Eastern Mennonite University

Academic Support Center

10 Tips for Success

Control Your Study Environment

1. Set aside a fixed place for study and nothing but study.

2. Before you begin an assignment, write down on a sheet of paper the time you expect to finish.

3. Strengthen your ability to concentrate by selecting a social symbol that is related to study, such as putting
on a certain scarf or hat or setting a little figurine on your desk.

4. If your mind wanders, stand up and face away from your books and spend a few minutes daydreaming.

5. Stop at the end of each page, and count to 10 slowly when you are reading—this idea may increase your
study time.

6. Set aside a certain time to begin studying.

7. Don’t start any unfinished business just before the time to start studying.

8. Set small, short-range subgoals for yourself by dividing your assignment into subsections.

9. Keep a reminder pad so that if you happen to think about something that needs to be done, you can jot
it down and forget it until later.

10. Relax completely before you start to study.

-excerpted from Systems for Study by Alton L. Rayor

and David M. Work, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1970.
 How to Take Notes
1. Write down the principle idea – not every word that is said

2. A pen rather than a pencil is recommended.

3. Keep each subject in a separate spiral notebook

4. Be ready to take notes when the class begins

5. Listen, concentrate. If you do not understand something, ask about it.

6. Write, write. It is better to take too many notes than not enough.

7. Write clearly so you can understand your notes.

8. After awhile you will develop your own “shorthand.”

Some Shorthand Suggestions

w/
with > greater than
@ at < less than
w/o without = equals
acc according to b/c because
r. righteous, righteousness c. about, approximately
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 Improving Concentration
(Focusing Your Attention)

Techniques to direct your attention to what you are reading or studying

1. Give yourself a goal – set a time limit and work toward it.

2. Choose goals that are easy to accomplish.

3. Reward yourself – when you have accomplished a goal. Be certain that the goal justifies the reward. For
example, learning five new words in Spanish does not justify a two-hour TV break.

4. Get interested in the subject – read critically, try to predict what the author will say next, and try to re-
late new material to information you have already learned.

5. Pre-read to get a mental outline of the material.

6. Establish a purpose for reading makes reading an active, searching, question and answer process rather
than an exercise in word recognition.

7. Combine physical and mental activities.

8. Vary your activities – physical activities, such as taking notes and underlining, combined with mental
activities, such as reading and memorization will help you to focus your attention.

-excerpted from McWhorter, Kathleen College Reading and Study Skills

 Steps in Reading New Material
1. What is the purpose for reading - why is this information important?
2. Survey the book – how is it arranged?
3. Determine the demands of this task.
4. Skim the material – what words are highlighted? What do pictures, charges and graphs tell you?
5. Pick a strategy for comprehending the reading.
6. Read.
7. Evaluate – does this overlap with my notes for this class? What will the teacher test me on?
8. Paraphrase in written or oral form – what was this about? Summarize key concepts in my own words.
-excerpted from 1989 by Academic Success Press, Inc.

Ten Commandments of Survey

1. Read title, subtitle, jacket summaries, identify source (author, place).
2. Read the date of publication or copyright.
3. Analyze index-check emphasis of listenings and their organization.
4. Read Preface, Forward, and Introduction.
5. Read Table of Contents and note sequence. Check for chapter summaries.
6. Read maps, graphs, illustrations, charts, bold headings, and study questions.
7. Read the first two and the last two paragraphs of the book.
8. Read the summary or review of the book.
9. Review your survey results and decide what to use or not to use.
10. Finalize your purposes for reading with what, where, when, who, how, and why questions.
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 Reading to Increase Your Speed
Reading is an important source of learning. Reading rapidly is not merely a useful skill—it’s a must. If
you don’t read swiftly and efficiently, you just can’t keep up to date on current events and homework assign-
ments as well as your reading for enjoyment.

Six hints—easy in themselves, but requiring practice—can speed up your reading. Simple practice for 15
minutes a day and you will be surprised at the results.

