I Thought I Knew How to Study
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The most significant difference between life at college and high school is that
you are now totally responsible for managing all 24 hours of your day, seven days
a week, every week of the academic year. Managing your time will be one of your
most important activities.
Time Management and Studying
UCSB is on the quarter system; this means that you have only 10 weeks in which to
complete a course as opposed to the 16 to 18 weeks you had each semester in high
school. In college most of your academic work is done outside the classroom. You
will need to put in two or three hours of study for every hour spent in class. Some
classes may require even more study time. You can estimate about 24 hours a week
spent reviewing class notes, reading assignments, writing papers and studying for
quizzes and exams. Of course you must also schedule time for exercise, eating, sleeping,
washing clothes and social activities because all of these are important for a balanced
college life. If you have a job, you must also account for those hours.
You will have to take responsibility for determining the optimal times and conditions
for studying. Rather than reserving a few hours between dinner and prime-time TV
for studying, you will have to make use of the daytime hours between classes if
you want to keep up with your work. Among other things, you might find too many
distractions in the evening in your residence hall to focus as much as you need
to on your academic work.
At the beginning of the quarter most professors will hand out a typewritten page
or two that is referred to as a syllabus or course outline. It contains information
such as the required reading materials for the course, topics to be covered in each
lecture, the dates that papers or projects are due, and the dates for exams. Generally
speaking, once this syllabus is handed out there will be no further mention of these
items. It is up to you to develop a schedule that will enable you to (1) keep up
with your reading; (2) finish and turn in your assignments on time; and (3) prepare
for exams.
Take Notes
In high school most of your class lectures were explanations of and elaborations
on your textbook, so the need for extensive notes did not exist. In college, however,
the material presented in most lectures is supplemental to your text materials.
Therefore, it is crucial that you capture the instructor's ideas on paper.
It is possible to purchase notes for select courses from the A.S. Notetaking Service,
but be aware that these are not a substitute for attending class or taking your
own notes. First of all, your interaction with the material is limited if you depend
on someone else to record the material for you. Second, since notes are not available
for all classes, you will eventually have to take notes for yourself.
Efficient notetaking strategies can be learned. There are a variety of formats for
recording notes and methods for reviewing notes available. Make it a point to refine
your notetaking skills early in your college career.
Reading
You will find that you have longer and more difficult reading assignments than you
had when you were in high school. Because you will have so much reading to do, it
is important to stay on schedule, reading the pages as indicated on your class syllabi.
It is easy to get behind and get in over your head.
You will also need to develop
an effective note-taking strategy so that you can easily remind yourself of and
even quiz yourself on the important information from each reading assignment. Most
students at UCSB use highlighters and write in the margins of their books as they
read. Many also take extra notes in chapter outlines, study sheets, or flashcards.
All of these activities will keep you physically and mentally active as you weigh
and evaluate what you are reading. Because your texts are generally not explained
in lecture, you must develop strategies for untangling difficult reading. Use titles
and subtitles to formulate questions that will guide your reading. Make sure to
mark sections of your texts that you don't understand.
Exams
Exam preparation begins the first day of class and continues with weekly reviews
of notes and reading. Learn what you can from the instructor and/or TA about the
kinds of questions that will be on the test; make your own predictions as well.
The majority of questions will require you to interpret the relationships among
facts, apply facts to new situations, and/or analyze data.
Exam-taking at the university
level requires special skills. You must be familiar with effective strategies for
answering both essay and objective questions. You will need to know how to budget
your time efficiently so you can complete your exams within the allotted time periods.
Learn to Study Smarter
Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS) is the place where you can get free help
with developing and refining your study skills. We offer workshops throughout the
year on note-taking, time management, reading, exam preparation, memory techniques,
and other study skills. Students also can sign up for personal study skills consultations
in which one of our specialists can help you analyze strengths and weaknesses in
your study habits. CLAS offers tutorial groups in math, science and economics and
one-to-one writing assistance on writing assignments or projects. The CLAS drop-in
labs for math and science, writing, social sciences, foreign language, are open
all weekdays with many of the services extending into the evening hours. Sign up
for CLAS services at the SRB 3210 or by going to the CLAS Web site :
www.clas.ucsb.edu. Feel free
to call 893-3269 or 893-4248 for more information.
--Staff of Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS)
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