HS101-Madison Bearden: Study Skills

LEARNING STYLES

Types of Learning Styles Types of Learning Styles: The Three Main Types

There are three main types of learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Most people learn best through a combination of the three types of learning styles, but everybody is different.

Auditory Learners: Hear

Auditory learners would rather listen to things being explained than read about them. Reciting information out loud and having music in the background may be a common study method. Other noises may become a distraction resulting in a need for a relatively quiet place.

Visual Learners: See

Visual learners learn best by looking at graphics, watching a demonstration, or reading. For them, it’s easy to look at charts and graphs, but they may have difficulty focusing while listening to an explanation.

Kinesthetic Learners: Touch

Kinesthetic learners process information best through a “hands-on” experience. Actually doing an activity can be the easiest way for them to learn. Sitting still while studying may be difficult, but writing things down makes it easier to understand.

STUDY TIPS

It is best to review the material right after class when it's still fresh in your memory.

Don't try to do all your studying the night before the test. Instead space out your studying, review class materials at least several times a week, focusing on one topic at a time.

Have all of your study material in front of you: lecture notes, course textbooks, study guides and any other relevant material.

Find a comfortable and quiet place to study with good lighting and little distractions (try avoiding your own bed, it is very tempting to just lie down and take a nap).

Start out by studying the most important information.

Learn the general concepts first, don't worry about learning the details until you have learned the main ideas.

Take notes and write down a summary of the important ideas as you read through your study material.

Take short breaks frequently. Your memory retains the information that you study at the beginning and the end better than what you study in the middle.

WHAT TO AVOID WHILE STUDYING/DONTS

Schedule every minute of your week or make your study plan too rigid; keep it flexible and leave plenty of "open" time

Put off studying until right before term tests. Cramming can work in a pinch, but most courses require you to review regularly and build on earlier concept.

Just read through your notes over and over again to prepare for tests. (Most of us only retain about 10% of what we read.)

Try to memorize facts or terminology in isolation; instead, make connections between facts and ideas and learn information associatively.

Get depressed by one or two disappointing grades and give up on a course. There is usually time within a semester to recover from a bad test, but start by learning from mistakes

Think you have to "go it alone"or that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Nobody figures everything out at once, and asking for help is always smart.

ORGANIZATIONAL TOOLS