Note taking, study skills for Math 1 students

ALL E-MAILS NEED TO BE SENT TO

glenn.meeden@cobbk12.org

The following is a study skills discussion that just might be helpful for the MATH 1 students:



Distribute Study Time

Spaced practice promotes better retention than massed practice.
Study a little each day or several times a week.
Don’t cram all your study time into one long blitz.
This approach requires planning and discipline but you will reap the rewards (higher grades).
Reading the textbook chapters:
Rather than trying to read a whole chapter in a single sitting, read just one section per study session.

Listen actively in class

Remove distractions – friends, cell phones, I-Pods, etc.
Listen for the main idea and sub ideas in lectures. Write them down.
Ask questions during and after class.

Overlearn

Overlearning improves retention.
The more often students read a chapter and the fewer classes they miss, the better their exams scores. (Woehr & Cavell, 1993).
Don’t overestimate how much you know. Really learning something requires more than momentarily understanding it.
Highlight your notes
Test yourself
Online quizzes, section reviews
Review what you think you know
Reread the chapter
Explain it to someone else


Just a few helpful hints for improving oneself for high school and beyond.....

Coach Meeden








Talk about it

n We remember:
n 10% - 20% of what we read
n 20% - 30% of what we hear
n 30% - 40% of what we see
n 50% - 80% of what we say
n Countless experiments reveal that people learn and remember material best when they put it in their own words, rehearse it and then review and rehearse it again.
n Summarize the material for a friend or lecture about it to an imaginary audience.

Focus on Big Ideas

n Periodically, step back and see the big picture.
n Think about or write down how what you are learning fits together.
n Relating information to others things you already know will help you to remember it.

Be a Smart Test-taker

n Multiple choice test
n Don’t confuse yourself by trying to imagine how each choice might be the right one.
n Try to answer the question as if it were a fill-in-the-blank.
n Read the choices and find the one that matches your “fill-in-the-blank” answer.
n Mark through the answers that you know aren’t correct.
n Underline what the question is asking.
n If you have no idea: guess.
n Note the questions you aren’t sure of and go back to them if time permits. Sometimes another question will help you with the answer.
n Essay test
n Before answering the multiple choice, read the essay question carefully noting exactly what is being asked.
n Make a list points you would like to make.
n Answer the multiple choice questions keeping the essay question in mind.
n Reread the question, rethink your answer, and start writing.
n When you finish, proofread your work to eliminate spelling and grammatical errors that make you look less competent than you are.

Evaluate your study habits

n If you don’t perform well on a test, then try a new method next time.
n Don’t expect a different result from the same effort.