What are study skills?

Every student is familiar with the term ‘study skills.’ But not everyone really knows or understands what they are or why they matter. After all, if your grades are pretty good why you should worry about improving your study skills?

Study skills are a range of approaches to learning that improve your ability to study, and to retain and recall information. Spending time on improving your study skills, no matter how good your grades are, has to be time well spent.

Some people are naturally good at time management but may struggle with critical thinking. Another student may be great at taking notes but isn’t great at putting a concept into their own words. To be able to really do your best in your studies and easily demonstrate your learning, you need to spend time developing your study skills.

key study skills

time management:

“Time management” is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities. Good time management enables you to work smarter – not harder – so that you get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing to manage your time damages your effectiveness and causes stress.

Once you start managing your time, you will notice better grades, higher productivity, and ultimately a better mood! Click on the drop down menus below for important skills on time management.

Create a Schedule

Having a schedule where you can input your to-do list into specific time slots will be the easiest way to keep track of everything. You can get a paper based agenda or use an online schedule. Following your schedule is the most important aspect of balancing school and your personal life. Get in the the habit of writing notes, random thoughts, and ideas that you have as you go about your day into the planner as well.

Prioritize Your To-Do List

Students should put their planner to work by prioritizing their daily tasks. In the morning, students should look at their calendar and create a to-do list for the day, putting the most important tasks at the top of the list. Prioritizing their tasks first thing in the morning leaves students the maximum amount of time to complete each task throughout the day. In addition to creating a to-do list, students should get in the habit of pulling together everything they’ll need for the day—for example, clothes, school supplies, and lunch—so that they are prepared for all of the day’s events.
Having your to-do list written down is a great start, but prioritizing it is even more valuable. Here’s how to do it:

Go through what you have to do for the day.
Group similar tasks together (time it takes to complete, similar subject, etc.)
Number the tasks in the order that you want to complete them
Start with an easier task for the beginning of every day (this helps reduce feeling overwhelmed and jump start your productivity)

Use Reminders

Reminders on your phone can be a stress-free way to manage your time. You should still use a schedule, but reminders can help you to remember when it's time to complete items.

Break Task into Smaller Ones

hen we have a large, time-consuming task to complete, we tend to put it off because we don’t really know where to start and feel overwhelmed. When your bathroom looks like a war-zone it may drive you crazy to look at, but you’re running late for work so you just close the door… then when you get home from work, you’re tired and you want to relax so you say you’ll do it tomorrow. “Cleaning the bathroom” can seem like a simple task, but what does it really entail?

Cleaning the grout
Washing the rug
Sanitizing the counter
Mopping the floor
Putting Everything away
Emptying the garbage...

No wonder you can’t get around to “simply” cleaning the bathroom, because it’s not simple! You have to break it into smaller, less-intimidating tasks and then check them off one by one. The same thing applies to school and larger assignments. Breaking assignments into smaller parts helps make them more manageable.

Avoid Distractions

This is probably one of the hardest time management tips for students to get down since teens love distractions. and procrastination when we don’t want to do the hard work.
4 Steps to help:

Turn your phone off for tasks that take longer than 30 minutes
Put your computer on full screen to avoid opening other tabs
Only listen to music that is designed for focus (songs without lyrics)
Study on a full stomach and have water next to you

Write the 4 bullet points above on a piece of paper and stick it on your wall in front of your desk so you don't forget!

Make Study Time More Effective

There is a special formula that was created for the most efficient studying technique. I only use this method now and boy does it work well!
It’s called the Pomodoro Technique and here’s how it works:

Work for 25 minutes
Take a 5 minute break
Repeat 4 times
After the 4th cycle, take a longer 30 minute break.

The amount of memory retention you get from this method is insane and will ultimately save you time in the long run!Set a timer for the 25 minute cycles just so you stay on track. Avoid using your phone during the breaks and instead, go grab water or a snack.

Note Taking

Notetaking provides several benefits beyond that record of what was presented in a lecture or class activity. Effective notetaking:

Keeps you alert. Notetaking keeps your body active and involved and helps you avoid feelings of drowsiness or distraction.
Engages your mind. Listening carefully and deciding what to include in notes keeps your mind actively involved with what you hear.
Emphasizes and organizes information. As you take notes, you’ll decide on and highlight the key ideas you hear, identifying the structure of a class presentation. You’ll also be able to indicate the supporting points of a presentation, making study and understanding easier after class. Such organized notes also make it easier for you to link classroom learning to textbook readings.
Creates a condensed record for study. A set of concise, well-organized notes from each class session gives you what you need for study, learning, and review after class.

