.
*Study in a calm, quiet place.
*If you don’t have a whole room, convert part of a room, a small
closet, part of an attic or basement for your study area.
*Turn off the t.v. and radio, and eliminate other distractions.
*Study at the same time so people know to leave you alone.
NOTE: Pack all your school supplies the night before and put your
backpack by the door. Grab it as you leave and you’ll be all set for
school success.

Study Center
Great Study Area Poor Study Area
In your room at a desk. In front of the television.
In a calm corner of the
house.
In your room on the bed.
In a quiet part of the school
or public library.
At your local Starbucks or on
the train, bus, or car.
Good study habits or bad?

#6 “Because of family situations or other obligations, I keep missing class. I
never seem to know what’s going on in class.”
If you have to miss a class, do the following:
*Inform the instructor (pre-arranged absence) or email the instructor while
you are gone.
*Consult the course website for missed assignments.
*Contact a classmate for notes and missed assignments.
*Arrange for a study partner; look for one who
--takes school seriously
--earns higher grades than you do right now
--understand the lectures and assignments
--keeps up with all the work
--is trustworthy
--is well organized
--rarely, if ever, is absent

Quick Tip 1
• Never miss classes near exam time—you may
miss a review session and other crucial
information

Effective Time
Management Skills

Time Flies
It’s not the lack of time for study success; it’s
making the best use of your time.
Complete the Time Management Worksheet.
This exercise will help you see how you spend
your day and how to use it efficiently.

Make the Most of Your Time:
Set Priorities
• Understand your personal style—when you
work best, how much sleep you need,
whether you work well under pressure, etc.
• Recognize your limitations—which classes are
your hardest, your organizational skills, etc.
• Achieve a balance—plan, plan, plan so that
you can have time for classes, studying, and
personal time

Make the Most of Your Time
Make a Study Schedule
• Break down tasks into manageable parts
• Keep up with assignments
• Get into a study routine
• Make the most of your time
• See example chart for a study schedule on
next slide and then make your own chart

Example Study Schedule Chart
Time Monday Tuesday Wed. Thursday Friday Weekends
School School School School School
4:30
p.m.
Recrea-
tion
Recrea-
tion
Recrea-
tion
Recrea-
tion
Recrea-
tion
Big
assignments
5:30
p.m.
Study Study Study Study Study Big
assignments
6:30
p.m.
Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Chores
7:30
p.m.
Watch
movie
Watch
movie
Watch
movie
Watch
movie
Watch
movie
Socializing
8:30
p.m.
Study Study Study Study Sociali-
zing
Socializing
9:30
p.m.
Study Study Study Study Sociali-
zing
Socializing
10:30
p.m.
Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep

My Schedule Chart
Time Monday Tuesday Wed. Thursday Friday Weekends
School School School School School
8:30 am
- 4:30
p.m.
5:30
p.m.
6:30
p.m.
7:30
p.m.
8:30
p.m.
9:30
p.m.
10:30
p.m.

Empathic Listening
*provides speaker with emotional support to
help him or her come to a decision, solve a
problem, or resolve a situation
*you can restate the issues, ask questions, and
critically analyze the issues
*this type of listening is vital in a friendship or
relationship

Empathic Listening Practice
Directions:
1. With your partner, complete the
speaking/listening protocol on the handout
entitled “Speaking and Listening Protocol for
Empathic Listening”
2. Be ready to share your experience at the end
of the protocol.

Banish Poor Listening Habits
*Selective listening—when we listen only to those parts of a
message that directly concern us; during a class your mind
may drift until you hear your name, information about
homework, or facts about an upcoming test
*Pseudolistening—when you through the motions of listening
but your mind is miles away
*Self-centered listening—you mentally rehears your answer
while the other person is still speaking; in class you form a
question in your head, ignoring the teacher’s comments, and
lo and behold, your question was already answered

Taking Notes—The Three Big Rules for
Great Notes
1. Keep your notes short
a. write a sentence fragment, not a complete
sentence
b. use abbreviations: + or & = and
b/c = because
w/ = with
c. use sketches, charts, and lists to separate
the important facts from the minor details

Taking Notes—The Three Big Rules for
Great Notes
2. Mark direct quotes with quotation marks
--only quote brief quotes
--get speaker’s name and resource for
quote
3. Check and double check your notes (spelling,
facts, etc.)

