Russ Goddard
Biology Department
Valdosta State University

General "Study" Information for all Students

• General Comments
• Is your class as hard as I have heard?
• What do I need to do to get an "A" in your class?
• What is the best way to study for your class?
• Time Scheduling
• Concentrating Better While Studying
• Effective Listening and Notetaking
• Overcoming Procrastination

    On this page, I try to provide some insight, mainly for freshmen students, into how to study for a college class.  More important, every student should be concerned with how best to improve their learning skills rather than their study skills, although some might argue the two are similar.  I have placed several sections on this page; each may be more useful to some students than others.  Some of the information I have used I garnered from my career and I give particular credit to the Learning Skills Center at the University of Texas at Austin (where I first started teaching students as a graduate teaching assistant).  I have borrowed freely from information that I obtained from that office in the preparation of this document and wish to note the credit that this office deserves.

Students also should note that the VSU Counseling Center provides many services for our students.  This office provides regular short courses and seminars on such topics as time management, effective study methods, etc. that are invaluable for virtually every beginning student (and most "advanced" students as well).  Additionally, the office has a professional staff that offers personal and confidential counseling to students in crisis.  Keep this in mind should you need it in the future or need to refer a friend to the office for help.

Is your class as hard as I have heard?

Majors Students:

Maybe!  None of my classes are inherently difficult.  All are filled with information and require hard work on the student's part to reach mastery of the subject matter.  So if you are asking the question because you want to sit in lecture, not take notes, not study for an exam, and still wish to receive (notice I did not say "earn") a grade of "A" then my course is probably NOT the one you are looking for.  I believe in providing students at the introductory level with a strong foundation of knowledge upon which to build their biology careers.  There is balance, however, between learning new terminology (memorizing) and being able to integrate and think about divergent biological concepts.  It is impossible, in my opinion, to do the latter without the former.  Therefore my courses generally are based in strong factual content that is used to understand the conceptual content.  Students with absolutely no training in biology have earned "A's" in my courses (but they did have to work hard).  For this reason I state here that, "NO, my course is not as hard as 'they' say it is; you just have to be sure to budget study time every day and learn to study efficiently."

Non-Majors Students:

The answer above stands for the non-biology major as well.  Ask yourself this question, "When was the last time you took a non-majors history class? ... a non-majors English class? ....how about a non-majors philosophy class?"  Why should biology be any different at the college level?  The subject matter in my non-majors courses is not as comprehensive as a major's class, but it is detailed.  Majors build their career on the foundation of their experience in biology courses.  Their courses will be a little more "intense," although not exceedingly so, because they need to learn a comprehensive foundation of knowledge to assist their understanding of integrative biology.  Non-majors will not be exposed to a comprehensive treatment of the subject matter in my classes, but will delve in depth into particular topics to look at how different disciplines in science are integrated together for our current understanding of selected topics.  These courses tend to introduce biological topics to the student and show how this field functions in society.  The non-majors courses also are not easy "A's" but are definitely interesting and worthwhile to the student who is not afraid to study and learn new information throughout the course.

There is only one definitive answer to this question and it is not very good.  You need to amass a point value equal than or greater than 90% of the total possible points you can obtain in the course.  This is not always an accurate measure of a student's knowledge of the subject matter.  Probably it is a good estimate of the student's abilities, however.  Some of the high "B" students at the end of a course may actually be solid "A" students and I need to make evaluative decisions on a few students in every class.  Determining grades in my courses can often be a very difficult task.  Our system of measuring ability in students, mainly through tests, can often be flawed.  I determine grades in my courses generally on a student's comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter.  I tend to integrate laboratory performance and practical ability with test data that includes a variety of testing mechanisms.  Additionally, I now am using a student's performance in electronic discussions as a mechanism to evaluate a student's ability to think about and discuss appropriate subject matter in the course.  The discussion groups effectively provide me with essay data (how organized is/ completely does/ or concisely does a student write and think?  What is the student's command of the knowledge at hand?)  So, let's return now to, "how do I get an "A"?"

You must have an intimate knowledge of the material in the course.  One past student said it best, "you must own the information, it is not good enough to memorize facts!"  I am looking for your ability to think about and integrate conceptual information.

You must complete all assignments.  Its amazing to me how many students think that missing one assignment will have an insignificant effect on their grade.  All assignments are important.

You must participate in class.  Get recognized by the professor.  In a large class this could help you in the final determination of your grade.