Click on the drop down menu's below for note taking tips.

Tips for Note Taking In Class

Before you start taking any notes be clear about the topic the teacher is discussing. Think of your notes as a guide to your learning and development after the event. You notes form part of a working document that you’ll return to and add to later.
Think about whether or not a point is noteworthy before you write it down – do not take notes for the sake of taking notes. Otherwise you’ll end up with lots of irrelevant points, which will distract you from the important things. You probably only really need to make notes on things that are new to you.
Do not write down everything that is said, word-for-word, that would be transcribing, which is an altogether different skill. Concentrate on the key points, remain alert and attentive and listen to what is being said.
Write in your own style and use your own words, you don’t need to worry too much about spelling, grammar, punctuation or neatness as long as you can read your notes later and they make sense to you. Your personal note-writing system will evolve and improve with practice.
Try to use short concise points, single words or phrases or short sentences, use bullet or numbered lists if necessary. If you are using a pen and paper then it is easy to add linking lines to join ideas and concepts.
Write down in full, key information that can’t be shortened: names, contact details, dates, URL’s, references, book titles, formulas etc.
Use abbreviations to help you – just note what they mean!
Use underlining, indentation, circle words or phrases, use highlighters – whatever system works for you to emphasis the most important points and add some structure to your notes.
Use some sort of shorthand system that you will understand later – develop this system as you become more skilled at note-taking.
Don’t panic if you miss something. You can usually ask the speaker to repeat a point or ask a colleague or peer after the event. Note down that you have missed something to remind you to do this.

Once class has finished:

As soon as possible, after class, you should review and, where necessary, rework your notes. Fill in any gaps, adding content and further research to your notes. If your notes are handwritten you may want to type them into a computer. The more you interact with your notes the more you will remember and ultimately learn.

Tips for Note Taking From Text

1. Highlighting and EmphasizingA quick and easy way to be active when reading is to highlight and/or underline parts of the text. Although the process of highlighting is not ‘note-taking’, it is often an important first step. Many people also recommend making brief notes in the margin. Of course, this is not a good idea if the book or journal does not belong to you! In such cases, make notes on a photocopy or use sticky ‘post it’ notes or similar.
Highlighting key words or phrases in text will help you:

Focus your attention on what you are reading – and make it easy to see key points when re-reading.
Think more carefully about the key concepts and ideas in the text, the bits that are worth highlighting.
See immediately whether you have already read pages or sections of text.

When you come across words or phrases that you are not familiar with it may be useful to add them to a personal glossary of terms. Make a glossary on a separate sheet (or document) of notes, so you can easily refer and update it as necessary. Write descriptions of the terms in your own words to further encourage learning.
2. Making Written NotesAlthough highlighting is a quick way of emphasizing key points, it is no substitute for taking proper notes.Remember your main purpose in taking notes is to learn, and probably to prepare for some form of writing. When you first start to take notes, you may find that you take too many, or not enough, or that when you revisit them they are unclear, or you do not know which is your opinion and which is the opinion of the author. You will need to work on these areas - like all life skills, taking effective notes improves with practice.
There are two main elements that you need to include in your notes:

The content of your reading, usually through brief summaries or paraphrasing, plus a few well-chosen quotes (with page numbers); and
Your reaction to the content, which may include an emotional reaction and also questions that you feel it raises.

It can be helpful to separate these two physically to ensure that you include both (see box).Your notes may also take various forms and style, for example:

Linear, or moving from one section to the next on the page in a logical way, using headings and sub-headings;
Diagrammatic, using boxes and flowcharts to help you move around the page; and
Patterns, such as mind maps, which allow a large amount of information to be included in a single page, but rely on you to remember the underlying information.

The style that you use is very personal: some people prefer a more linear approach, and others like the visual elements of mind-mapping or diagrams. It is worth trying a number of approaches to see which one(s) work best for you, and under which circumstances.
As well as notes on the detailed content, it is also worth compiling a summary at the end of each section or chapter.
A summary is, by definition, precise. Its aim is to bring together the essential points and to simplify the main argument or viewpoint of the author. You should be able to use your summary in the future to refer to the points raised and use your own explanations and examples of how they may apply to your subject area.
3. Reviewing and Revising Your NotesOnce you have gone through the text and made notes as you go, you will have a reasonable summary of the document, and your reactions to it.
However, as you read the whole document, other things may emerge. For example, as you reflect on your reading, you may notice themes emerging, or you may find that your earlier reactions have softened or sharpened as you have gone through, particularly for books.
It is therefore helpful to review your notes a few days after completing them. In particular, you may want to:

Use headings or different sheets (or documents) to separate different themes and ideas;
Use brightly colored pens or flags to highlight important points in your notes. You may find it useful to have a simple system of color-coding, using different colors for particular themes or issues; and
Note where your opinions changed, and why.