Taking Notes--Summarizing
A summary is a smaller version of the original,
reduced to its essential meaning
What should you summarize:
*background information
*commentaries
*explanations
*evaluations
*a writer’s or speaker’s line of thinking or argument

When you summarize, write only the key
information:
*the main idea
*important names, dates, numbers
*key details
*any questions you have about the material

Summarizing Activity
Directions: Read the passage entitled “Clarence
Darrow Against Capital Punishment” and then
write a summary of the piece as well as a few
personal comments about it. When you are
finished, see how your summary compares to
the sample on the next slide.

Summarizing Activity—Sample Summary of Text
Topic: Clarence Darrow against capital punishment
Rage and a desire for retribution are not sufficient
justification for capital punishment. It is a cruel,
inhuman, and uncivilized form of punishment. Further,
capital punishment does nothing to deter crime. For
these reasons, he believes capital punishment will soon
be eliminated, even in NY.
Comments: original speech has an ironic, sarcastic tone.

Taking Notes--Paraphrasing
*a restatement of the writer’s original words
*often includes examples and explanations from
the original source
*paraphrase information that is important but
too long to write in the original form

Paraphrasing Activity
Directions: Read the passage entitled “Social
Responsibility” from JFK’s inauguration speech
and then paraphrase the key ideas and give a
personal comment. When you are finished,
see how your summary compares to the
sample on the next slide.

Paraphrasing Activity—Sample Paraphrase of Text
Topic: Social Responsibility (JFK’s Inauguration Speech)
America faces great peril. As a result, America is now faced
with the challenge of standing up for liberty. Not many
countries have ever been in this position. Kennedy welcomes
this challenge because he believes his actions (and America’s
valiant response) can stand as a beacon for the rest of the
world to follow.
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can
do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
Comments: a very famous and stirring speech; famous quote

Practice Note-Taking Activity
• How much is too much when taking notes?
• How much is not enough?
Directions: Listen to the lecture on the human
skeleton and take notes. Remember to include
the main idea; important names, dates, and
numbers; and key details. Remember also to
write in fragments, use abbreviations, and
sketches, charts, and lists as needed. After the
“lecture” compare your notes with those on the
next slide.

Practice Note-Taking Activity—
Sample Notes
Human Skeleton Notes
300 bones in child; 206 in adult because bones fuse
--protects muscles and internal organs
--enables us to stand and move
--skull and spine protect brain and spinal
cord
--ribs, hip bones, and spine protect heart,
liver, lungs, intestines

Top Five Note-Taking Techniques
1. Divided-page format
Fold your paper in half vertically to create a narrow
column and a wide one. The left column should be
about an inch and a half wide; the right column ,
even inches wide. Write your notes in the wide
right column. Write key words and ideas in the
narrow left column. You can add additional
material to the narrow left column as you review
and study your notes. This method makes it easier
to call out important facts and ideas.

1. Divided-page format practice
Directions: After folding your paper as
previously directed, listen to the lecture on
the history of the essay and take notes. Be
ready to share your notes and experience
with the class.

2. Webbing
As you read a text or listen to a lecture, isolate
the key idea. Write it in the middle of a sheet of
paper. Add lines radiating out from the circle. At
the end of each line, draw a circle and fill it in with
a subtopic.
When you create webs, be sure to leave
yourself enough room. Write only key words.
Webs do not work well for poorly organized
lectures.

