How To Study?

How to Study
Robert A. Hatch - University of Florida
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There's an old joke about three frat brothers discussing plans for the evening. One said, 'Hey, I want to go out to the movies.' The second said, 'No, I want to go out for pizza.' The third said, 'Gee Whizz, fellas, I mean, like gosh, I really need to stay in and study.' With this the fourth guy said, 'OK, let's flip a coin: Heads we go to a movie, tails we go for pizza, and if it lands on edge (and stays there) we can study later....'
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Not very funny, I suppose, but neither is studying. Fact is, learning is serious business, even if it is fun and comes easy. But most students coming to the university have never really studied, and younger university students often feel at a loss. Make no mistake, one way or another, surviving university life requires you learn to study. Equally clear, if you learn to learn it will serve you a life time. To be blunt, much of the stuff you learn at a university is not important in itself. The reason is that most of the day-to-day stuff keeps changing. The trick is to learn to learn. You have probably heard the teaching cliché a dozen times: Give a man a fish he eats for a day; teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Enough clichés. What's important is developing disciplined study skills. And yes, you have heard this before. But now the question is: What have you have done about it? The following survey focuses on this question. It aims to provide an overview, some preaching, and a few practical tips on 'How to Study.'
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How Much Study: Serious students (studious students) study 50-60 hours a week. Although this should be no surprise (after all, in the 'real world' people rise at 6 or 7 am and work 8 hours or more each day) many freshmen do not trust this figure. But as a matter of record, University of Florida guidelines are clear: Undergraduates are expected to study a minimum of three (3) hours for each one (1) hour of class time. The mathematics is simple. If you have a 3-credit hour class, you will spend a minimum of 12 hours each week in that course. It is likely you will spend additional time with the mid-term and final exams, not to mention research essays.
If you are an entering freshman you should feel some pride in being welcomed into the university community. And let's face it, as a university student you are privileged. Think about it. Next time you take your seat in a university lecture hall consider how many people would like to be in your place. But there is more. The honor does not make you a particularly privileged character. Rather, it identifies a seat of responsibility.
Study Hours - Add it Up: If you have an average course load of 15 credit hours the figures come to sixty (60) hours per week. This is a suggested minimum. But make no mistake, smart students spend more, and please note: If you are not unusually smart you may need to spend more than the smart folks. How do you know if you are smart? The paradox was summarized long ago by Pascal (a clever guy now dead) who reminds us that a person who is lame can see he is lame; a silly person cannot see his problem so clearly. If you are really - really - really smart you will study as much as your body can endure. If you are not so gifted (or not so sure) you would be smart to study your level best. The trick (given our short time here) is to learn all the best stuff we can and to put it to the best possible effect. Serious business I suppose. Perhaps another number will help frame the game, if game it be.
Another Statistic: The second set of numbers is that for every three students entering the University of Florida one will not receive a degree. Many problems confront entering freshman. But the solution to the problem of studying is simple. Like a lot of things, it is difficult to do but easy to understand. For example, if you want to lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you burn. Simple to understand. So too, if you want to develop good study skills you need to diet your time and discipline your activities. But all the advice in the world is useless unless you use it. Although you already know what to do, the following tips may be useful reminders.
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The Skinny: Study is hard work. If you already understand that study is hard work, the second step is to accept it as a daily fact of life and then, as the philosopher said, 'Just do it.' One of the facts you will have to embrace is that study requires repetition. If study is extending and internalizing your interaction with course material, a key component is, I repeat, repetition: Reading, re-reading, writing, re-writing, discussing, re-discussing, thinking, re-thinking the course material. Bored? Too bad. A long-standing learning cliché is that you need to push the same stuff past your brain in as many ways as possible: See it, hear it, read it, write it, repeat it all again in as many different ways as possible. It is no surprise that universities are designed to do just that. The trick is to help yourself learn as painlessly as possible. What follows are time-honored suggestions. If the following hints are not obvious, you might consider a different line of work:
1. Never Miss Class: Come to class. When you are in class listen critically. Learn to take good notes. Skinny: Attend (and attend to) all lectures. Listen to what the instructor means.
2. Do the Required and Recommended Reading: And do the reading before you come to class. Take notes from your reading {Cf. infra}. Don't take notes word for word. Don't paint over the words, uncover the meaning. Do the reading. Re-read difficult material as many times as necessary to understand it. Outline the chapters. Write down questions. Think about the full range of answers. If you are not satisfied, raise questions in class, discuss the questions with classmates after class. Either way, if you have good questions they benefit everyone. Share your insights, your confusions, and your criticism. Learn when to speak and when to listen. If you're smart and articulate don't be silent and smug or overbearing and obnoxious. If you are shy and hesitant learn to trust your yourself and take a risk. How to Take Notes From Reading
3. Take Good Lecture Notes:See the other files at this WebSite. Learning to take good notes is akin to learning to learn. Taking good notes is a ritual for thinking. Listen to what the lecturer means; try to understand what the author wants to say. Develop a workable system for all of your notes that combines reading and lecture notes. A ring notebook provides flexibility, it allows you to add and re-arrange material at a later date. Recopy your lecture notes the same evening; review all of your lecture notes each week. Develop a semester plan and a list of priorities. Attend university, college, and department-supported lectures. They are free but could pay large dividends. Attending such lectures will help you expand your horizon and focus your interest. You will see how a university works. You will see genuine genius and educated idiots. You will learn to distinguish pepper corns from mouse terds. How to Take Lecture Notes
4. Study Every Day: Establish a daily routine where you study in one place a minimum of 4 -5 hours each day. There are different kinds and 'levels' of study discussed below. What is important is that study becomes the centerpiece of your day and the continuous element in your work week. Do not wait for exam-time to study. Exams offer the opportunity to refine what you know and to sharpen your communication skills. The best way to focus your view of things is to present it clearly in writing. Writing is a ritual for thinking.