Follow some of the suggestions on this page to improve your studying efficiency.  Study daily, don't fall behind, and maintain your intimate knowledge of the course material throughout the course and you will find it will stay with you when you leave.

If you have made it this far, you have seen some of the other materials available to you from my class links.  In many cases, I make available to you an outline of my notes.  Different people find different methods of studying best for them.  What I present here is a method that works well for me and for many other students.

First, read the material in the textbook that will be discussed in lecture.  Be sure to stay ahead in your reading and try to understand the material as you go through it.  In other words, study it before class.  Many students expect their professor to do their reading for them.  They want the professor to stand at a podium and regurgitate the information as if reading from the textbook.  If that is what your professor does, s/he is not doing a very good job in my opinion.  The lecture should be a time where the professor helps a student to understand better the material.  It is expected that students will have a basic understanding of the text or assigned reading and then the student will PARTICIPATE in the lecture/discussion.  It is the interaction and thinking between student and professor that will lead to the greatest comprehension in the student (and sometimes the professor!).  Help change that age-old definition of a lecture; "the transferal of information from the instructor's notes to the students notes without ever passing through either mind!"  At the college level, we are trying to stimulate life-long learning.  Required for this is your independent ability to learn new information on your own (e.g. by reading a textbook, primary sources of literature, etc.).  The instructor's job is to help you digest and learn to process the information you can learn on your own.

After class, re-organize your notes by outlining the subject matter discussed.  Try to grasp a greater perspective of how the information fits together.  Your class does not consist of a list of independent facts, but a cohesive body of information leading to greater understanding.  Look for the connections in the information by making an outline.

Make 3 separate outlines: one very general, one complete but short, and one comprehensive.  My notes (lecture outline) for BIOL 2010 would be considered complete (but not comprehensive).  A general outline for Part One of my notes might be as follows

Science and the Scientific Method

Unifying features of All Life

Diversity of Life

Inorganic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

When studying your notes, do not just read your notes or the text.  Be more active!  Study your notes and make your outlines.  Then put your notes away and take out a clean sheet of paper.  Reconstruct the general topical outline from memory.  Can you recall the general topics that are included in the material you are trying to learn?  Can you then re-create your complete outline totally from recall?  How about the comprehensive outline?  Do this, and then re-study your notes to fill in any gaps.  Then start over again.  Try to totally learn the information, then as you hear new lectures and discussions, the thoughts of the instructor and your classmates will make more sense to you.

Finally, I do recommend group study sessions but only after each individual in the group has a good command of the information.  Anyone who tries to participate unprepared in a group cram session the night before an exam will find the session counter-productive to your performance on the exam.  Group sessions should be used for better understanding of specific parts of the information you are processing.  They are most useful at filling in gaps in your notes that you missed during lecture.  No one can write down everything or recall all of the information that comes out during a lecture period.  In your group you will find that what one person found important to write down, another person did not even remember that information being discussed.  Comparing notes and re-creating your 3 outlines in a group session will often be like attending a new lecture because of the new information your classmates will present.  Talking and teaching your classmates will develop your command of the information more and this will build your confidence in knowing the material.  This will reduce test anxiety and help you to perform well on written and oral tests.  For group study, try to refrain from meeting the first time the night before an exam.  As I said, you will probably gather a considerable amount of new information that you will need time to process and digest before going into an exam.

Time Scheduling:

As a full-time student, you should realize that you attend, on average, only 15 hours per week in class.  You also know that a full-time job is generally 40 hours per week.  Your full-time academic schedule is relative to a job schedule.  For every one hour in class, you will need to study outside of class for an additional 2 - 3 hours to fully learn and master the material presented in your curriculum.  You can not devote your full attention to learning one week and let it slide the next!  You will soon find that you are far behind in all subjects and this will present a monumental burden upon your psyche as you try to figure out where to start to begin to "catch up."

You should schedule your time rigorously and then stick to your schedule.  Consider these points:

Consider making a schedule.

It can work like a charm in cutting down on tensions, worries, and daydreams.  Far from making a robot of you, a time schedule frees you from making top-level decisions constantly thus allowing you to make the best use of your time.