Webbing example
diagram
Recent honorees Benefits
History
Congressional Medal of Honor

2. Webbing practice
Directions: As you listen to the next part of
the lecture on the history of the essay, use
the webbing method to take notes. Be ready
to share your notes and experience with the
class.

3. Visuals
*Create pictures and diagrams to show the
relationship between ideas.
*Draw any illustrations that help make the process
clear, such as arrows to create a flowchart:
Pidgin pidgin speakers have children a creole

3. Visuals practice
various visuals while you take notes. Be ready
to share your notes and experience with the
class.

4. Lists
If the textbook or instructor is
presenting a series of facts (i.e., series of
math theories, famous inventors) that all
have the same importance, simply list them.
Start each entry with a number or bullet
to set it apart from the other entries.

4. List practice
the list method to take notes. Be ready to
share your notes and experience with the
class.

5. Paragraphs
If the lecture does not have a clear method
of organization, use paragraphs:
*write in sentence fragments
*include key phrases as quotes
*begin a new paragraph for each new
topic

5. Paragraph practice
the paragraph method to take notes. Be
ready to share your notes and experience
with the class.

Quick Tip 3
• Your notes will be useless unless you can read
them! Be sure to write or print clearly!

How Memory Works
Have any of these memory glitches ever
happened to you?
*You try to memorize information but find your
mind wandering. You spend hours staring at
the book, but few facts stick.
*You memorize information but garble it on the
test.

How Memory Works
*You can remember some types of information
but not other types.
*You study something, think you’ve got it down
pat, but go blank when you take the test.
*You learn what you need for the test, but you
forget it right after the test. Then you have to
memorize it all over again for the midterm or
final exam.

How Memory Works
The memory process has three steps:
1. Learning
2. Storing
3. Recalling
To remember a fact, it’s not enough to learn it;
you must be able to store it in your brain so
that you can recall it at will.

How Memory Works
Most people find that their memories work this
way:
Easiest to remember Pictures
Words
Most difficult to remember Numbers

How Memory Works
There are two basic types of memory:
1. Short-term memory, which lasts about 30
seconds.
2. Long-term memory, which lasts for a long
period of time, as long as decades.

Psych Yourself into Success
Most memory problems are a result of
*distraction
*lack of interest
*lack of attention
*poor organization

Follow these steps to improve your retention
immediately:
1. Minimize distraction
*study in a quiet place with few
interruptions
*turn off excess electronics, including
music

2. Get interested in the text
*many facts that you need may seem
mundane and boring; don’t fight that
*focus on some aspect you find interesting
and allow yourself to enjoy the facts

3. Stay focused on the text
*average attentions span is 10-30 minutes;
give yourself breaks when memorizing
*set mini goals and reward yourself after
reaching each goal

4. Beef up your organizational skills
*have all materials at hand before you begin
your study session
*set aside enough time; cramming while you
memorize is a recipe for disaster

Quick Tip 4
• The two biggest inhibitors of memory are
stress and attitude, so minimize physical and
mental stress as much as possible. You’ve
already learned the importance of adopting a
positive attitude.

Six Steps to a Better Memory
1. Understand What You’re Memorizing
memorizing information understanding information
Understanding information remembering information knowing
what it means knowing how to use it

1. Understand What You’re Memorizing
a. Organize the material in a logical way:
*alphabetical order *cause and effect
*grouping similar items *least to most important
*most to least important *numerical order
*order of importance *problem-solution format
*time order
b. Restate what you read in your own words.
c. Get help

2. Associate Information to Memorize It
Association helps you link something you are trying to
remember to an image or situation you already know and
can easily picture.
Example: locker combination 369 can be associated with
multiples of 3.
Example: Children are taught the alphabet by linking each
letter with a picture (“A” and apple)

