Whatever career or college pathway you choose, you must study as part of the learning process. Learning how to study and learning how to learn will require work. Whether you aspire to become an auto mechanic or a heart surgeon, both require that you develop successful study routines and learning strategies. The same is true of whether you plan to enter the workforce, enlist in the military, or enroll in college after high school. This book can help you develop a planned approach to studying that will help you to become a better learner. Whether you want to become a better student in a class, learn how to achieve a higher ACT or ASVAB score, or learn how to repair an engine or fly a drone, studying and learning are essential to your success.
You must commit. Pursuing a career or college pathway requires that you make a commitment to studying and learning. Whatever your current grades or test scores, every student can benefit by becoming a better learner. Even medical school students discover that both, making it into and through medical school, requires that they become better learners.
If you are an athlete, consider this as your playbook. If you are a chef, consider this as your recipe book. If you are an automotive or diesel mechanic, consider this as the manufacturer’s repair manual. Whatever career or college pathway you are pursuing, you will need to study and learn—this book can help you to do both better. Throughout the book are links to videos to further assist in identifying, understanding, and implementing the study skills and learning strategies that work best for you.
Table of Contents:
How to Use This Book
Illustration: How Memories Are Created
Illustration: The Study Cycle
My Current Study Approach
Illustration: The Duke University Study Cycle
10 Teacher Questions
Study Strategies Pre-quiz
Before-class Quiz
In-class Quiz
After-class Quiz
High-value Study Approach Quiz
Test, Check, and Prepare Quiz
Step 1: What I Will Do Before Class
Step 2: What I Will Do In Class
Step 3: What I Will Do After Class
Step 4: How I Will Study
Step 5: How I Will Prepare for Tests
Studying versus Learning
My Goals
Materials Checklist
Flashcards Instructions
Choosing a Notebook
Study Groups
How To Develop Quizzes
My Daily Schedule
Learning Strategies
Self-quizzing
Daily Questions
Pre-thinking
Effortful Learning
Feedback
Intense Study
Mixed Study
Paraphrasing & Reflecting
Practice Testing
Pre-testing
Retrieval Practice
Self-monitoring
Self-quizzing and Self-explanation
Spaced Practice
The Learning Process Explained
Illustration: We All Learn and Study Differently
Overview: Why Learning Strategies?
Illustration: Bloom’s Taxonomy
Illustration: The Forgetting Curve
The Forgetting Curve
Illustration: Why Do We Forget?
Illustration: Overcoming The Curve
Illustration: The Feynman Learning Technique
Learning Strategies Explained
Active Retrieval Testing
Accessing Prior Knowledge
Distributive Practice
Effortful Learning
Elaborative Interrogation
Feedback
Integrating with Prior Knowledge
Intense Study
Interleaving Practice
Paraphrasing and Reflecting
Practice Testing
Pre-testing
Pre-thinking
Retrieval Practice
Self-monitoring
Self- or Short-quizzing
Self-explanation
Spaced Practice
References