4. Organizing Your NotesDepending on your circumstances, you may find you accumulate a lot of notes.
Notes are of no use to you if you cannot find them when you need to, and spending a lot of time sifting through piles of papers is a waste of time. It is therefore important to ensure that your notes are well-organized and you can find what you want when you need it.
How you organize your notes will depend on whether they are ‘physical’, written on paper or ‘digital’, stored on a computer, or a combination of the two. It will also depend on your personal preferences, but good options include binders and folders, whether real or digital. There are also a number of apps that can help you to store and recover information effectively.

Articles on Note-Taking:

presentation skills

Presentation skills are the skills you need in delivering effective and engaging presentations to a variety of audiences. These skills cover a variety of areas such as the structure of your presentation, the design of your slides, the tone of your voice and the body language you convey.

Be aware of your non-verbal communication. Use body language that shows CONFIDENCE!
- Have good posture
- Smile and act relaxed. It will make you look and feel more confident.
- Make eye contact with your audience instead of reading off your notes the entire time.
- Avoid distracting behaviors, like chewing gum or fidgeting.
- Watch for nervous gestures, such as rocking, or tapping.
- Make sure to dress appropriately for your profession.
Take time to think during your presentation! People have a tendency to speak more quickly under pressure. Make an effort to slow your pace and include pauses. Speaking slower will also help you avoid excessive verbal fillers like “ummm” or “ahhhh”.
Pay attention to your volume. Think about projecting your voice to the back of the classroom so that everyone can hear what you have to say.
Try to speak clearly so that your audience can easily understand your words.
Avoid the ‘lecture’. By incorporation more than a speech into your presentation, you’ll be better able to hold your audience’s attention. Try using visuals, asking questions, or doing activities.

test taking skills

Effective test taking strategies contribute to greater productivity, higher grades and less stress.

GENERAL TIPS

Before you Begin

Preview the test before you answer anything. This gets you thinking about the material. Make sure to note the point value of each question. This will give you some ideas on budgeting your time.
Quickly calculate how much time you should allow for each section according to the point value. (You don't want to spend 30 minutes on an essay question that counts only 5 points.)
Do a mind dump. Using what you saw in the preview, make notes of anything you think you might forget. Write down things that you used in learning the material that might help you remember. Outline your answers to discussion questions.

Taking a Test

Read the directions. (Can more than one answer be correct? Are you penalized for guessing? etc.) Never assume that you know what the directions say.
Answer the easy questions first. This will give you the confidence and momentum to get through the rest of the test. You are sure these answers are correct. Try not to spend too much time on one question.
Go back to the difficult questions. While looking over the test and doing the easy questions, your subconscious mind will have been working on the answers to the hardest ones. Also, later items on the test might give you useful or needed information for earlier items.
Answer all questions (unless you are penalized for wrong answers).
Ask the instructor to explain any items that are not clear. Do not ask for the answer, but phrase your question in a way that shows the instructor that you have the information but are not sure what the question is asking for.
Try to answer the questions from the instructor's point of view. Try to remember what the instructor emphasized and felt was important.
Use the margin to help you figure out if the question does not seem clear or if the answer seems ambiguous.
Circle key words in difficult questions. This will force you to focus on the central point.
Express difficult questions in your own words. Rephrasing can make it clear to you, but be sure you don't change the meaning of the question.
Use all of the time allotted for the test. If you have extra time, cover up your answers and actually rework the question.

ESSAY EXAMS

Make sure you are ready for the test both mentally and physically.
Listen carefully to the final instructions of the teacher. (How much time do you have to complete the test? Do all the questions count equally? Are there any corrections, changes, or additions to the test?)
Begin the test immediately and watch the time carefully. Don't spend too much time answering one question that you run out of time before answering the others.
Read all the essay questions carefully, paying special attention to the key words.
Ask the teacher to clarify any question you may not understand.
Rephrase the question into the central idea for your essay answer.
Think before you write. Jot down all the important information and work it into a brief outline. Do this on the back of the test sheet or on a piece of scrap paper.
Use a logical pattern of organization and a strong topic sentence for each paragraph.
Write concisely without using abbreviations or nonstandard language.
Emphasize those areas of the subject you are most sure of.
Keep your test paper neat with reasonable margins. Neatness is always important; readability is a must, especially on an exam.
Revise and proofread as carefully and completely as time will permit.

