Study Less, Study Smart
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Q4R
In the 1960’s, SQ3R was popular. It has re-emerged as SQ4R, and yet, many students have never heard of it. So what does SQ4R stand for? When you are about to read learning material, you should first, Survey , then Question , then Read, Record, Recite, Review . Rule number 8: always SQ4R your study material.
Survey Simply glance through the entire article, chapter or whatever you are about to read. Read snippets from the material, notice headings, pictures, graphs, summaries, etc.
Question As you survey, think of questions that you will attempt to answer when you read the entire material. We learn better when we are looking for answers. An interesting example I used in class, is that few people have seen the arrow pointing to the right in the words, “FedEx.” The arrow is formed by the junction of the “E” and the ”x”. The next time you see a FedEx logo look for the arrow. Once you see it, the arrow will jump out at you every time you see FedEx (Hint: the arrow is bright white). But if you hadn’t looked for it, it is unlikely that you would have seen it. Looking for answers, changes the way we process reading material and facilitates learning.
Read, Record, Recite, Review. As you read, take notes in the margins of the page or on a separate sheet of paper. Such notes are powerful learning tools and especially useful when you review. Take time to recite what you read and took notes on. The more active you are while learning, the better. Passively reading the material is often slow and inefficient. And finally, review what you read. This is especially easy if you have made notes. Be certain that you can recall the key points and not just recognize having read them (See the Underlying/highlighting section for more information on this).
When you do SQ4R, you will greatly increase the retention of material read for class. Yes, it takes a little more time but the dividends are worth it. So, remember rule number 9 : always SQ4R .
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ote Taking
Many students do a poor job of note taking. Some take no notes at all, claiming they are auditory learners. Such students usually fail the first exam and then fade from the classroom. No one can learn and recall everything they hear in a lecture/presentation. Some students attempt to write everything the presenter says. Most students who try to capture every word cannot keep up and are often frustrated with fragmented notes. They also typically miss the main points of the presentation. So what should a student do?
Rule number 8 : Competent note takers write only the key points, facts, definitions, or concepts. A good way to get started is to draw a vertical line down the center of your note paper. Briefly jot the main elements of the presentation on the left side of each page.
Rule number 9 : Elaborate on your notes as soon as possible. Ideally, right after the class ends, take a few minutes to elaborate on each of the main points, using the other side of each page. Cite details, examples, and/or applications for each major point. If you wait for a few hours to elaborate your notes, some of the main points may no longer make sense. If you need help on the meaning of a main point, ask a classmate or find the teacher. Students, who are trying to learn what is taught, are not viewed negatively by teachers, we like you.
Good note taking helps you stay focused (possibly, awake), and it is active learning that encourages deeper processing. Good notes facilitate learning and are extremely useful when it comes time to review your learning.
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nderlining/highlighting may hurt your efforts
Over my 40 years of teaching, I heard countless students tell me, after doing poorly on an exam, that they knew everything last night, but forgot it over-night. I often tried to explain that if they learned it last night, unless they had a stroke or other neurologic trauma, they would not have forgotten. I would go on to explain that students confuse recognition with knowing .
Humans have an incredible capacity to see something and then recognize it at a later time. Unfortunately, when it comes to learning material, recognition is not going to help, unless a student is taking a fairly easy multiple-choice exam.
So how does underlining sometimes hurt a student? Students who underline in their text, usually do a quick read where thy underline the most important elements in the reading. Then, students typically go back and reread what they have underlined. When they reread the first underlined section, they mistakenly believe they know that information when, in fact, they only recognize having read it. The real test is: can they wait a moment and then recall the information without looking at it. Unfortunately, they now have the belief they have learned it; when they have actually not learned the most important parts of their reading.
Rule number 10 : Be certain that you can actually recall what you have underlined, and you are not simply recognizing it. Underling can be useful tool when correctly applied. It is even better to take notes in the margin of you reading. Putting a concept in your own words involves an active, deeper processing approach, which facilitates learning. Moreover, your own words are generally easier to recall than the author’s words. Just be sure you have accurately captured the meaning of the material .
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egular attendance
Numerous studies have demonstrated that students who attend regularly earn higher grades. I know that lectures can be boring (not mine, of course), but you never know when something may happen in class that has a deep impact on your life. Attending class is also requisite practice for your career. Woody Allen once claimed that, “80% of success is just showing up.” Employers claim that many employees show up to work if and when they feel like it. Most workers with such an attitude do not last long. So, rule number 11 : Attend class regularly, you’ll learn more and it is good practice for the world of work .
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tudy groups
Students who enroll in difficult classes quickly learn the value of study groups. Study groups encourage active learning. Students in study groups can share ways, in which, they made sense of new concepts (see, Discover the Meaning section above). Study groups also allow students to divide large amounts of material into more manageable portions. Each student can then take a portion of the material, learn it and then share with the group.
I always encouraged “study buddies” in my courses. Students who picked-up on the idea performed better on exams and papers. I encourage rule number 12 : whenever possible, form study groups. Be sure that your study group does not evolve into mere socializing. Stay on task and you will see improvement in your learning .
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et enough sleep
What we learn during the day becomes consolidated during our sleep. A large number of students have difficulty learning because they are sleep deprived. If you study and don’t get adequate sleep, much of your study time is wasted. Pulling “all nighters” before a big exam may allow you to pass the test, but the amount learned is usually minimal.
It is often difficult to find the time to get adequate sleep. I encouraged my students to record the amount of time they spent each day doing various activities. Most students quickly realized that there were, in fact, many wasted hours. Rule number 13: arrange your life so that you get adequate sleep. Sleep deprivation not only impacts learning it also makes you more likely to fall asleep while driving .
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onclusion
I know the above suggestions will allow you to study less and yet learn more. I did not go into strategies for test taking. Most of the books/presentations that cover “test taking” emphasize passing exams rather than learning the material. I believe that many students already have the mistaken notion that all they need to do is pass the course. If they pass the course, but didn’t learn the material, then it was a waste of time, money and energy. Therefore, I have emphasized how to learn more efficiently rather than how to pass exams.
I hope you enjoyed the material and you will try some of these strategies in your future studies. I also would appreciate your sharing the above information with you friends, relatives and colleagues. Giving knowledge to others is a wonderful g
ift.
Sincerely,
Marty Lobdel l