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Helpful Study Tips
by Amruta J. Deshpande

Almost all of you can probably identify with the situation in which you're trying to study a subject that is not intuitive to your reasoning. Studying thus drains that most precious of your precious items - time! If you're like me, time will really be your most precious possession by the time of your graduation. Luckily, I came across a video by Professor G. Mann, which instructed on efficient study tactics. I was fully ready to day-dream through it, when I heard Professor Mann run through a list of problems that kept students from studying efficiently. I've successfully completed 4 years of undergraduate studies in 2 majors, but I was shocked to learn that 7 out of 8 on his list could be ascribed to me!

Some problems and consequences he mentioned:
1. Glossing over pages, so as to have read roughly a paragraph in 3 pages worth of words.
2. Forgetting what you've learned after the page/class period/week/exam/semester.
3. Procrastinating.
4. Reading something repeatedly and not understanding what you've read.
5. Allowing distractions like music, television, internet or birds even while studying
6. Studying in an ill-suited environment

On average, he claimed, people only use 30 percent of the time they spend while studying while many others use 20 percent or less. Even engines perform better, and they're limited by thermodynamics!

Well, some of his suggestions are surprising, while others are not as much. He suggests that you condition and time yourself simultaneously (i.e. pretend you're both Pavlov AND his dog)! Do something each time you begin to study and "undo" it when you stop. This could be something like taking off a wrist watch or putting on a jacket (something that can be easily undone). When you notice your thoughts trailing, or your actions shifting off-task, put the wrist watch on or take the jacket off. Document the time you were actually studying and at the end of your study session compare how long you've been sitting there against how long you were actually studying. This is your starting point from which to improve your efficiency.

Choose a good environment. Internet has tremendous entertainment value and is NOT your study buddy. Choose a place that is well lit and has no visual or audio distractions. Create your own "white noise," if it is difficult to find a noiseless environment. A friend of mine solved lighting and noise issues by placing several white tube-lights in his bathroom, and running the shower for white noise while he studied. He not only received A's but can now recall the meat of any subject at the drop of a hat.

The best way to study he suggested was to use flash cards; they have only the information you want, and nothing extra. Professor Mann suggests making 5 flash cards to sum up the notes per lecture for a given class. You've now reviewed in time and condensed information for later reviewing.

Finally he also advocates the SQ-3R method developed for pilots to memorize their flight plans. SQ-3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review, and it is a proven method. The idea is to quickly survey reading material, while mentally asking yourself questions about it that you'll be trying to answer in your first actual reading. Then you recite what you've read (just repeat some of the concepts) and review what you've just done. This gives you the necessary repetition and inquisitive mind for concepts to sink in or for understanding beyond the reading material to develop.

The key is to focus, understand as you go along, and have repeated mentions of the study material to improve your retention. All methods suggested above help you do these three things. You can come up with your own techniques; whatever you do, do it diligently.