How to Study Long and Hard and Still Fail…or How to Get the Most Out of Studying

Here is a wonderful set of videos from cognitive psychologist Stephen L. Chew, PhD of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. I highly recommend watching all five videos. I found them to be instructive, entertaining, and good food for thought going into a new school year.

Are your beliefs about learning holding you back from making the most of your classes? Check it out in Beliefs That Make You Fail.

What goes into the process of learning? Dr. Chew discusses the levels of processing theory and how it can boost your study power in What Students Should Understand About How People Learn.

How can the levels of processing theory be used by students? Cognitive Principles for Optimizing Learning breaks the levels of processing theory into four components for developing study strategies.

How do the levels of processing work in the real world of the classroom? Dr. Chew uses common study situations as examples in Putting the Principles for Optimizing Learning into Practice.

It's likely to happen to most students sometime in their college career. You failed an exam. I Blew the Exam, Now What? offers solid advice about what to do and what not to do in the face of this unfortunate event.

Many thanks to Dr. Chew for his research and passion to help students succeed.

Be There

One of the best ways to do well in college is to be there. It's not enough to simply physically be there -- you need to engage your mind and your attention so you can benefit from the learning experience before you. Some classes will hold your attention easily; others may be a struggle. Regardless of whether you are in a class that captivates you or if you're in a class where you feel like a captive, it is your responsibility to learn.

You should be well-prepared to learn each time you enter the classroom. Here are some hints:

• Get to class on time.
  

• Reading the textbook or other material ahead of time will make the lecture easier to understand and enhance your ability to take good notes.

• Reviewing prior chapter notes before you go to class, especially where information in newer chapters builds on knowledge in older chapters, enables you to more readily grasp new concepts presented in lecture.

• Writing questions about reading materials and assignments and bringing them up in class gets you and other students participating actively in the learning process.

• This may sound simple, but have paper, pens, pencils, scantrons, syllabi, and whatever else you need to take notes and complete assignments and tests in class.

There are things you can do to anchor your attention while in class, such as taking notes, highlighting text, asking or writing down questions, and actively participating in class activities. Put away all possible distractors (especially cell phones) and concentrate on the class you are in. If other students are behaving in a distracting manner, focus away from them -- even change your seat if necessary.

The more you are truly there for each class meeting, the more you will get out of it.