Planning for Success
Effectively plan and manage your time.
Balance your various responsibilities.
Read your entire course syllabus so you will know what is expected of you.
Plan to spend approximately 7-9 hours of work time per lesson. Divide the time into short intervals rather than lengthier periods of time.
Complete all the practice activities and view all videos in the course to reinforce knowledge.
Another way to reinforce knowledge is to use flashcards.
Preparing for the Course
Get into the habit of looking at your calendar daily, particularly if you are enrolled in more than one course and have multiple responsibilities.
Block out enough studying and writing time in your schedule.
Project a date and time for studying and completing assignments.
Determine what learning environment is best for you.
It is very important that you stick to your study schedule!
Answering Essay and Short Answer Questions
Identify the question you are answering and work toward answering all the specific parts of the question.
Make a list of what you already know about the answer.
Review the segments in the lesson applicable to the question.
Organize your notes—what do you want to say in your answer?
Outline your answer—what are the key topics?
Write a rough draft of your answer and review it.
Write your final draft and read it over one last time before submitting it to your instructor. Check for spelling, grammar, and clarity.
All paragraphs that are well written contain one main idea each. Paragraphs should flow in a coherent and logical manner.
For additional strategies to approach a given research task, refer to the Rio Salado Information Literacy Guide(opens in a new tab).
Why is study tip # 1 "Don't Cram" important?
You need to remember the information for the whole four years while you are in college, or maybe it is useful in your career. If you cram you will quickly forget.
What does research tell us about the importance of reviewing material we want to retain?
The more you experience a certain body of knowledge, the better you will be able to remember it. So, review it often!
What is the forgetting curve?
If you only look at something once you will forget it after a short period of time. Then you will have to start all over!
Why are mind maps a good source of notetaking?
Mind maps work in the same way our brain work. They make connections and group things into categories. You can gather a lot of information from just looking at a mind map.
What is cyberloafing?
When we browse, play games or spend time social networking instead of working, we’re cyberloafingor cyberslacking.
What is a social media or website blocker?
These programs allow you to impose external controls on what you’re allowed to view on the Internet.
What is a short-burst goal?
A short-burst goal is a time management technique centered on the idea that short bursts of work combined with regular breaks is an effective way of completing larger tasks.
How can you apply the research covered in the video to yourself and how you study?
When in my school environment I will write out my notes by hand, then at home I will go over my notes and type them out onto my computer, this will allow me to study in two separate places each day, as well as perform two different studying techniques. I also will make it a goal to go to the library, and campus, once a week and review my notes/ make note cards, making the total four different study locations and studying techniques.