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A Guide to Studying

Smarter!

Steps & Strategies to Follow

Before, During, and After Your Study Session.

Created by Roots to Learning

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Roots To Learning 2011

Before you even think of studying,

you must answer this question:

What does “studying” mean to you?

Maybe you’ve never even considered this. Studying means different things to

different people depending on learning style and understanding of different study

strategies.

For most students, when asked what they need to do, the answer is commonly,

“Study”; often there is little planning involved and very little activity beyond

“looking over the material.”

For individuals with focusing, working memory, and retention or retrieval

difficulties, having a study plan that is targeted, manageable, and cumulative is

vital to meaningful, long-term learning, and successful testing outcomes;

having a plan also reduces test anxiety.

The following pages contain information to help you think about how you study

and what you can do to improve your study habits. Habits don’t change

overnight! Apply these strategies to one subject at first, perhaps your most

challenging one, until you are using them consistently.

At the end of this packet are templates you can choose from to help you plan

and track your studying. Make copies of the ones you find useful.

Remember: Success is won by taking many small steps, not giant strides!

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Assess Your Study Habits and Exam Preparation

STUDY HABITS Review the following checklist to assess your study habits!

1. Do I start studying at the beginning of a unit rather than when the teacher

announces the exam?

2. Am I actively engaged in daily and weekly review

3. Do I understand how daily and weekly reviews are a vital part of my study

4. Am I adding to, rewriting, or synthesizing class notes

5. When homework and quizzes/tests are returned, am I correcting & using

these to

6. Am I actively studying for quizzes/tests (making self-tests, flashcards, creating

visuals, learning games, creating mnemonics, graphic organizers, Cornell notes,

teaching someone else the concept, writing a summary of learning, discussing

7. Am I chunking my study time rather than trying to study everything in one

8. Am I taking breaks while studying (go for a walk/exercise, play an instrument,

9. Do I understand why chunking, taking breaks, and studying dissimilar subjects

one after another,

10. Am I reviewing the night before the test rather than cramming

How do you rank?

9-10—Study expert!

6-8—On your way to studying more effectively! Read on!

3-5—Beginning to establish some good habits. Read on!

0-2—Time to develop your study strategies! Read on!

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Study Plan Step One: Gather Materials!

Before you hit the books, make sure you know what materials you need for studying. If you

are missing materials, contact your teacher or a friend, or look on your class webpage

immediately!

Bright Ideas: As you receive handouts, make sure to number and/or date them.

Then, come up with a key word for each or highlight key words in the title.

Finally, make a master list of all your handouts to keep with the subject section of your

binder or filer!

Doing these things will help you keep track of everything!

What do I need to review for __________________________?

Textbook

Class Notes

Handouts

Old quizzes/tests

Study Guides

Flashcards

Blank notecards

Highlighters

Multi-colored pens/pencils

Post-it notes/flags

Other: __________________________________________________

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Study Plan

Step Two: Set a Study Goal!

Whether you are completing daily review or in the final days of studying

for a unit exam, study smarter, not harder or longer, by creating a plan for what

you want to know and how you will learn it.

A few words about goals:

Goals should be SMART-R and connected to a reward to help motivate you:

1. Specific: “Study Science” is not specific! What part of the science unit do you

want to cover?

2. Manageable: How much material can you manage in the time you have?

3. Achievable: Can you reach your goal at this point or do you need help? Do you

need to narrow your goal?

4. Relevant: Your goal needs to be relevant to your needs. What is your greatest

need right now for this material? What do you know? What don’t you know?

Figure these questions out before diving in so your study objective is meaningful!

5. Time Bound: Determine a time frame to help you focus your goal.

6. Rewarding: Establish some external reward to help motivate you. Just make

sure you are able to delay your gratification.

The handouts on pages 11-15 will help you understand the principles of daily

review and active reading/studying! Make sure to read these if you are confused

about what these terms mean!

Follow the list on the next page to create your study plan!

