(PP) Learning to Study

As I high school student, I found myself learning how to take the path of least resistance. My study habits consisted of reading some notes and mumbling lists while in the shower, on the day before the test.

Now I am faced with trying to start from scratch, only now I am at a college level and need to achieve better then my high school best. Teachers seem to have the same response, two hours for every class hour and note cards for terms that you need to memorize.

The only time I used flash cards effectively was in the seventh grade, my mind simply does not do well with bulk memorization. Ever since, when I resort to flash cards I mix terms more. A front of one card and the back of another are to easy to mix. I need to methodically learn one piece of information then the next.

As far as two hours of every hour, I am hard pressed to sit with the same material that long. I am working towards trying to push myself to a set schedule, but fluxing work hours and a social life make it hard to set a schedule. If I study too much I am too stressed to work, if I cannot go to work, I can not afford to pay for books, if I do not buy my books, I cannot do the work, if the work does not get done, I fail the course. The same applies to not relaxing with friends. Priorities and balance shift rather quickly.

A practice that I picked up at USM was useful for me. I had a history course, the reading got dry at times, to keep myself on the subject, I bought a book on the same time period. The book gave me another way to look at the material and it kept me on topic. If I took the time that I spent on reading a book that was relaxing and added it to regular study, I met the two hours to every hour plan.

I am slowing figuring my way around making the lists work. I have found that if I find a way to apply the information to another part of the material, I am more likely to retain both pieces of information.

So long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other, always looking for new solutions and assessing old choices, I should make it through with the grades I need.

-NK