Hannum's Reading and 
Study Skills Tips and Strategies
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STUDY TIPS

1.   Work at the same time every day-establish a homework time.   

2.   Work in the same place every day--fewer distractions and you can concentrate better- removes any distractions.                                                                               

3.   Work on a desk or table that has enough space to lay out your materials.   

4.   Work where the light is good.   

5.   Work away from the TV and radio—it will take you longer if these are on.   

6.   Don't let your mind wander--concentrate!   

7.   Prop your feet higher than your head, breathe deep for 3-4 minutes and eat something sweet when taking a break.   

8.   Before a test, catch up on missing tests and assignments.   

9.   Ask your teacher if you don't understand something. 

10. If you study the night before a test, go to sleep IMMEDIATELY afterward. 

11. You could tape record some questions to ask yourself or tape record your notes to listen to when riding in a car or doing chores. 

12. Repeat aloud what you are studying. This gives you practice remembering. 

13. Write your notes over.

14. If it's boring, study in 15-20 minute time blocks only, then take a short break. The first and last things studied are the easiest to recall so have a lot of study sessions. 

15. Always study right after class.

16. Try to sit in the front of every class you have, you will pay better attention.

17. Exercise your brain regularly-do puzzles, mental exercizes, brainteasers, watch educational science shows.

18. Eat light before studying.

19. If you have no time to study at all, read the first and last paragraphs of each section and all summaries.

20. Make an outline from your notes.

21. Study hard things first.

22. Borrow a friend's notes Xerox them and immediately give them back.

23. For good papers, get a proofreader. Try to use a the computer. Never turn it in late! 

24. Take all notes with a "lucky pen". Tell yourself that the pen takes only good notes and only writes correct answers. Use it on your test to psych yourself into a good grade.

25. Don't waste any time. Make flash cards and review while you get ready for school, eat, watch commercials, waiting for an appointment or any time you are just sitting.

26. After a test, if you did poorly, stay after and go over the information on the test with the teacher to see what you did wrong. Don't be discouraged!

27. Ask teachers if there are old tests to study from.

28. Study with a pencil in your hand to write questions etc. If you don't know something mark DK and come back to it.

29. Use Post-It notes to mark things in the book that you want to remember

30. Memory Techniques: nonsense association--work out a device to clinch the information mnemonics--a little verse, rhyme, jingle or song acronym--a word made up of the first letters of a number of words HOMES--5 Great Lakes-- Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior abbreviations-- FBI—Federal Bureau of Investigation key word--association--think of the vocabulary word as a visual clue with another word--ex.-gulch means canyon. Imagine a sea gull flying over a canyon.                           

31. Mapping-main idea is in the middle and facts related to it are around.         

32. Chunking--group small bits of information together into categories.

33. Visualize the information; see it in your mind.

34.  If you memorize and then forget at test time, the reason for this is that you have not given the information enough time to sink into your brain. If you write the information down, then it will be better remembered.  Better yet is to spend a little bit of time each day on the material. Think of your brain as a sponge and the information learned as thick syrup. No matter how much syrup you put on the sponge, it takes a while for it to soak into the sponge.

35. Studying for a test: --5 days before the test—read through the notes --4 days--look at titles and major headings of outline or notes and memorize them, turn each heading into a question. Read the summary and questions at the end of the chapter and the opening and closing paragraphs from each section. Then reread your notes in each section. --3 days--recite the headings, then reread notes and try to recall what is in each section.  Go over it until you can recite most of the material. List and define new, italicized or bold words--read them where they are in the chapter. Make flash cards. SQ3R your notes --2 days--recite notes, flash cards, questions, handouts, and study sheets --1 day--recite notes--when you think you have studied enough, go back for 10-15 minutes and review--OVER LEARN!!