1. Swing your eyes – your reading speed depends first on what we call your “span of recognition” or
“the number of words you absorb at a glance.”

2. Go down the middle – for reading of narrow columns (newspaper width), fix your eyes on the
middle of a column and read down rapidly, trying to see everything from left and right. If you draw
a straight line down the center of the column it helps. You will be surprised at how much you can
take in.

3. Stretch yourself – during the 15 minute practice each day, read faster than you comfortably can.

4. Raise your focus – phrase-reading is helped immensely if you will focus your eyes just above,
rather than directly on the line of type.

5. Anticipate what is coming – the sense of the sentence will often telegraph whole words instantly,
just form their first syllable or two.
Remember: the words are merely symbols for the author’s thought. Anticipating the
author’s line of reasoning will speed your reading.

6. Know your reading speed – count the words in several lines, take an average and multiply it
times the average lines per page. Put this “average words per page” in the front of each book you
are reading. Time yourself. See if you can do better each time you read. Keep a record of
your progress in front of each book.

These tips will pay big dividends if you will practice them daily. In all your reading, for pleasure or other-
wise, consciously think of these tips and use them. Before you know it, your reading will greatly improve
and become much more enjoyable.

-taken from “Reading to Increase Your Speed” by Joyce Hedrick

 Steps in Answering the Essay Question on a Test

A. Read and Understand the Essay Question

1. Decide exactly what instructor expects you to do

2. Underline important words to make sure you understand entire question

B. Choose the Correct Essay Pattern

1. Student must understand key terms used in the question.

2. Sometimes it is necessary fro the student to discover what type of essay is required. For example:
a. What is continental drift? (This questions suggests defining the term.)

b. Follow the development of Mozart’s musical style. (This questions suggests tracing the
course of development through time, space, event by event, etc.)

C. Writing the Topic Sentence

1. Compose a topic sentence that contains the key words of the question. For example: Topic
Sentence: Savings banks and commercial banks differ in three ways.

2. The answer should repeat the key words. This is one way to ensure that the answer addresses itself
to the question.

Reminder: To do well on essay tests, you must be able to organize and present in writing what you know.
Practice does pay off.

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 Studying: When, Where, and How
A. When to study
1. Plan two to three hours of study time for every hour you spend in class
2. Study difficult or boring subjects first
3. Avoid scheduling marathon study sessions
4. Be aware of your best time of day
5. Use waiting time

B. Where to Study
1. Use a regular study area
2. Don’t get too comfortable
3. Use the library

C. How to Handle…the Rest of the World

1. Pay attention to your thoughts
2. Agree with living mates about study time
3. Avoid noise distractions
4. Notice how others misuse your time
5. Get off the phone
6. Learn to say “No.”
7. Hang a “Do not disturb” sign on your door

A Bird’s Eye View of Your Time and Setting for Study

1. Make and keep an activity schedule
2. Budget study time
3. Keep physically active
4. Free yourself from disturbances
5. Study by yourself
6. Have a desk exclusively for study
7. Have good lighting
8. Have study materials at hand

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 Test/Exam Time
1. Look the test over.

2. Read the directions. You may save yourself work.

3. Do the easy questions first.

4. If you have a choice of questions, try to do the ones that count the most.

5. Answers to essay questions should contain the facts, show a relationship between the facts and have con-
clusions supported from readings and thoughts.

6. Objective Tests
a. Answer all questions you are sure about first and put a small mark by the ones that give you
trouble.
b. If you guess, put down the first answer that occurs to you.
c. It is usually not wise to change an answer, unless you are positive that another answer is right.
d. Chances are that always, never, all, or none make a false statement. However, each statement
must be read critically.
e. In multiple-choice questions, first eliminate the obviously wrong answers, then make your choice
from the remaining ones.
f. If you can narrow your answer to two choices, it is usually better to guess than not to mark it.
g. In matching, match the items you are sure of; then decide on the more difficult ones.
h. If possible, in completion questions, insert a technical term or key phrase exactly as it appears in
the textbook.