2. Associate Information to Memorize It—Types of
Associations
a. Peg System:
--used for remembering ordered lists of terms
--peg or associate a new idea with a word; then link the pegged
words together in a chain of events
Example: For memorizing a list of countries (Afghanistan, Cuba, China,
Argentina), imagine an afghan (Afghanistan) on the bed that Castro
(Cuba) naps on; then Castro picks up a china plate (China) and sings a
song from Evita (Argentina).
Practice: Peg the following states together: Illinois, Hawaii, Alaska, Arkansas,
Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, Washington

2. Associate Information to Memorize It—Types of Associations
b. The Room System:
--also known as the loci (Latin for “place”) method
--developed by Roman orators who needed to memorize long
speeches
--select a familiar building or forum and set aside a number of
spots, or loci, to remind them of parts of their speech
--people tend to remember more when they can key the study
context (the physical location) to the text
Example: If you have to memorize a series of quotations from a Shakespeare play,
study each one in a different location in your house so you can associate it with
that loci.
Practice: See the handout entitled “Types of Association: The Room System” and do
the practice memorization activity.

3. Visualization, part 1
*as you memorize new information, form a mental picture of a person,
place, thing, or idea
*imagine how it looks, smells, sounds, tastes, or feels
*create pictures, maps, diagrams, cartoon, and charts
Example:
Preparing for a test with lots of vocabulary
might be fearful for you. To remember that
“phobia” means “fear of,” you might visualize
Frankenstein’s monster. Add an association to
this: The “f” in Frankenstein links to the “f” sound
in “phobia.”

*people remember 90 percent of what they do, 75 percent of what they
see, and 20 percent of what they hear
*use kinesthetic memory; make it physical
*add a physical activity such as pacing, jumping, throwing a ball, or
writing to enhance the specific memory (actors often use this method)
Practice: Use the one quotation from the handout entitled “Types of
Association: The Room System” that you did not use for the Room
System activity and use physical activity to help you memorize it.

*singing also works well for memorizing
*songs stick in our minds because of their strong rhythm
*set important facts such as state capitals, presidents, and science facts to
songs to help fix them in your mind
Example:
The alphabet song, the number of days in each month
Practice:
Memorize the following list of technology brand names by putting them
into a song: Microsoft, Apple, Verizon, iPod, Sony, Facebook, Twitter, Dell,
Sprint, Kindle

4. Mnemonics
*memory tricks that give cues which are visual, linear, or auditory
*types of mnemonics include
--acronyms --acrostics
--jingles --mind maps
--sayings --songs
*some information lends itself better to certain types of mnemonics (use
acronyms for only a few facts such as the continents of the Great Lakes), but use
songs for a great deal of information (such as the kings and queens of England).
*your level of prior knowledge makes it easier to link information
Example:
a. “spring ahead, fall back”
b. “leaves of three, let it be; berries white, take flight”
c. “I before E, except after C or when sounded like A as in neighbor and weigh”
d. See next two slides for more examples

4. Mnemonics
Examples:

5. Review Information to Memorize It
*the average adult cannot remember 50 percent of what he
or she has just read; a day later, recall drops to 20 percent
*quick and constant review can fix the facts in your memory
*it takes 15-25 minutes of practice over several days to
memorize and retain information successfully
*spend about 40 percent of your learning time reviewing
new information that you are trying to memorize

Time to Review Reason
Directly after class To reinforce short-term memory
Right before going to sleep To use the subconscious to continue
processing information
Within 24 hours To help fix long-term memory
Each day, for about 10 minutes To help fix long-term memory
In a month To help fix long-term memory

*recite facts aloud or write them down
*verbal rehearsal is effective; study with someone
*use flash cards for remembering historic dates, definitions, math
formulas, etc.
*typing or rewriting notes is effective for some people

6. Use It or Lose It
*review the information every day
*think about what you have memorized; apply the facts
to new situations; make them a part of your life
*quiz yourself after a few days

Quick Tip 5
Memorizing new information the same day you
heard or read it will improve our memory
significantly.

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