There are three steps to effective studying:

1. Learning
2. Reviewing
3. Practicing

The first step is learning

• This involves doing the readings beforehand and coming up with questions, attending class, listening and taking notes, and listening for cues
  • Cues include recurring themes, details or terms written on the board
  • Also listen for phrases like “this is important,” “remember this,” “this is key,” or “this will be on the exam”
• Take active notes during class and instructional videos

The second step is reviewing

• Review your class notes and readings at least once a week or more
  • This will help you to refresh the information, digest it, and think of any questions you may have
  • It will also help you to pick up on any recurring themes of the course
• Make study guides and outlines
  • This will help you to synthesize all of the notes from class and the readings
  • Do this before the upcoming exam to make sure you have a grasp on ALL the material
• Develop questions as a way to both explore what you know and fill possible holes in your knowledge

The third step is practicing

• Quiz yourself!
  • Using your study guide you've created in step 2, you can quiz yourself on the main concepts you have outlined in your study guide to make sure you have a firm grasp on the material
  • You can also create flashcards or a Quizlet to test your knowledge
• Create learning goals for when you study and check them off as they are achieved

Modify these steps for all your courses

• The above three steps can also be used for discussion or essay based courses
• Attending class prepared is especially important for classes with a class participation grade, as your contribution to the discussion and questions you raise about the texts will directly impact your final grade
• Additionally, instead of using your study guides to prepare for exams, you can use them for outlining your essay

• Before class, preview topics from the upcoming class and review notes from the previous class
• ATTEND CLASS!
  
  • Set alerts/reminders in your phone or calendar that will notify you ~15 minutes before class
• Utilize office hours, TA sessions, review sessions, etc.
  • Put them in your calendar so you know when they are scheduled each week
  • Keep them organized in one document

• Use important material from notes, slides, readings, homeworks, handouts, etc.
• When making your study guide, take note of the topics that you are, and are not, familiar with
  • Create questions for office hours
  • Determine which topics you will need to allocate the most time for studying
• Learn about your learning preference to help you make a relevant study guide; the VARK is a free tool for students to help you understand how you learn:
  • Take the VARK Questionnaire to discover your learning preference(s)
  • Identify study strategies based on your learning preference to help maximize your study time

• Arrange a reminder a week before an exam; do whatever you have to do to remember!
  • Set an alert in your phone or on your computer
  • Write a note in your calendar
  • Leave a post-it on your door
• Aim to have your study guide complete with at least 5 days to review it before the exam

• Pick out two flashcards and compare and contrast those two concepts
• Test yourself by coming up with examples for each concept on a flashcard
• You can use flashcards to create meaningful categories and compare concepts
• You can use flashcards to demonstrate different steps in a process or mechanism and task yourself with putting them in the right order and narrating the process

• Set a time and make a plan
  • Talk in advance about what you, as a group, want to cover so that you can work toward specific goals
  • A specific plan can help prevent your study group from turning into a social hour
• Set expectations for preparedness
  • A study group should occur after each individual has already done some review on their own
  • Make expectations clear in advance of where people should be in their studying before convening
• Give one person the task of keeping the group on track
  • It is great to study with friends, but try to save off topic chatting for breaks (which are also a part of productive studying)
  • Take turns being the "time keeper" and be respectful when that person reminds others that the conversation is getting off topic
• Study by having a mock class where you “teach” each other the concepts
  • Listeners get to review information, ask clarifying questions, and challenge the speaker if they are unclear on the topic
  • Speakers learn what information they are missing or do not know as well

• Office hours should always be your first stop!
  • Whether you meet with the professor or a TA, office hours is going to be the place where you can get the most class-specific information
  • Regular utilization of office hours is extremely helpful when you’re preparing for a cumulative final
  • Don’t be afraid to take notes during office hours or mark your class notes with a different color
• Student Academic Resources has also organized a list of other available Wesleyan resources related to studying and understanding course material for your reference
• If you’re finding that you need more help with academic skills (such as time management, planning your studying, organization, or anything really), you can reach out to a peer advisor by email at peeradvisors@wesleyan.edu anytime