Planning and writing the essay test questionIt is important to understand what the teacher is asking for in an essay question. Too many students make the error of thinking the best way to answer an essay question is to write down everything and anything about the topic as fast as they can. No time is taken to think about the essay test question or to organize an appropriate answer.
The first step in correctly handling an essay test question is to read the question several times until you are sure you know what the teacher is asking. As you read, you must pay special attention to the key words found in every essay question. Your ability to understand and respond to these key words is a basic skill necessary to handling the essay question. Below are some steps for writing a good essay.

Read the question several times or until you clearly understand what is being asked for. (Pay specific attention to the “key word” being used in the question.)
Rephrase the question into a statement, which can serve as the thesis statement for your essay answer or the topic sentence for a one-paragraph answer. Note: It often works well to keep the key words in your thesis statement.
Outline the main points you plan to cover in your answer. Time will probably not allow you to include all supporting details in your outline. (Using a topic outline rather than a sentence outline will also save time.)
Write your essay. Your opening sentence will be your thesis statement (the reworded question). Follow this with any background information, which is necessary for a complete understanding of your answer.

Important Points to Remember

Planning
- A few minutes of careful planning are crucial to a good essay answer.
- Budget your time for planning, writing, and editing.
- Read the question carefully; be sure you understand what the question is asking you to do, and what all parts of the answer should be.
- Make notes, then organize them and check to see that your outline contains everything it should.
Writing
- The most important thing in writing the essay is to stay on track and still explain your points adequately. Keep in mind any special instructions your instructor gave.
- Keep introductions and conclusions short.
- Say what your are going to say in the introduction, then say it in the body, restate what you have just said in your conclusion.
- Stick to your outline.
- Note any new ideas in the margin; don't just stick them in when you think of them.
- Try not to start over if you get off track; just get back to your outline.
- Don't save important points for conclusion.
- If you can save time, reading your essay over can help greatly.
- Ask yourself:
  1. Do I need to reread the question?
  2. Does it answer the question?
  3. Are any points left out?
  4. Are there words or phrases that you skipped writing fast?
  5. Did you spell important words (relevant to the subject) correctly?

MATH & SCIENCE TEST TECHNIQUES

Translate problems in English. Putting problems into words aids your understanding. When you study equations and formulas, put those into words too. The words help you see a variety of applications for each formula.
Perform opposite operations. If a problem involves multiplication, check your work by dividing; add, subtract; factor, multiply; square root, square; differentiate, integrate.
Use time drills. Practice working problems fast. Time yourself. Exchange problems with a friend and time each other. You can also do this in a study group.
Analyze before you compute. Set up the problem before you begin to solve it. When a problem is worth a lot of points, read it twice, slowly. Analyze it carefully. When you take time to analyze a problem you can often see ways to take computational shortcuts.
Make a picture. Draw a clear picture or a diagram if you are stuck. Sometimes a visual representation will clear a blocked mind.
Estimate first. Estimation is a good way to double-check your work. Doing this first can help you notice if your computations go awry, and then you can correct the error quickly.
Check your work systematically. When you check your work, ask yourself: Did I read the problem correctly? Did I use the correct formula or equation? Is my arithmetic correct? Is my answer in the proper form? Avoid the temptation to change an answer in the last few minutes-unless you're sure the answer is wrong. In the last-minute rush to finish the test, it's easier to choose the wrong answer.
Review formulas. Right before the test, review any formulas you'll need to use. Then write them on the margin of the test or on the back of the test paper.

Taking Math and Science Exams

Do the easy ones first.
Read the problem.
- Determine exactly what you are required to find.
- What does the answer look like? - is it a speed? A temperature? An energy?
Estimate the answer before you start to work on the problem.
- It helps to have a rough idea of the size of the answer.
Include the units with all answers and round them to the proper place.
Try to see the exam problem as another example of a problem you have already solved or studied.
- Your instructor will have worked problems in class and you may recall worked examples in your text.
In preparing for problem exams it is important that you work many problems.
- For most students the course grade or exam grade is directly proportional to the number of problems they do.
- Don't spend all your time on a few very difficult problems. Rather, do many of the easier ones until you are certain of your ability.
If the exam will require you to perform mathematical proofs or derivations, be certain that you know which proofs may be required.
- Drill yourself on these before the test.
- Repeat each proof step-by-step until you remember each step and can quickly outline the proof.
See your instructor for pre-exam help when you need it, but come prepared with a list of specific questions.
- Show him/her your attempts at solving the problem and he/she will be more willing to help.
Go over every test after you take it.
- Learn how to do the problems you missed.
- Science and math build an inverted pyramid of ideas. Anything you do not understand now will return to haunt you later in the course.

