Learning Skills - Environmental Science - page 2

how to learn can also help you get better grades and
live a more fruitful and rewarding life.
Here are some general study and learning skills.
Get organized. Becoming more efficient at studying
gives you more time for other interests.
Make daily to-do lists in writing. Put items in order
of importance, focus on the most important tasks,
and assign a time to work on these items. Because
life is full of uncertainties, you will be lucky to accom-
plish half of the items on your daily list. Shift your
schedule to accomplish the most important items.
Otherwise, you will fall behind and become increas-
ingly frustrated.
Set up a study routine in a distraction-free environ-
ment. Develop a written daily study schedule and
stick to it. Study in a quiet, well-lighted space. Work
sitting at a desk or table—not lying down on a couch
or bed. Take breaks every hour or so. During each
break, take several deep breaths and move around to
help you stay more alert and focused.
Avoid procrastination —putting work off until an-
other time. Do not fall behind on your reading and
other assignments. Set aside a particular time for
studying each day and make it a part of your daily
routine.
Do not eat dessert first. Otherwise, you may never get
to the main meal (studying). When you have accom-
plished your study goals, reward yourself with play
(dessert).
Make hills out of mountains. It is psychologically dif-
ficult to climb a mountain such as reading an entire
topic, reading a chapter in a topic, writing a paper, or
cramming to study for a test. Instead, break these
large tasks (mountains) down into a series of small
tasks (hills). Each day read a few pages of a topic or
chapter, write a few paragraphs of a paper, and re-
view what you have studied and learned. As Henry
Ford put it, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide
it into small jobs.”
Look at the big picture first. Get an overview of an as-
signed reading by looking at the main headings or
chapter outline. This textbook includes a list of the
main questions that are the focus of each chapter.
Ask and answer questions as you read. For example,
what is the main point of this section or paragraph?
Each subsection in this topic starts with a question
that the material is designed to answer. This question
is followed by a one-sentence summary of the key ma-
terial in the subsection. I find this type of running
summary to be more helpful than a harder-to-digest
summary at the end of each chapter. My goal is to pre-
sent the material in more manageable bites. You can
also use the one-sentence summaries as a way to re-

view what you have learned. Putting them all to-
gether gives you a summary of the chapter.
Focus on key terms. Use the glossary in your textbook
to look up the meaning of terms or words you do not
understand. Make flash cards for learning key terms
and concepts, and review them frequently. This topic
shows all key terms in boldfaced type and lesser but
still important terms in italicized type. Flash cards for
testing your mastery of key terms for each chapter are
available on the website for this topic.
Interact with what you read. When I read, I mark key
sentences and paragraphs with a highlighter or pen. I
put an asterisk in the margin next to an idea I think is
important and double asterisks next to an idea I think
is especially important. I write comments in the mar-
gins, such as Beautiful, Confusing, Misleading, or Wrong.
I fold down the top corner of pages with highlighted
passages and the top and bottom corners of especially
important pages. This way, I can flip through a chap-
ter or topic and quickly review the key ideas.
Review to reinforce learning. Before each class, review
the material you learned in the previous class and
read the assigned material. Review, fill in, and orga-
nize your notes as soon as possible after each class.
Become a better note taker. Do not try to take down
everything your instructor says. Instead, jot down
main points and key facts using your own shorthand
system. Fill in and organize your notes after class.
Write out answers to questions to focus and reinforce
learning. Answer questions at the end of each chapter
or those assigned to you. Put your answers down in
writing as if you were turning them in for a grade. Save
your answers for review and preparation for tests.
Use the buddy system. Study with a friend or become
a member of a study group to compare notes, review
material, and prepare for tests. Explaining
something to someone else is a great way to focus
your thoughts and reinforce your learning. If avail-
able, attend review sessions offered by instructors or
teaching assistants.
Learn your instructor's test style. Does your instruc-
tor emphasize multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, true-
or-false, factual, thought, or essay questions? How
much of the test will come from the textbook and how
much from lecture material? Adapt your learning and
studying methods to this style. You may disagree with
it and feel that it does not adequately reflect what you
know. But the reality is that your instructor is in
charge and your grade (but not always your learning)
usually depends heavily on going along with the in-
structor's system.
Become a better test taker. Avoid cramming. Eat well
and get plenty of sleep before a test. Arrive on time or
early. Calm yourself and increase your oxygen intake