Study Skills Tips
For my students and others: a brain dump of things I've picked up along the way.
General
Do: remember that studying takes time!
A rule of thumb for how many hours you should budget for studying each week: triple the number of credits.
Do: get enough sleep.
Your memory depends on adequate sleep.
Do: take care of your well-being otherwise.
Eat a nutritious, balanced diet.
Drink enough water.
Exercise.
Meditate / keep a journal.
I like GridDiary, on iOS
Visit a doctor or therapist as needed.
Resources:
Do: take breaks.
Consider 40 minutes of studying followed by a 10-minute break.
Take the break even if you don’t feel like it! Never work through scheduled breaks.
Our minds need an occasional rest to stay alert and productive.
(I used to study near an arcade and every hour I would go play one game of pinball. It helped me refresh and learn to get in the zone! If pinball isn't your thing, try dance, playing an instrument, running, hitting a ball or shooting baskets... anything that helps you get in the zone, whatever your zone is.)
Do: turn off notifications on your phone.
Do: consider studying with a group.
But then make sure you can do each problem independently!
Do: find the ideal place to study.
Consider the level of noise and amenities you require.
Resources:
Lecture
Do: ask questions.
Do: take notes by hand. (By hand is key!)
Keep track of any questions for the instructor you come up with during the lecture itself.
Keep track of anything to look up later.
(Use special tags/symbols for the above so you can easily reference them during and after lecture.)
Do not rely on your memory.
Do: make sure everything ‘makes sense.’
Do not interpret everything making sense during lecture to mean you understand everything.
Resources:
Reading
Do: the assigned reading!
Start with the introduction and conclusion!
If the reading includes an exercise, do the exercise along with the book!
Do: look up other references when your textbook is confusing, vague, or not comprehensive.
Wikipedia can be great!
Try Khan Academy, Coursera, or MIT’s OpenCourseWare for additional references.
If you are more of a visual learner, try one of their videos.
Do: mark up your book with relevant information.
(Note: if you do not own your book, or want to re-sell it later, you can use sticky notes and tabs, including transparent sticky notes. Or you can photocopy the book or just write your notes directly in a notebook.)
Use a scheme that works for you.
Make sure you use your markings judiciously so that your entire book is not just one big underline or highlight.
Try circling instead of underlining or highlighting (that helps limit the selection)
My highlighter scheme:
Blue: concepts and terminology
Yellow: key descriptions, definitions
Pink: examples
Green: software functions
(I use gel highlighters so they do not bleed through the page)
Do: make sure everything ‘makes sense.’
Do not interpret everything making sense while reading to mean you understand everything.
Practice
Do: the assigned homework.
Do: extra problems from the textbook.
Do: test your understanding.
If your textbook or instructor provide you with learning objectives, make sure to ask yourself questions appropriate to each level to personally ensure you meet the objectives.
E.g.: Level 3: Application: Distribution Functions.
Define a distribution function.
Describe the characteristics of each distribution function used in class.
Label the axes of the distribution function.
Match the data set to its corresponding distribution function.
Explain the use of distribution functions in simulation modeling.
Calculate the bounds (support) for each distribution function used in class.
Chart the PDF/PMF and CDF of each major distribution function used in class.
Simulate draws from each major distribution function used in class.
Teach a classmate about distribution functions.
Note that your instructors generally have to submit higher level learning objectives for accreditation. They may not provide more specific ones.
You can try asking instructors for more specific learning objectives.
You can try guessing for yourself what the learning objectives may be (based on the course outline, reading, homework, lecture, etc.).
If you find yourself needing to memorize anything that your instructor did not specifically tell you to memorize: take this as a signal that you do not understand it conceptually.
Do: Read through the problem set when you first get it.
If you can’t start the problems without referring to your notes or to the textbook, study the concepts again.
Leave yourself plenty of time to ask questions.
Do all the problem sets.
Note Taking
After class: type up your notes. Do this ASAP after class ends.
Add any missing information, where possible.
Note what remains missing or unresolved.
Continue keeping track of questions for the instructor.
After reading: type up your marks and highlighting. Do this ASAP after reading
Make note of main ideas and section titles.
Add any missing information, where possible.
Note what remains missing or unresolved.
Continue keeping track of questions for the instructor.
Create a study guide for yourself as if you were writing it for someone else.
Include concepts and terminology.
Include step-by-step instructions.
Include key formulas.
Do: find your style, consider:
Dating and numbering your notes
Providing a heading describing the content
Paraphrasing instead of writing verbatim (except for formulas & definitions)
Using consistent abbreviations and symbols
Asking Questions
If something does not make sense:
Ask yourself questions.
Ask your peers questions.
This is a great opportunity for both the asker and the answerer. Teaching something will help your classmates solidify their knowledge while helping you as well!
Ask the instructor questions.
Do: e-mail your instructor with questions (if your instructor accepts e-mail correspondence).
Do: come to your instructor’s office hours, preferably prepared with questions. Some questions you might ask:
“What did you mean by x in lecture?”
“How do I start this problem?”
“Why do we do y?”
Do: be courteous and timely with questions.
(Re: timely: waiting until right before an assignment is due, or an exam, or a lecture will not yield the best results.)
Test Taking
Do: get enough sleep before an exam.
Adequate sleep will generally help you more than that last bit of cramming.
Do: take a deep breath. You can do this. Repeat often.
Adequate oxygenation actually really does help you relax and think clearly.
Do: assess the test. Look through the entire exam and assess which sections are worth the most credit, which are likely to be easiest for you, and which are likeliest to be hardest for you. Start with the section that is easiest for you and worth the most credit.
Do: move on if you find yourself wasting time on a question you do not really understand. Mark it so you remember to try it again if you have time at the end.
Do: write out every single step and intermediate step, especially in longer calculations. This will help prevent making careless mistakes.