How to Use College Study Skills

Expect a challenge when studying for college classes. College study skills require time and focus. It takes a mindful strategy to study, understand, and demonstrate the necessary understandings to excel at the college level. In order to learn and effectively prove what you know, treat your college classes seriously, giving them the necessary attention.

Follow the steps below to develop your own strategy for college success.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Know the Syllabus
   
   Read the syllabus. Highlight the key words that tell what you have to do in your college classes. Especially if the syllabus is wordy, summarize it, and organize it onto one page for yourself. After you’ve carefully read the syllabus and analyzed it, if there are still areas that are ambiguous, ask your professor for clarification.

2. Gather Materials
   
   Now that you know what you have to do, identify all of the tools and resources you need to help you do the required tasks. Gather the required textbooks, papers, etc. that you need in one place.
   
   Have a manila folder labeled for each of your college classes, and keep your papers for the class in that. Make a folder on your laptop computer, and label it with the class name. Keep all relevant information in there.

3. Identify Other Resources
   
   Identify supplemental resources for yourself, and round them up in one spot. Supplemental resources include study buddies, tutoring services, Cliff Notes, Black Board documents from your professor, mentors, supplemental internet sources, extra readings, and so on. Be sure to get the email addresses and phone numbers of the classmates in your college classes, so you can study and work together.

4. Make a Schedule
   
   Make a schedule. Record all the important deadlines. Plan more time for the class than you think you’ll need. Look at all of the readings, papers, and projects. Break down the work, and divide it into the days you have to work. Front load your studies into your day. Do them first, and get them out of the way, so you can get on with everything else.

5. Read with Highlights and Notes
   
   Highlight your reading, and take summarizing notes in the margins as you read. When you look back at the text later ,while preparing papers and projects, you will be able to find relevant information easily. Also, you will understand and retain ideas when you process your studies this way.

6. Be There or Be Square
   
   Attend all college classes, and take notes on your laptop during class. Jot down ideas as they come to you. This will come in handy to save time and effort on papers and projects. If you regularly record your own thoughts, you can copy and paste these into later work.
   
   Scroll down for tips and warnings about success in your college classes.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a positive attitude. Yes, this will be a challenge, but you can do it. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish when you do your best. What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger!
• When you study well, you will learn a lot, and nobody can take that away from you. You carry the knowledge, ability, and achievement with you for the rest of your life.
• If you tend to procrastinate, set a timer and just start one of your tasks. Work for no longer than 20 minutes. At least you’ve done something.
• If your instructor gives you study questions, be sure to read and study them.
• Don’t try snowing the professor by skipping the readings and taking shortcuts. Most profs will see right through that, and some will call you on it.
• When you break the work down into your available time, and you see that you really don’t have time to do the work, then consider cutting back on extra-curricular activities, cutting back your work hours, or even dropping a class. Reexamine your goals and priorities, and analyze your options before deciding what to do.
• Never text message in class. Pay attention instead. Engage yourself and use the class time to interact with the subject matter and real people.
• Avoid pulling all-nighters and waiting until the last minute.

Resources

• More Articles by This Author
• How to Evaluate Informative Writing
• How to Ace Reading Comprehension tests with Open Ended Questions
• How to Live on Ramen Noodles for a Week

[jgallaherdesign]

on 11/17/2009 i definitely could have used these skills when i was in college;-) lol thanks for the eHow!

[makaksa]

on 11/4/2009 Great article on using college study skills.

[godfather25]

on 11/1/2009 Great article on using college study skills.

[langleycornwell]

on 10/30/2009 If only I had your good study advice way back when! Very good article for college students.

[shenandoah]

on 10/28/2009 Excellent advice on how to develop and se college study skills. I hope it is widely read and shared.
Great job!