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Study Session Steps

1) Complete Step One: Gather Materials! If you have not done so, turn back and do it

before moving forward!

2) Now that you have gathered your materials, decide what you will focus on for today’s

study session and how long you will study.

Consider the following:

o When is the test & how much time before the exam?

o What material do you know and don’t know?

o Have you corrected past tests and quizzes? This is a very important

study strategy!

o How much time do you have today to study?

o Your energy/motivation—will you need to split your studying into a few

sessions to help you recharge?

Remember: No study marathons! No cramming!

3) Identify what you want to know when you are done studying: I will

know/understand_____________________ at the end of my session.

4) Manage & focus on material by CHUNKING: decide what you will cover today and your

next study session(s).

Chunking is separating information into smaller meaningful units to help your

memory and understanding of material.

Chunk material into related categories to help build memory, or into groups of

known and unknown material.

5) Fill out the Study /Project/Reading Plan (p.17), Daily Review & Study Tracking (p.18),

or Daily Review Exit Slip (p.19) to help you put your study plan in motion!

6) Set a timer/alarm to help you manage study time and monitor your breaks.

7) Identify a reasonable reward for accomplishing your study goal. If you have trouble

waiting for your reward (delaying gratification) and find yourself rushing through work

to get to your reward, work with your parent to help establish a reward you can receive

later in the week.

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Study Plan Step Three: Monitor your Studying

1. You’ve gathered materials, established your study goal, identified your

strategies to learn the material and a reward, and set your timer.

But wait—have you eliminated potential distractions?

Are you in the best environment for studying?

o Tired? Don’t study in your bedroom!

o Easily distracted by noise or movement? Don’t study in the

kitchen or other high-traffic areas.

o Need motivation? Head to the library, coffeeshop, or a non-

distracting place where others are comfortably doing work.

Turn off your phone so you will not be tempted to text or talk if

someone calls. Use an egg timer for tracking time if your phone is too

distracting.

Turn off the computer; if you need it for studying, block websites that

are distractors, or bookmark pages to use offline and turn the Internet

off altogether.

Turn off the TV. No exceptions.

What about music? Music can be both distracting and centering,

depending on the type and the learner. Does it help you focus? If so,

then use it! If not, lose it!

o If you do well with music, use Pandora or iTunes to create or

find a study music playlist that helps motivate and focus you.

2. Pay attention to your energy level and focus.

When you start to lose focus, what are your red flags?

I stare out the window.

I read something and have no idea what I read.

I start doodling, singing along to the music, surfing the net, etc.

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3. A red flag is indication that your brain needs a break. If you continue to try to

study, you will be wasting your time.

Take a 5-10 minute break, even if your timer hasn’t gone off. Do

something completely unrelated to what you were working on.

Get some physical exercise.

Drink a glass of water.

Have a high energy snack—almonds or fruit are a great choice.

4. After your break, review everything you initially covered instead of picking up

where you left off. This will boost your memory.

5. How do you know if you know the material?

If you’ve made flash cards or Cornell notes, quiz yourself or have

someone else quiz you until you are confident you can retrieve and

explain the material with ease.

Take a practice exam in your book or online (if available).

Rehearse material orally and repetitively. This is especially helpful if

you are an auditory learner.

Write answers to study guide questions (helpful if you are a visual

person).

Teach someone the material—if you know it, you should be able to

teach it.

Before you begin studying make sure you can answer these questions!

Where should YOU study?

What are YOUR distractions?

What are YOUR red flags?

What can YOU do to boost energy and focus?

How will you know if you know the material?

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Study Plan Step Four: Post-Study Strategies

1. Based on your work today, consider what you can cover for the next

study session.

If you haven’t done so already, add next steps to your Study

Project Plan or set up a Daily Review Exit Slip. This can help save

time.

2. Make sure to reward yourself for a successful session. Set aside time

to do something that inspires or invigorates you.

3. If your session was not successful, reflect on what got in the way of

your studying:

Your state of mind?

The environment?

Difficult material?

Wrong strategies for the material?