Taking Math Exams

Be prepared at exam and on time.
Write down any formulas you'll need to remember.
Read instructions carefully.
Skim test and do those questions you know immediately.
Pace yourself so you have time to consider all questions.
Do problems you can do but take more time.
Go back and work on hard problems.
- Be systematic
- Find relevant information
- Break into smaller parts
- Don't panic
- Don't write a novel
If you have no idea where to start.
- Re-read question
- Check to see if similar to any other problems
- Re-read formulas
- List what is known, what you need to find, and what is needed to find the answer.
Allow time to check problems
Look out for stupid errors.

After Receiving the Test

Immediately look up questions that caused problems.
Go over test and correct missed problems.
Check with instructor if you can not figure out why the problem was wrong.

Taking Science Exams

Read all test directions carefully and survey the entire test before answering any questions.
Budget your time so you will be able to complete the entire test.
Read the questions carefully and answer those you're sure of first. If there's no penalty for wrong answers, guess.
Try to save time to review your answers before submitting your test.

TRUE & FALSE

The basic idea behind a true-false question is simple: It consists of a single statement; your job is to decide whether it's true. What makes the choice more difficult is that to be true, a statement must be 100 percent true!
Watch for those little words that can turn an otherwise true statement into one that is false, or vice versa. Researchers have found that statements containing certain words, such as the following, are generally false: All, Only, Always, Because. Statements containing certain other words, such as the following, are generally true: None, Generally, Usually.
If you don't know an answer, always guess-unless the scoring formula is “rights minus wrongs.” If that's the case, never guess.
In true-false tests, your first hunch is usually correct. Don't change an answer unless you are very sure of the change.
If any part of the statement is false, the whole statement is false.

MATCHING

You must connect items on one list with items on another generally by placing a number or letter identifying words on one list beside those on another.
The best way to approach matching questions of this kind is to choose one of the columns and match as many items as you can with those in the other column. You can start with either column, but you can have more success if you start with the column providing the most information.
Work with only one column at a time. Match each item in that column against all items in the second column until you find a proper match, marking through matches about which you are certain, so that it will be easier to match out the rest about which you are unsure. Cross out the words you have used as you go along to avoid confusion.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Anticipate the answer before you look at the choices. Physically cover the answers with your scantron sheet to see if your can answer the question first.
Read over all of your options.
Eliminate highly implausible answers.
Some examiners give away answers in their tests. By answering one question, you may be able to realize the answer to another question.
If you must guess, keep in mind the following tips for multiple choice tests:
- Sometimes lengthy or highly specific answers will be the correct answer.
- Be aware of words like “always,” “never,” “only,” “must,” and “completely.” These are usually the wrong answers since there are many exceptions to rules. These are extreme words that are more than likely to be the wrong choice.
Answer all questions in order without skipping or jumping around. Identify doubtful answers by marking in the margin and recheck these as time permits after all questions have been answered.
Do not linger too long on any one question. Mark your best guess and move on, returning later if you have sufficient time.
Reread all questions containing negative wording such as “not” or “least.” Be especially alert for the use of double or even triple negatives within a sentence, as these must be read very carefully to assure full understanding.
Check for qualifying words such as “all-most-some-none,” “always-usually-seldom-never,” “best-worst,” or “smallest-largest.” When you see one of these qualifiers, test for truth by substituting the other members of the series. IF your substitution makes a better statement, the question is false; if your substitution does not make a better statement, the question is true.
Watch for modifying or limiting phrases inserted into the true/false questions. Instructors often use inserted names, dates, places, or other details to make a statement inaccurate.
Be alert for multiple ideas or concepts within the same true/false statements. All parts of the statement must be true or the entire statement is false.
Be alert for grammatical inconsistencies between the question stem and the answer choices on multiple-choice questions. A choice is almost always wrong if it and the stem do not make a grammatically correct sentence.
Be cautious about changing your answer to a true/false or multiple-choice question without a good reason. Your first “guess” is more likely to be correct than are subsequent “guesses,” so be sure to have a sound reason for changing your answer.
Apply the same approach to answering both true/false and multiple-choice questions. The same techniques will work equally well for both, since multiple-choice questions are basically true/false questions arranged in groups.

academic strategies

Teachers for the English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies departments, in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional School District, created a series of videos with tips, tools and skills to help students with learning content in their departments and can help students across the board.