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saying: They know enough who know how to learn
- Henry Brooks Adams Learning to learn
Your path for most effective learning is through knowing - yourself
- your capacity to learn
- the process you have successfully used in the past
- your interest in, and knowledge of, the subject you wish to learn
It may be easy for you to learn physics but difficult to learn tennis, or vice versa.
All learning, however, is a process which settles into certain steps. These are four steps to learning
Begin by printing this and answering the questions.
Then plan your strategy with your answers, and with other "Study Guides" What was your experience about how you learn? Did you - like to read? solve problems? memorize? recite? interpret? speak to groups?
- know how to summarize?
- ask questions about what you studied?
- review?
- have access to information from a variety of sources?
- like quiet or study groups?
- need several brief study sessions, or one longer one?
What are your study habits? How did they evolve? Which worked best? worst?
How did you communicate what you learned best? Through a written test, a term paper, an interview? How interested am I in this?
How much time do I want to spend learning this?
What competes for my attention?
Are the circumstances right for success?
What can I control, and what is outside my control?
Can I change these conditions for success?
What affects my dedication to learning this?
Do I have a plan? Does my plan consider my past experience and learning style? - Consider the process, the subject matter
What is the heading or title?
What are key words that jump out?
Do I understand them?
What do I know about this already?
Do I know related subjects?
What kinds of resources and information will help me?
Will I only rely on one source (for example, a textbook) for information?
Will I need to look for additional sources?
As I study, do I ask myself whether I understand?
Should I go more quickly or more slowly?
If I don't understand, do I ask why?
Do I stop and summarize?
Do I stop and ask whether it's logical?
Do I stop and evaluate (agree/disagree)?
Do I just need time to think it over and return later?
Do I need to discuss it with other "learners" in order to process the information?
Do I need to find an authority, such as a teacher, a librarian, or a subject-matter expert? What did I do right?
What could I do better?
Did my plan coincide with how I work with my strengths and weaknesses?
Did I choose the right conditions?
Did I follow through; was I disciplined with myself?
Did I succeed?
Did I celebrate my success? Classroom Learning
Compared to classrooms in some countries, United States' classrooms tend to be informal.
There are, however, some very important basic rules:
Before class: - Do your homework!
Read critically; form your own opinions - Review your notes
from the previous lecture and reading for the day - Communicate immediately with professors
about any study problems - Focus on the task at hand before class:
take a moment of silence to gather your thoughts and mentally prepare yourself to the topic - Write any objectives
that come to mind at the head of your notepaper: - preparing for an up-coming test,
- understanding a particular concept,
- gaining a good foundation on a topic
- understanding or reviewing the readings
In Class: - Arrive on time for class.
Professors do not take lateness lightly - Position yourself in the classroom
to focus on the subject matter; consider the best location for: - listening
- asking questions
- seeing visual materials
- discussing--not only with the teacher but also your classmates
- Avoid distractions
that may interfere with your concentration
(daydreaming, looking around the room, talking to a friend, passing notes, dozing) - Evaluate as you listen:
- Decide what is important and should be placed in your notes and what can be left out;
- Listen long enough to be sure you understand what was said before writing.
- Ask clarifying questions (but wait for "breaks" in the instructor's stream).
- Review your class objective(s) throughout the class period
- Did your objective(s) mesh with the instructor's introductory remarks?
- Has the class digressed from stated objectives, yours or the instructor's?
- Write a "to do" list including
- assignments;
- reviewing difficult concepts;
- joining study groups;
making appointments with a study pal, tutor, or the instructor.
One resource often overlooked is a classmate who seems to have a good grasp of the material. If it seem appropriate, seek the individual out for help. Effective Habits for Effective Study You can prepare yourself to succeed in your studies.
Try to develop and appreciate the following habits: - Take responsibility for yourself
Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities, your time, and your resources - Center yourself around your values and principles
Don't let friends and acquaintances dictate what you consider important - Put first things first
Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself, and don't let others, or other interests, distract you from your goals - Discover your key productivity periods and places
Morning, afternoon, or evening?
Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive. Prioritize these for your most difficult study challenges - Consider yourself in a win-win situation
When you contribute your best to a class, you, your fellow students, and even your teacher will benefit. Your grade can then be one additional check on your performance - First understand others, then attempt to be understood
When you have an issue with an instructor (a questionable grade, an assignment deadline, etc.) put yourself in the instructor's place. Now ask yourself how you can best make your argument given his/her situation - Look for better solutions to problems
For example, if you don't understand the course material, don't just re-read it. Try something else! Consult with the professor, a tutor, an academic advisor, a classmate, a study group, or your school's study skills center
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