Improving Study Time

What’s the goal of study time? It’s to pre-learn, learn, and review. Where you study can greatly affect your ability to study. Also, knowing how you learn well—your learning style—can help you to use your study time effectively.  For a picture of what the study cycle looks like, go to http://www.howtostudy.org/overview.php.

Step 1:  Let's look at your study environment...

Take the survey at http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/studydis.html.

Now, tell us what you have discovered:

1. Which of the three study locations did you choose?
2. Which of these study areas works best for you?  Why?
3. Which of these study areas works least well for you?  Why?
4. Is there another place on campus that would be a good study area for you? (Keep in mind that it should meet most of the criteria on the study environment analysis.)

Step 2:  Let's look at your learning style...

Your learning style is YOUR preferred way of remembering and recalling information.   Take the learning styles inventory at http://www.wou.edu/provost/aalc/learning/barsch_ls_inventory.php

1. What is your strongest learning preference?
2. Look at the list of study tips for your preference. Name three of these tips that you use regularly AND successfully DURING YOUR STUDY TIME.
3. Choose two OTHER study tips from the list that you think would help you study for the courses you have this semester. These should be methods/tips that you’ve never tried before or don’t use very often. Write about how you would apply each of these two new skills toward a course or courses you have this semester.
4. Look at the list of study tips for your second strongest preference. Name three of these tips that you use regularly AND successfully DURING YOUR STUDY TIME.
5. Choose two OTHER study tips from the list for your second strongest preference that you think would help you study for the courses you have this semester. These should be methods/tips that you’ve never tried before or don’t use very often. Write about how you would apply each of these two new skills toward a course or courses you have this semester.

Step 3:  Let’s look at your strengths with regard to multiple intelligences...

Go to http://www.businessballs.com/howardgardnermultipleintelligences.htm

• Click on “Free Multiple Intelligence Test”, just under the bold, red lettering.

• Click on the first free test on this list—it’s the self calculating format.

• Take the inventory. You may want to save this on your flash drive for future reference.

• Read the descriptions for your top results. You can find these by going to the bottom of the self calculating page and clicking on the second tab, marked “intelligences descriptions”.

Respond to the following questions:

1. What is your strongest "intelligence" from this inventory?  How do you apply this to your study time?
2. What is your second strongest "intelligence" from this inventory?  How do you apply this to your study time?
3. Read over the “related tasks, activities or tests” column for each of your top two areas. Are there any skills listed that you could apply toward your study time? Explain.
   

   Need more specific study ideas? http://www.howtostudy.org/