Introduction for Students

Congratulations on your decision to go to college! Like anything worthwhile, getting a degree will be full of joys, frustrations, triumphs and failures. The purpose of this book is to help you develop the study and organizational skills you need to be successful in the new chapter of your life. You might think that “smart” people do well in college– but the vast majority of students are plenty “smart.” What allows many successful students to achieve is their effective study strategies, and their willingness to work hard. For many students, the study skills they learned in high school no longer serve them well– and they need to adapt. This book gives you suggestions about how to:

• Organize your digital and physical stuff
• “Manage” your brain and body to accomplish realistic study goals
• Read and take notes on textbooks, articles, novels and other materials
• Take notes in lecture
• Structure homework sessions
• Prepare for Exams

Hopefully, taking the time to read this book will be a good investment for you, but remember that studying is a skill like any other! You need to practice in order to improve– and practice takes time, dedication, and, sometimes, creativity. You are not alone in your college journey. Your campus has tutors and instructors who can help you sort through the information you learn here to decide the best study strategy for you. Make sure you take advantage of the resources on your campus.

Introduction for Instructors and Tutors

If you are a study-skills instructor, this book has many practical suggestions for you and your students. It was designed to easily fit into an eight-week two credit study skills course, and it focuses on the skills students really need to be successful– including a chapter on getting organized for school (i.e. how to set up digital files and physical notebooks.)

If you are a content instructor, you have likely observed that many of your students struggle because they aren’t always sure how to make good decisions– not so much because your course content is so difficult to master. Pull from this book what you need to help your students succeed– for example, if you teach history and want to help your students take better notes during your lectures, have them read the chapter on lectures. Many of the chapters in this book lend themselves fairly easily to class discussions and activities that will enable you to teach content and study skills at the same time.

If you are a professional or a student tutor, this book will give you strategies you can use as you work one-on-one or in small groups with students. Most tutors were great students– but they don’t exactly know why. Many tutors say, “I never was taught how to study. I just figured it out on my own!” If this sounds like you, it might be difficult for you to help a student develop strong, effective study skills. This book will help with that.