• Start by making a record of your fixed activities such as classes, meals, meetings, etc.  Each week add information revolving around class assignments; note due dates and estimate study time required to accomplish major tasks.
• Remember the following principles of time use when deciding how to spend your study time:
• Many effective schedulers habitually plan their day at a regular time:  5 to 10 minutes in the morning or before going to bed.
• Allow larger blocks of time for learning new material, grasping concepts, drafting a theme, etc.  Divide these larger blocks of time into definite subparts the length of your concentration span (20 min.? ...30?. ...10?)
• As you begin work on each subpart, jot down the time you expect to finish; when you're through, reward yourself with a brief break; move around, drink water, have a snack, whatever you desire.
• Use short periods of time (15 to 45 min) to review. Its especially wise to spend a few minutes reviewing immediately BEFORE a class involving discussion or recitation.  Immediately AFTER a lecture class spend a few minutes reviewing your notes, also.
• Schedule harder study tasks when you are most alert and can concentrate best.
• Do SOMETHING daily:  do not let things pile up!
• Plan to really learn the first time; the rest of your study time should be spent reviewing through recitation, discussion, making up and answering possible test questions, etc.
• Don't try to allocate ALL your time; know what needs to be done and how long it will take you.  It is always HOW you use your time that counts!

Count on using half of that, or 4-5 hours daily, for studying efficiently and you will be on your way to becoming a 4.00 (G.P.A.) student!

How to Develop Better Concentration While Studying

Think of concentration as a three-step process:

1. Learn the causes of poor concentration and decide which ones apply to you.

• Noise:  especially intelligible conversations and music, which is interesting to you.
• Environment:  look at your study place.  There may be highly distracting things which invite poor concentration (TV, comfortable chairs, snacks, other people, etc.).


Internal Causes:

• Boredom
• Dislike/Anxiety about the subject being studied.
• Daydreaming while reading
• Worries and personal problems
• Awesomeness of the study task.


2.  Understand what you can do to control these factors.

External Controls:

• If you find yourself paying more attention to people and music than to your books, you may want to train yourself to study away from others and in silence.
• Leave or re-arrange an environment with too many temptations and go elsewhere to study when you mean business.  Be aware of the time of the day or night and the place that works well for you.
• Make your control of these factors habitual


Internal Controls:

• To combat boredom and dislike, find some reasons, which satisfy you for taking the course and passing it.  Talk with other students and/or the instructor.
• One helpful way to diminish anxiety is to check your study skills and make sure you know the most efficient ways to learn the subject.
• Learn to separate clearly daydreams and reading by beginning to channel your daydreams.  When your mind starts to wander, stop and recall important points you have just read.   Then turn away from the book and try to continue the fantasy.  When you're ready to read again, do so.  The trick is not to daydream and read at the same time.
• When personal worries interfere a lot, do something concrete to help (Talk with a friend, call a counselor, or go to the Counseling Center [Powell Hall East, 2nd floor: 333-5940]).
• A good way to deal with a study task that seems overwhelming is to break it up into small sections, read each, then stop and recall each.  Finally, try devising a system of "rewards and punishments" for having, or not having, accomplished what you intended to do.


Additionally, before reading:

• Decide whether you really intend to work!  If you are not going to be productive, do something more constructive.
• Decide how long you intend to study the subject.
• Decide how much work you intend to accomplish during this time
• SET REALISTIC AND SPECIFIC GOALS FOR YOURSELF!


3.  Make your control of these factors HABITUAL!

A system for effective listening and notetaking:

You can think about 4 times faster than a lecturer can speak.  Effective listening requires the expenditure of energy.  To compensate for the rate of presentation, you have to actively intend to listen.  Note taking is one way to enhance listening, and using a systematic approach to the taking and reviewing of your notes can add immeasurably to your understanding and memory of the content of lectures.

Before Class:

• Develop a mindset geared toward listening.
• Test yourself over the previous lecture while waiting for the next one to begin.
• Read relevant text selections or other assignments to acquaint yourself with main ideas, new technical terms, etc.
• Do what you can to improve physical and mental alertness (fatigue, hunger, time of day, where you sit in the classroom all affect motivation).
• Choose notebooks that will enhance your systematic note taking.  A separate notebook with full-sized pages is recommended for each course.  Refer to the section on this page that follows suggesting note-taking format(s).
• INTEND TO LISTEN

• Listen for the structure and information in the lecture.
• Resist distractions, emotional reactions or boredom.
• Be consistent in your use of form, abbreviation, etc.
• Pay attention to the speaker for verbal, postural, and visual clues to what's important.
• Label important points and organizational clues (e.g. main points, examples).
• When possible translate the lecture into your own words, but if you can't, don't let it worry you into inattention!
• If you feel you don't take enough notes, divide your page into 5 sections and try to fill each part every 10 minutes (or work out your own formula).
• Ask questions if you don't understand.
• Instead of closing your notebook early and getting ready to leave, listen carefully to information given toward the end of class. Summary statements may be of particular value in highlighting main points.  There may be possible quiz questions, etc.

