As many of us count down to the last day of school, one may notice that we are halfway through the semester. This means two things: spring break is approaching fast and more importantly, it is time for midterms. Are you nervous that you are going to use all of your energy to study, and not have enough to last until spring break? First, consider your “study place” in which you study most frequently. To acquire a conducive study place, you should make sure that this location has few distractions (no phone, television, or romantic partners), rare interruptions, and is quiet overall.
Second, take time to think about your time management skills. Most students receiving lower grades in college are just as capable as those who are receiving A’s and B’s, they just don’t know how to budget their time. Make a to-do list and be sure to follow through with it; too many students are on the right track of developing a to-do list, then they just forget about it. Be sure to meet assignment deadlines and complete most of your studying during your most productive hours each day. John Anderson, sophomore at West Chester University admits, “I can study in 20 minutes in the morning what takes me an hour at night.” Clearly studying during your prime time is more effective, but don’t forget to take to a limited number of breaks.
Third, to increase reading comprehension, understanding, and retention of information, it is suggested that one uses the SQ3R method. The easy five step SQ3R acronym stands for: survey, question, read, recite and review. The survey portion of the method involves an overall skim of what is about to be read, i.e. the title, the introduction and/or summary, boldface prints and reading aids for the chapter. After surveying the chapter, take time to turn the headings into questions. Next, reading the entire chapter will provide answers for the questions that you have created from part two; skimming doesn’t work in this situation. Remember to use a highlighter or pen to outline key points. After reading, see if you can answer the questions that you just filled out without looking. No cheating! This is to test your true knowledge of the subject. The last helpful tip to prepare you for the midterms is remembering to get a lot of rest. It is extremely important to be energized.
Now you know how to acquire a conducive study place, achieve effective time management skills and enhance reading comprehension. Please be sure to follow these helpful tips for it is the key to have energy to party during spring break.