Study Tips

Many students think that just sitting; looking at or reading the text is studying. Unfortunately, that is a myth. It is a passive action. To really study a text you must be pro-active and involve yourself in the text.

How do you do this? A very successful strategy for studying is called SQWR. S stands for the first step which is survey. To survey, go through the entire chapter or reading assignment. Do NOT read line for line but follow this plan. First, read the title. Then stop and think. Does the title remind you of anything? Do you know anything about it? For instance, if the title is “Einstein’s Theory of Relativity,” do you know who Einstein is or was? Do you know what a theory is? Do you know what relativity is? Then jot down your thoughts. Say you do know what a theory is but don’t know about Einstein or relativity; write the definition of a theory. Then write Einstein and relativity followed by a question mark.

When you have finished, read the Introduction if there is one. Again note what you know and what you don’t know.

After making your notes, read all of the headings. Usually the headings are in bold face type. Identify each heading as to whether any information comes to mind or you draw a total blank.

When you have done the headings, read the conclusion if there is one. Then go back through the chapter and look at the pictures, maps, charts, and graphs. Study them carefully and read the captions. Test makers often draw questions from the captions just to see how thoroughly you studied the material.

You are now finished with Step 1, Survey. You should have a good idea of what the chapter is about. So proceed to the next step – Question.

Ask yourself what you would like to know or need to know about the material. What do you think your instructor wants you to know? (The answer to this question might be your next quiz.) Pretend you are the teacher. What would you want your students to know? What would you ask them about the material? Be sure to write down all of your questions. When you are finished writing, review the headings again. Match the headings to your questions. If there is a heading that you have no question for, make one.

Now it is time for the R step. Read! As you read, think about your questions. Use a highlighter and mark any information which answers your questions as you read. At this point, do not try to memorize any facts, just read and highlight.

Once you are finished reading, start the W step. Write the answers to all your questions in your notebook. Afterwards, look at the end of the chapter or assignment to see if there are any questions in the text. Have you already answered them? If so, that is good. If not, answer them now.

Take a break from writing and just think about all you have read and written. Is there anything that you simply do not understand? Make a note to ask your teacher or a buddy for help with this.

Finally, go through your notes and highlighting once more. Are there any facts you need to memorize? For instance, statements like Paris is the capital of France or the perimeter of a polygon is the sum of its sides are facts that probably should be memorized.

When teachers construct tests, they divide the questions into three categories: literal, critical thinking and transfer. A literal question is a fact clearly stated in the text. For example, from the information in the paragraph above, “Define perimeter,” would be a literal question.

But suppose the question read: “A 4 sided plane figure has a width of 8 inches and a length of 12 inches, what is the perimeter? This is a critical thinking question. You need to take the literal information and solve the problem.

Now what if you have the question, “Sam needs to enclose his yard with a fence. The length is 50 yards and the width is 25 yards. He will have a three-foot gate in the front and one in the back. How much fencing will he need?” This is a transfer question. You must take the information from the literal statement, and apply it to solve the problem.

This strategy may appear confusing at first. But practice following it step by step and it will soon be easy. People don’t learn to play basketball or a musical instrument overnight. It takes practice. Study skills require practice too. However, the reward is good grades, and most of all, the self-satisfaction of knowing what you know.