HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR STUDY HABITS

Perhaps you are an average student with average intelligence. You do well enough in school, but you probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily the case, however. You can receive better grades if you want to. Yes, even students of average intelligence can be top students without additional work. Here's how:

Plan your time carefully, Make a list of your weekly tasks. Then make a schedule or chart of your time. Fill in committed time such as eating, sleeping, meetings, classes, etc. Then decide on good, regular times for studying. Be sure to set aside enough time to complete your normal reading and work assignments. Of course, studying shouldn't occupy all of the free time on the schedule. It's important to set aside time for relaxation, hobbies, and entertainment as well. This weekly schedule may not solve all of your problems, but it will make you more aware of how you spend your time. Furthermore, it will enable you to plan your activities so that you have adequate time for both work and play.

Find a good place to study. Choose one place for your study area. It may be a desk or a chair at home or in the school library, but it should be comfortable, and it should not have distractions. When you begin to work, you should be able to concentrate on the subject. Skim before you read. This means looking over a passage quickly before you begin to read it more carefully. As you preview the material, you get some idea of the content and how it is organized. Later when you begin to read you will recognize less important material and you may skip some of these portions. Skimming helps double your reading speed and improves your comprehension as well.

Make good use of your time in class. Listening to what the teacher say in class means less work later. Sit where you can see and hear well. Take notes to help you remember what the teacher says.

Study regularly. Go over your notes as soon as you can after class. Review important points mentioned in class as well as points you remain confused about. Read about these points in your textbook. If you know what the teacher will discuss the next day, skim and read that material too. This will help you understand the next class. If you review your notes and text book regularly, the material will become more meaningful and you will remember it longer. Regular review leads to improved performance on tests.

Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't worry excessively about a single test. Tests provide grades, but they also let you know what you need to spend more time studying, and they help make your new knowledge permanent.

There are other techniques that might help you with your studying. Only a few have been mentioned here. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these. Talk with your classmates about their study techniques. Share with them some of the techniques you have found to be helpful. Improving your study habits will improve your grades.

New Words

unit n.

grade n. the mark given to a pupil for his work in school

average a. ordinary

intelligence n. ability to learn and understand

top a. best; highest

necessarily ad. inevitably

case n. what has really happened; actual condition

additional a. added

weekly a. done or happening every week

schedule n. timetable

chart n. big drawing or map to hive information

commit Vt.

etc. ad. (Latin, shortened form for et cetera) and other things

normal a. usual

assignment n. sth. given out as a task

occupy Vt. take up

relaxation n. (sth. done for) rest and amusement

hobby n. what one likes to do in one's free time

entertainment n. show, party, etc. that people enjoy

solve Vt. find the answer to (a problem)

furthermore ad. moreover; in addition

enable Vt. make (sb.) able (to do sth.)

activity n. sth. (to be) done

adequate a. as much as one needs; enough

area n. any place, or part of it

distraction n. sth. that draws away the mind or attention

concentrate (on or upon) Vt. pay close attention (to)

subject n. sth. (to be) studied, talked or written about

skim Vt. read quickly to get the main ideas of

passage n. part of a book, story, speech, etc.

preview Vt. have a general view of sth. beforehand

content n. what is written in a book

organize Vt. form into a whole

skip Vt. pass over

portion n. part; share

double v. make or become twice as great or as many

comprehension n. ability to understand

mention Vt. speak or write about sth. in a few words

remain vi. continue to be

confused a. troubled in mind

performance n. achievement

develop Vt. acquire gradually

attitude n. what one thinks about sth

purpose n. aim

excessively ad. too much

permanent a. lasting for a long time; never changing

technique n. way of doing sth.

Phrases & Expressions

fill in : write in

decide on : make a choice or decision about

set aside : save for a special purpose

be aware (of) : know (sth.); know (what is happening)

look over : examine (quickly)

go over : review