Knowledge is of two
kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find
information on it.
-
Samuel Johnson
To
make the your academic experience rewarding in terms of knowledge gained
and grades received, it’s necessary to spend time studying. In collegiate
life nothing is handed to you on a platter. If you want academic success
it is necessary to get it on your own. Our guide to studying is designed
to help you with that pursuit.
Here are the things that the editors at Fat Campus have put together to
help you develop your study skills:
§
Develop a
plan.
Look at your career goals and the things you have going on in your life
right now. Make an honest assessment of the value your studies have to
you. If an outstanding transcript is your ticket to your future, you will
have different priorities than someone who is concentrating on a job
search, or someone whose focus is leadership activities. Once you have
made this assessment, you can begin to plan your time accordingly.
§
Schedule
set times for study.
Our minimum advice is two hours of reading and study for every hour of in
class time. This will vary by subject and level of each course. Set up a
time during each day for study and stick to it.
§
Join or
form a study group.
Law and Business schools have encouraged this for years. The benefits are
obvious: the ability to spread out some of the work, the insights gained
by differing points of view and, of course, making new friends. Just
remember that you can’t entirely rely on your study group partners for
everything. You always need to read all the assigned material.
§
Study
your instructor.
Try to understand how your instructor views the subject matter, how
readings are incorporated into lectures and what elements of the material
are stressed and which ones are glossed over. Once you get an idea which
issues are important you can take extra time exploring them.
§
Attend
review sessions.
Don’t take it for granted that nothing new will be covered in a review
session or that no new insights can be gained. If your instructor takes
the time to offer a review, you owe it to yourself to attend.
§
Use that
dead time.
Most college schedules have hour or two breaks between classes. Rather
than walk back to your dorm or apartment, find an empty classroom and
crack a book. Another tip, rather than try to study in a noisy hallway if
no classroom is available, try going upstairs to find a quiet area. Upper
floor stairwells next to a window are an excellent place to read without
interruption.
§
Attend
office hours.
Office
hours are a great way to explore areas in which you have a particular
interest, to get to know the faculty, or to gain a better understanding of
subjects or assignments with which you may be having difficulty. If you
take advantage of these resources, you can gain that little extra insight
that you wouldn't have access to otherwise.
§
Reward
yourself.
All work and no play can be counterproductive and might actually create an
aversion to study. You should take breaks and do something you like. Hang
out with friends, see a movie, go to the game but do it as a reward for a
good study session.
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