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Study Guide & Strategies
Index study system
Here is a method of studying
that gives you
an accurate perception of how
well you know the material,
and forces you to think about it, rather than just look over it.
- Review your notes and
readings frequently, so the material is "fresh"
- As you're reading your
text or reviewing your notes,
generate and write down questions about the material.
Imagine you're teaching the course. What questions would you ask
on the exam?
- Keep track of any terms
you need to know
- Write each question or
term on the back of an index card
- On the front of each index card,
write an answer
or an explanation for the question or term on the back.
Use your notes and text for a reference, but put the answer or
explanation in your own words whenever possible
- Shuffle the index cards
(so you can't figure out any answers based on their
location in the deck
- Look at the card on the
top of the deck:
Try to answer the question or explain the term. If you know it,
great! Put it on the bottom of the deck. If you don't know it,
look at the answer, and put it a few cards down in the deck (so
you'll come back to it soon)
- Proceed through the deck
of cards until you know all of the information
Some Tips:
- Carry your cards with you
everywhere.
Take advantage of little pockets of time. Test yourself while
you're waiting on line, riding the bus, etc.
- If you think you know an
answer,
but can't put it into words, you probably don't know it well
enough.
Being able to explain the information is the only way to be sure
that you know it. It's also the best way to prevent test anxiety
- Consider testing yourself
someplace where nobody can see you
(and think you're crazy), and reciting the answers out loud.
That's the best way to be sure that you can explain them
- Study with a friend from
your class.
You can share ideas and help each other out with concepts. Also,
you can use each other to make sure that you're explaining your
answers adequately
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