-excerpted from Successful Study by James C. Coleman and Frieda Libaw

with a few personal considerations by E. L. Burns.
 Time Management Study Skills
The effectiveness of your time schedule will depend on the care with which you plan it. Careful consideration of
these points will help you to make a schedule which you can control and which will work for you.

1. Plan a schedule of balanced activities

a. College life has many aspects which are very important to success
b. Some have fixed time requirements(eating, organizations, classes, church. work); some are flexible(sleeping, personal
affairs, recreation, relaxation, study)

2. Plan enough time in studying to do justice to each subject

a. Most college classes are planned to require about three hours of work per week per credit hour in the course
b. By multiplying your credit load by three you can get a good idea of the time you should provide for studying. Of
course, if you are a slow reader, or have other study deficiencies, you may need to plan more time in order to meet the
competition of college classes

3. Study at a regular time and in a regular place

a. Establishing habits of study is extremely important
b. Knowing what you are going to study, and when, saves a lot of time in making decisions and retracing your steps to
get necessary materials, etc.
c. Avoid generalizations in your schedule such as “study”
d. Be specific – commit yourself more definitely to “study history” or “study chemistry” at certain regular hours

4. Study as soon after your lecture class as possible

a. One hour spent after class will do as much good in developing an understanding of materials as several hours a few
days later
b. Review lecture notes while they are still fresh in your mind
c. Start assignments while your memory of the assignment is still accurate

5. Utilize odd hours during the day for studying

a. The scattered one- or two-hour free periods between classes are easily wasted
b. Planning and establishing habits of using them for studying for the class just finished will result in free time for
recreation or activities at other times in the week

6. Limit your blocks of study to no more than two hours on any one course at one time
a. After 1-1/2 to 2 hours of study, you begin to tire rapidly and your ability to concentrate decreases rapidly
b. Taking a break and then switching to studying some other course will provide the change necessary to keep up your
efficiency

7. Trade time – don’t steal it

a. When unexpected events arise that take up time you had planned to study, decide immediately where you can find
the time to make up the study missed and adjust your schedule for that week
b. Note the three weekend evenings; most students can afford no more than two of them for recreational activities but
may wish to use different evenings on different weeks
c. This “trading agreement” provides for committing one night to study, but rotating it as all recreational possibili-
ties vary
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 Time Management Techniques
These are some ideas for overcoming procrastination and managing your time.

Pick and choose among the ones that have the most meaning for you.

Recognize that different techniques work for different people.

Focus on putting into practice only one or two concepts per week and remember as they become habits you
will find yourself with more time for doing things you enjoy doing.

1. Determine your best time of day to study and study then.

2. Do it now. Fight procrastination.
3. Examine your procrastination patterns and break them.
4. Set deadlines for yourself.
5. Write out your short and long range goals.
6. Concentrate on one thing at a time.
7. Use TV time as a special reward after you have done your work.
8. Plan to take a ten minute break per study hour.
9. Divide a big assignment into small pieces that can be done one at a time.
10. Make a commitment to someone about plans for your assignment.
11. Start with an easy and enjoyable part of your study.
12. When you become bored with certain parts of your study, task-change.
13. Learn to discipline yourself and feel good about it.
14. Eliminate nonproductive activities as soon as you realize them.
15. Learn to say no to interruptions when you study.
16. Write down all assignments and due dates on a calendar.
17. Fill your time so that you work for results rather than just activities.
18. Plan in the morning and set priorities for that day.
19. Use your time in school wisely to avoid bringing work home.
20. Have a study area where you can concentrate.
21. Give yourself time off and special reward when you have done important things.
22. Schedule your time before class and again as soon as possible after the lecture.
23. Learn ways to study smarter, not harder.
24. Beware of perfection.

Write an affirmation on the technique you have chosen!

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