Your goal was too big, poorly defined?

You didn’t set aside enough time?

Something else?

4. Assess your test prep on the next page!

5. Reflect on and complete your study profile on page 20!

6. Developing study strategies doesn’t happen overnight; it’s process.

So as you are changing or developing your habits, make sure to find

something positive in your process!

Remember: Setting study GOALS will help you

GO Achieve Learning Success!

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Checklist for Exam Preparation

During the course of your exam preparation, ask yourself the following questions to

make sure you are preparing thoroughly. The goal is NO CRAMMING!

1. Have I asked my teacher when the exam is and what will be on the exam?

2. Have I asked my teacher to clarify any information about the exam preparation or topics on the study guide about which I am unsure?

3. If I have not done so as part of my initial active reading process or as homework,

have I actively read materials using SQ4R, highlighting, or underlining (articles, textbook chapters) on which I may be tested? Have I determined that I have all materials I need to study?

If not, have I approached my teacher, or classmates, or class website for the missing materials?

4. If I have received a study guide early in the unit, have I made a copy of it, and put

the terms into Cornell notes, or on notecards, or a Word document, rather than writing answers on the study guide?

Remember, writing your answers right on the study guide is not an effective way to record all the information or quiz yourself.

You can’t possibly fit enough information on a study guide. Use it only to quiz yourself and make Cornell notes or flashcards so you aren’t cramming concepts and definitions into the guide.

5. Have I gone through my handouts, notes, old tests, and textbook to identify what I need to study?

Bright Idea: Create a list of the concepts from your notes, handouts and textbook and add to it throughout the unit. This is especially helpful if you are not given a study guide.

6. Have I synthesized my list of concepts into a format that works for this material (such as the Cornell notes, graphic organizer, note cards) and includes questions, answers, visuals, mnemonics, wacky phrases, and/or clues?

7. Without referring back to the readings or notes, can I paraphrase an author’s

main ideas and summarize a reading selection that I may need to explain, analyze or incorporate into a short answer or essay question?

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ACTIVE STUDY

A WEEKLY FLOW CHART FOR STUDYING

O O

PRE-READ TEXT: SURVEY & READ SECTION/CHAPTER

Read headings & subheadings first to prepare yourself for the

section/chapter; then chunk your reading to prepare you for

class/discussion.

GO TO

CLASS TAKE NOTES

Even when no one else is taking

notes! This helps your memory!

Use 2-column Cornell Notes; date

notes; use a heading for each new

section

ASK QUESTIONS OF

INSTRUCTOR via email or in class

REVIEW & EDIT NOTES

SAME DAY AS LECTURE:

Highlight, add information to notes

from textbook, write study

questions

ASK YOURSELF

QUESTIONS:

Do I understand my

notes? Do I need to

look in the

textbook/online/in

handouts to help me

understand my

notes?

WRITE KEY

CONCEPTS/TOPICS

on notecards or make a

study guide or Cornell

notes from key terms;

turn information into

visuals, if you are a

visual learner.

Come up with

mnemonics and/or

wacky phrases or

connections to help

memory!

READ TEXTS (textbook,

handouts) ACTIVELY: Use SQ4R,

Highlight, use post-its, underline,

take notes/add to your lecture notes

ASK

QUESTIONS OF

TUTOR OR

INSTRUCTOR

REVIEW ALL MATERIALS

& SYNTHESIZE

(Can you create a summary of

your learning pulling together all

the material—notes, readings,

homework, quizzes—and answer

who, what , where, when why &

how?)

Do I know what all my resources are for this class?

Making a master list of your resources (such as handouts, powerpoints, textbooks, study guides, etc.) as

the unit progresses will help you remember what materials are available to study from!

Keep this list somewhere visible & accessible at all times.

DO HOMEWORK

If you have trouble with taking

notes, use a minicassette recorder

or a smart device to record lectures

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Steps for Daily Review

1) Ask: “What did I learn today in___________?”

2) Turn to your notes, handouts, or textbook for this subject.

