Course work in college is not just more difficult than it is in high school, it can be a quantum leap from the work you may have been accustomed to. Consider these factors: the quality of material covered in a given period if time is greater; the level of understanding required for a given grade is greater, the course material itself is usually more difficult, and the students competing for good grades are themselves a select group.

Advanced study tips are presented here because although many students may quickly sense they need to work harder, precise techniques for doing well often take quite a while to develop by oneself. It should be kept in mind that there are no easy answers nor substitutes for hard work, and everyone has to figure out precisely what is best for him or herself. These tips are not endorsed by any collegiate institution, they are just techniques that have proven to work on many students (hopefully you can be one of them). Also note that familiarity with obvious study basics like class attendance, keeping up, or outlining is assumed. These advanced tips are for students who want to do well and do more than just get by; more precisely earn an "A".

1. One of the biggest study problems is determining when one knows the subject matter well enough. The first step is to define the standard for "well enough" as the ability to write down the information automatically and without hesitation. The second step is then to establish study procedures which objectively test whether you have met this standard. The specific tips presented here merely apply this concept to different types of subject matter.

2. Another common problem is failing to allocate study time appropriately for the way your professor views the subject matter. Look at previous exams; find out if the professor emphasizes homework assignments, lecture notes, or the textbook. If other students don’t know what to expect on an exam, then everyone is even. If half the class knows that the exam questions are all drawn from lectures, and you are spending too much time on the textbook assignments, then you are at an unnecessary disadvantage if not in serious trouble.

3. Be aware that in some courses it can be disastrous not to keep up. Keeping current is essential when the information learned in the previous chapter is necessary to understand the current chapter. If a section is missed, one can become so lost that recovery is extremely difficult. Math and statistics courses are often "linear" in this manner.

 

 

The following tips are specific methods of study for different types of subject matter.

1. Problem Solving – useful in math, engineering, physics

The idea here is to work problems repeatedly until you can solve each one automatically. One learns the basic concepts of the course from lecture, textbooks, and homework, but that level of understanding may not be sufficient. If so, try the following: first define a set of problems which covers the subject matter. One such set could be all the homework problems plus the odd numbered problems at the end of each chapter. Then work the problem set, and on a separate sheet of paper numbered for each problem, put a check mark if you work the problem automatically without any hesitation. If not, write what the difficulty was. Keep working the entire set of those without checks until all problems receive a check. About a week before a mid-term or final exam, work all the problems again or work those which had notes. Again work whatever set you decide on until you have checks next to all problems.

This technique must be tried to be fully appreciated. During an exam, one zips through most problems, concentrating on slight differences between test problems and those one is familiar with. There is ample time to pay attention to arithmetic and the mechanics of doing problems. If any exceptionally difficult problem is encountered, one has extra time to consider it. To repeat, this technique provides a mechanical way for you to force yourself to be sure that you really know the subject matter.

2. Mini-Concepts – Useful in biology, sociology, history, psychology

This tip has been called the "teeny note" method of studying and is appropriate for learning large numbers of small concepts. As you read through the study material, write a heading for each concept with its relevant points underneath (like an abbreviated outline). Write with small print on a sheet of 8 ½ by 11 unlined paper. Leave space at the right of each heading for checks and x’s. To study these teeny notes, take each heading in turn, and write down the relevant points on another piece of paper. If all points for a heading are correct, put a check by the heading; otherwise an x. Repeat the process, with those headings marked with x’s until all headings have checks. When exam time comes, use the same teeny notes, and repeat the procedure until all headings have checks.

3. Mega-concepts – Useful in history, English

The tip here is that after you complete the usual reading and studying, try to anticipate obvious, large concept exam questions. Then construct an outline and write an essay to answer these anticipated questions. If you try this technique, you may be surprised by how often you correctly guess a question. You may also be pleased by how well a practice essay helps to organize your thinking.

4. Lecture Courses

From time to time one encounters a course in which exams come primarily from information presented during lecture. When lectures are critical, and you find that you don’t take complete notes, consider tape recording each lecture. One then transcribes the material using a word processor or by hand into another set of notes. The interesting thing about this method is that a surprising amount of material is absorbed during the transcription process. A caution though, you should try to do each transcription before the next lecture. A 50 minute lecture takes quite a while to transcribe, and one can easily develop an overwhelming backlog. Another caveat: the decision to use this technique should be made carefully as it is quite time consuming. However, if you do it right you can not only have an excellent study tool, but you can sell your transcriptions to your classmates!

If you try this technique, use a recorder that automatically adjusts the sound level, and set the microphone where it won’t pick up extraneous vibration.

Good luck using these tips. Feel free to stop in and give us your comments, opinions, and suggestions about their usefulness.