• Clear up any questions raised by the lecture by asking either the teacher or classmates.
• Fill in missing points or misunderstood terms from text or other sources.
• Edit your notes, labeling main points, adding recall clues and questions to be answered.  Key points in the notes can be highlighted with different colors of ink.
• Make note of you ideas and reflections, keeping them separate from those of the speaker.

• Review your notes:  See how much you can remember before rereading your notes.
• Look for the emergence of themes, main concepts, methods of presentation over the course of several lectures.
• Make up and answer possible test questions.

One common mistake of many note-takers is that very little room is left on the page for reflective comments after the notes have been taken.  If clarifications or explanations are necessary, you will not be able to write them next to the original notes on the topics.  I like to suggest that students write on one side of their notebook page alone during a lecture.  Later, additional notes can be made on the blank facing page to add clarification of the subject matter, questions, or reflections.  Other ways to format your notes require that you roughly sketch out sections on your page and use each section for specific kinds of notes.  Two of these formats are demonstrated as follows (Tables are shortened for space; assume the dimensions listed are for standard 8-1/2 x 11" paper):
 

OR.....
 

Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination is a habit but not a fatal flaw.  It takes persistence to change, but you can do it.

How?

Clarify your personal goals

• Be sure the task you think you "should" do is one you really want to do.  If your actions aren't inline with your intentions, perhaps you should change your intentions.
• Articulate and write down your personal goals.  Post them on your door, mirror, notebook; anywhere you'll see them frequently.

• If you don't know how to manage your time, learn.  Attend one of the short seminars offered by our counseling center (usually offered every semester; check with the center for schedules).
• Break your goal up into little parts.  Write out and list the steps you must take to accomplish your goal.
• Write out a plan for yourself.  Make a schedule
• Establish a regular time each day to work toward your goal.  Get out of a disorganized life style and make working toward your goal routine.
• Organize your environment, complete with the tools you'll need, so it's conducive to working; or move yourself to an environment that is conducive to working.
• If you are not sure how to reach your goal, learn.  For example, if you aren't clear about an assignment, plan to consult with your professor.  Build this appointment into your schedule.
• Start early.  Build procrastination time into your schedule.
• Start small and easily.  It is much easier to confront a small task that is easily performed than to wait until the task has grown monumental in proportion (i.e.  study and learn the course material daily, rather than wait for a "cramming" session just before the next test.

• Do you feel that the world is too difficult?  That you yourself are inadequate to meet its challenges?  That you cannot function without a lot of approval?  Are you frustrated with the limitations of others?  Expect nothing less of yourself and others than perfection?  Convinced that disaster hinges on your actions?  These are immobilizing, self-defeating, avoidance- producing attitudes and beliefs.  Recognize them as such and use them only to the extent that they are helpful.  Do not believe them.  Replace them with self-enhancing beliefs and attitudes.
• Remind yourself of the emotional and physical consequences of procrastination.  Then remind yourself of the consequences of not procrastinating.
• Concentrate on little bits and pieces of your project.  Don't think "all-or-nothing."
• For a day, pretend that you are a well-organized non-procrastinator.  Imagine how you would think and behave.  Then behave and think that way - even if only for a few minutes at a time.
• Value your mistakes.  Don't judge them.  Learn from them.
• Know your escapes and avoidance.  Realize that you are using them and call yourself on them.
• Rage, complain, and vent as needed.  Generally, get it out of your system so you can move on to more productive activity.

• Use your friends.  Set up a contract with someone to get something done.  Make an appointment to study with a friend who has no difficulty studying.  Make an appointment to consult/learn from someone who can help you with your task.  Arrange to meet with a friend for support.
• Work for a specified reward and/or design a penalty for yourself if you don't meet your expectation.
• Make something you normally do and enjoy contingent upon doing the avoided task.
• Keep your tasks visible in front of you.  Set up reminders, etc.
• Use your impulsiveness.  When you get going, keep going.  Do something when you think of it (Don't just think about it, do it!).  Do instant, tiny things.
• Do something daily.  Agree to start a project and stay with it for 5 min.  Consider another 5 min at the end of the first.
• Establish priorities among tasks according to the degree of unpleasantness.  Start with the most unpleasant task and work down until you get to the easier ones.
• If you've got something hard to do, rehearse it in your imagination or with someone.  Work the bugs out systematically.

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  9 September 1998.