3) Actively read your material by: reading aloud & discussing with a parent or friend, highlighting key terms, writing a summary, and/or turning your notes into a study guide, graphic organizer, visual representation, or note cards (flash cards or matching terms card games) that will help you understand the concepts better.

a. Consider your learning style and the individual subject. Some active review methods work better than others depending on the subject matter.

b. Come up with some fun phrases or mnemonics to help memory!

4) If you do not have notes, write a short summary of what you learned in class today in your notes section as your learning log.

5) When reviewing your notes, ask yourself if you understand them! a. Are your notes confusing or missing information? Are words

misspelled? Use your textbook or a friend/teacher’s notes to fill in the gaps in your notes.

b. To really check for learning, quiz yourself or have someone quiz you. OR try to put the notes/concepts into your own words and explain to someone else. If you cannot explain the concept or answer quiz questions without looking back, then you haven’t mastered the concept yet.

c. Write down any questions you have for your teacher on a post-it, in your learning log, or on your notes.

6) REPEAT FOR EACH SUBJECT. a. If you do not have time to review every subject each night, prioritize

your subjects and assign them particular nights. b. Ask yourself: Which subjects are most difficult or demanding?

Which subjects have a test coming up soon? 7) REMEMBER: Daily review will help your long term memory of what you are

learning and help you prepare for the eventual test!

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SQ4R A strategy for reading, studying, and remembering information

You can apply this strategy to all written material, but it is most easily used with

textbooks and readings that have headings and subheadings.

Survey: This is a previewing/pre-reading step. It helps set the stage for

your reading and understanding of the material. When you survey a textbook

section or article, you read the title, headings, key words/vocabulary, and

sidebar information.

If you are not reading a textbook, you can still survey the material. Read the

beginning and end of each paragraph; if you are good at skimming, you can

use this to survey the paragraphs. If it’s a long passage, chunk your reading and

just preview a few paragraphs at a time.

Question: Turn the headings, subheadings, and any new vocabulary

into questions you want to answer as you read. Use question words: Who, What,

When, How, Why, Where. Write your questions on notecards or as Cornell Notes.

If there are no headings, think of questions you can ask about the passage as

you survey the material. For example, as you survey an article, you might ask,

why is the author writing about this? How did this event happen? What are the

results? Who are the most important people involved? When and where did it

take place?

Asking questions before and as you read make you an involved, active reader,

engaging you in the material so you are more focused and able to retain the

information.

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Read: Read the material keeping in mind the questions you have

asked.

As you read, pay attention to any signals that you are confused or losing focus.

If you notice confusion or your attention wandering, look back at your questions

to help you get back on track. Can you answer them? Do you need to reread?

Record: When you have finished reading the section, record answers

to your questions on your notecards or Cornell Notes. Make sure you are putting

the information in your own words. Quote any information that is not your own

words. Draw pictures or diagrams if this helps you to process the information—

especially helpful for visual learners.

Indicate the page number on your notecard or Cornell Notes to help you find

the information later.

Recite: When you have finished reading and recording answers for the

whole passage, you can recite aloud or silently the information you have

learned. Saying it orally can benefit all learners, but especially auditory learners.

It will also help you make sure what you have written sounds right and makes

sense. You can have someone quiz you as well as part of the recite step.

Review: After your initial reading and notetaking, make sure to review

the material consistently over the course of the unit to help build your long-term

memory. Review results in retention!

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NOTECARD BASICS

What should I write on a notecard for understanding?

1) One concept/question per notecard (3”x 5” or 4”x6”) written on the front.

2) On the back, fully explain the concept/answer the question, including the following information: a. Who (who is involved with this concept/idea?) b. What (what is the meaning/importance of this

concept/person/event?) c. When (if applicable, what is the time period of this

concept/person/event?) d. Where (if applicable, where did this concept/person/event come from

or occur?) e. Why (why is this concept/person important? Why did this event occur

(cause/effect)?) f. How (how does this concept/term/person/event connect to other

concepts, people or events in the unit?)

