I study very well, and my method is effective, but it costs a lot of time! To learn something, I need to read a paragraph or two, and later I write along a small synthesis of it. I also draw charts, graphics or things to match ideas easily. The thing is that doing that in a WHOLE book takes A LOT of time. I have to write everything I syntethise down, and that makes me take 1 hour to read 10 - 12 pages. That gets worse with dense books with no fluffy text. So, my study method is effective but not efficient. So I ask, do you know more efficient methods to study? Thanks in advance!!
1) if your professor/teacher has a kind of study guide or quizzes, use them to grasp an idea of what area of topics to focus and study on, also know topics that you only need to know briefly but should know anyways 2) sometimes the books like to give you back story or history, and the paragraphs on those might not be necessary, i would skip them if they don't hurt you lol 3) depends on the subject, but i do anything from outline to definitions (some i dont even bother knowing the definition, just the few key words that define a word apart from the other ones), if it is math/science, i do practice problems lol idk what else to say. i'll lurk this thread if something comes up and i remember
I've never found just reading content or rewriting it out in notes to be effective for me. I'll go through it once, but never re-read the entire thing again. I probably wrote a maximum of 15 pages of notes in my entire final year of university. Instead I always went through questions/problems and tried to do them. Even if I wasn't sure what I was doing, I'd try it, and then go and see if I got it right or not. If I did then I can be pretty sure I don't need to study on that particular thing any more - if I didn't, then I can go and re-read the section for that particular aspect that deals with that problem/question/scenario. If you actually get something wrong before you learn how to do it properly, I find that ingrains how to do it correctly in your memory better. I would skim through all of the content before an exam just to see if there was anything that I had missed that didn't come up in my example questions. Of course this only works for the more objective subjects, and doesn't work for subjective things like English.
Oh, I know those books........ I remember with the really dense ones you would feel like you cant really take notes because every sentence seemed neccessary. Here is the process I have found most effective. The problem with dealing with subjects that contain a large amount of information is that the common understanding on how to learn is to read and take notes, which isnt really as effective with dense topics. I remember when the chapters in my text books started getting longer and longer, so long that by the end I had forgotten what was on the first page. Purely reading and note-taking is all fine and dandy, but most of the questions on essays and test wont simply ask you what is in the textbook. You have to be able to understand the concepts on a deeper level than simply the textbook word for word. ~First, Flashcards. Not enough people use flashcards. They are easily one of the best ways to cover terms in textbooks. Not to mention, they are quick and easy. I usually, and would recommend, making your flashcards before you reach the topic in class. As early as possible. I usually will make my flashcards for the semester either before or a few weeks in. Studying with flashcards, really doesnt even feel like studying. You could do a few every once in a while, in front of the TV, before class, etc. This way once you get to these sections in class, you will have already grasped the lingo. ~Second, notes. The problem with note-taking is that many people believe that the main reason you should take notes is to read them later. No!!! Notes are written in your words, meaning the average individuals will not actually go back and read them, rather simply skim them, which can already be done quickly enough with a textbook anyway. The point of notes is to greater your understanding of a subject. Put it into your own words. Dont copy each sentence, read an entire paragraph, and summarize it into one sentence.(Maybe two if it is really long, but ultimately as little as possible.) This forces you to think, "What is it that I need in this paragraph." You may start off slow and have to reread a paragraph or two to trim it down, but you will get faster. ~In Class. Take out a single sheet of lined paper, but you shouldnt really have to use it. Dont take notes in class, unless it is on the teachers/professors opinions or preferences. 98% of the information the they will discuss in lectures will be information given in the textbook just in other words. Unless he says something that jumps out at you as important that cant be found by other sources, then never write it down. Sit there and pay attention. There is no use in taking notes on the same information twice. Allow your mind to fully concentrate and consider the explanations that are being given. All in all, this really isnt a lot of work. It is simply small instances of study over a period of time. You cant learn everything immediately, but you also cant learn each topic to slowly. These methods allow you to expose yourself to each concept at the same time, so you arent forgetting what you learned in the beginning. I hope this helped. ^-^
