search  

ASC Home Contact Us Online Services Online Learners Online Resources Online Writing Labs Additional Tools SOAR Program General Information SOAR Questions Study Skills Self-Assessment Checklist General Information Exam Preparation Notetaking Reading Skills Study Habits Studying Traps Test Anxiety Time Management

---

Academic Skills Center

Study Skills: Improving Study Habits

---

Home » Student Services » Academic Skills Center - Study Skills: Improving Study Habits

MOTIVATION

---

Motivation is the key to success in college. Any student, professor, or motivational speaker can provide great hints to help you, but you are the one that is responsible for making it happen. This means taking the initiatives to seek resources, assistance, manage time, or using good study habits. Your motivation should be to succeed in all of your work.

AVOID THE PROBLEM AREAS

---

1. Lack of study time. The number one problem with completing assignments and low test scores is not taking the appropriate time to study the tasks fully.
2. Wasting time when studying.
3. Having trouble getting ready to study... procrastination, or finding other work to do first. (such as: chatting with friends, going to the store, laundry, etc.)
4. Finding a good place for studying.
5. Using a good learning strategy.

HOW CAN I AVOID THESE AREAS?

---

• SET UP A SCHEDULE
  Allow more time for the most difficult classes. These will be the areas of your largest concerns each day. Someplace during the day, you should allow time for recreation and social activities, since it is important to reward yourself for hard work! The prefered method for studying will start by studying for 10-15 minutes at a time and build up to longer periods over time. Most study skills programs suggest reading for 10-15 minute increments your freshman year, 20 minutes your sophomore year, 25 minutes your junior year, 30 minutes your senior year and 45 minutes to an hour in graduate school. So, as you progress in your education, work towards reading for longer periods.
• TAKE BREAKS
  Take breaks when studying, so that you can keep mentally fresh. The average attention span for one task is approximately 20 minutes. So, stop for a few minutes, stretch, excercise, grab a bite to eat, or make a quick call, then go back to studying.
• REWARD YOURSELF
  Reward yourself for studying, learning a difficult concept, or completing a project. Go to a movie, spend time with your friends, or do the things you put off in order to study. This reinforces your behavior. You are more likely to study again and concentrate if you know there is a reward at the end of completing a task.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CRAM FOR TESTS!

ELIMINATE THE DISTRACTIONS

---

• FIND A GOOD LOCATION
  Where you study can influence your concentration and your study habits as well. Make sure you are comfortable, but not too comfortable. Sitting at a desk is preferable to lying in bed.
• USE THE SAME PLACE FOR STUDYING
  This will help you associate that particular location with studying and will facilitate concentration.
• MAKE SURE IT IS A QUIET PLACE
• ELIMINATE THE OBVIOUS DISTRACTIONS
  A major cause of not studying are the distractions around you. Take a few moments and turn off the tv, lower the radio volume to a whisper, and move all eye grabbing distractions from your viewpoint.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CRAM FOR TESTS!

GENERAL HELP

---

• GO TO CLASS
  Attendance is crucial to understanding material discussed by the professor. If you must miss a class, get together with the professor, or another student to talk about lectures given.
• PARTICIPATE IN CLASS
  In order to learn more in class it helps to become involved by participating in class discussions. Asking questions for clarification and maintaining eye contact with your professor can increase your involvement and enhance concentration of the class discussion.
• TAKE GOOD NOTES
  See our study skill page on taking effective notes.
• USE YOUR TEXTBOOK
• TALK TO YOUR PROFESSOR
• FORM OR JOIN A STUDY GROUP

(adapted from How to Study in College by Walter Pauk)

Other Study Habit Resources Online:

(Note: Clicking on the resources below will open a new window to view the material.)
CalREN Project
Mindtools.com
Indiana University
Dartmouth College Academic Skills Center
Center for Advancement of Learning at Muskingum College
Student Counseling Virtual Pamphlet Collection: Univ. of Chicago