Notecard ideas:

1) Color-code your notecards by grouping similar terms from your unit into categories

2) Make a matching game with your notecards putting people/characters on one set of cards, events on another, places/settings on another, etc.

3) Keep your notecards from each unit in snack baggies labeled with the unit name and date.

4) Use spiral bound index cards, or create your own flip book with hole-punched index cards and rings. This helps keep all your study cards organized in one place.

5) Use larger notecards (4x6) if you have big handwriting or a lot of information.

6) Create notecards online or on your smart device using a flashcard app. 7) If notecards don’t work for you, use Cornell Notes instead. See the next

page for an example.

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CORNELL NOTES: Use this template to help you set up notes from your reading, class notes, or a study guide!

Chapter Name:

Date:

Section: Period:

Questions/Main Ideas/Vocabulary Notes/Answers/Definitions/Examples/Sentences

Summary:

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Study/Project/Reading Plan Break your studying, project, or long reading assignment into small steps to work toward completion. Assign yourself a specific time slot or amount of time each day to work on your studying or assignment. Be very specific and realistic when assigning yourself work to do each day. “Study SS” is not specific. What exactly will you focus on that day for a particular amount of time? The first column has been done as an example!

Ask yourself: What is my other homework that night? What are my other obligations? What is manageable and reasonable? What is a priority in studying or completing the project? What will be most difficult or time consuming for me?

Subject: ________________________________

Test/Project/Reading Due Date: _____________________________

Date

12/15

Date Date Date Date Date Date

Time

3-3:45

Time Time Time Time Time Time

Goal:

Survey,

question,

read &

record

answers

Chapter 15,

Sect. 1

Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal

Date

Date Date Date Date Date Date

Time Time Time Time Time Time Time

Goal

Goal Goal

Goal Goal Goal Goal

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Daily Review & Study Tracking

Write down your study goal, time frame for studying, and what you did—highlighted notes,

added to notes from textbook, re/read section/chapter, made note cards, quizzed myself,

made a study guide, corrected a test.

Date Subject What will I know? Time What did I do?

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Daily Review Exit Slip

Fill out the areas in black before studying. Fill out the red boxes after studying.

Date: Subject: Length of Study Session:

Study Goal After reviewing, I will understand/know…

Study Strategies Circle/highlight all strategies you plan to use/ used

ACTIVE READING: SQ4R—survey, question, read, recite, review Orally read text/notes Reading and Highlighting Adding to/Clarifying Class Notes Making Flashcards Rereading/Rehearsing Material Making a List of Terms to Study from Readings, Notes, Handouts Categorizing Terms (grouping like terms & explaining how they are related) Creating a song or mnemonic device Making a memory game Creating a Practice Test Quizzing Self Someone quizzed me Taking part in group study session Completing Extra Problems Writing a summary of learning Correcting a quiz/test Other:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How did these strategies help me understand/learn the material?

My next study session will cover:

Date: Subject: Length of Study Session:

Study Goal After reviewing, I will understand/know…

Study Strategies Circle/highlight all strategies you plan to use/used

ACTIVE READING: SQ4R—survey, question, read, recite, review Orally read text/notes Reading and Highlighting Adding to/Clarifying Class Notes Making Flashcards Rereading/Rehearsing Material Making a List of Terms to Study from Readings, Notes, Handouts Categorizing Terms (grouping like terms & explaining how they are related) Creating a song or mnemonic device Making a memory game Creating a Practice Test Quizzing Self Someone quizzed me Taking part in group study session Completing Extra Problems Writing a summary of learning Correcting a quiz/test Other:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How did these strategies help me understand/learn the material?

My next study session will cover:

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YOUR STUDY PROFILE:

Where should YOU study?

What are YOUR distractions?

What are YOUR red flags?

What can YOU do to boost energy and focus?

What is your learning style?

What strategies work for your learning style? What strategies work for specific

subjects?

How will you know if you know the material?

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