Page 210 - Keys To Community College Success

to keep his records in order—to pay bills on time, to record income, to meet tax pay-
ments. Putting himself in the position of his friend’s accountant, the student connects
learning accounting principles with making a difference in a friend’s life.
Often, keeping a larger reward in mind can motivate you to take calculated risks.
Being determined to give her son a good life helped Cindy persist in her studies in the
face of time pressures and other challenges.

Put your notes to work
It is common to let notes sit in a notebook unread until just before midterms or finals.
Even the most comprehensive, brilliant notes offer no reward if you don’t refer back to
them. Regularly reread your notes in batches (for example, every one or two weeks) to
7 build your recall of information. As you reread, do the following:
CHAPTER ■ Fill in any gaps or get help with trouble spots.

■ Mark up your notes by highlighting main ideas and key supporting points.
■ Add recall or practice test questions in the margins.
■ Add relevant points from homework, text, and labwork into your notes.

Understand what you memorize
It sounds obvious, but something that has meaning is easier to recall than something
that makes little sense. This basic principle applies to everything you study. Figure out
logical connections, and use these connections to help you learn. For example, in a
plant biology course, memorize plants in family groups; in a history course, link events
in a cause-and-effect chain.
When you have trouble remembering something new, think about how the new idea
fits into what you already know. A simple example: If you can’t remember what a word
means, look at the word’s root, prefix, or suffix. Knowing that the root bellum means
“war” and the prefix ante means “before” will help you recognize that antebellum
means “before the war.”

Study during short, frequent sessions
You can improve your chances of remembering material if you learn it more than
once. A pattern of short sessions, say three 20-minute study sessions followed by brief
periods of rest, is more effective than continual studying with little or no rest. Try
studying on your own or with a classmate during breaks in your schedule. Although
studying between classes isn’t for everyone, you may find that it can help you remem-
ber more.
In addition, scheduling regular, frequent review sessions over time will help you
retain information more effectively. If you have two weeks before a test, set up study
sessions three times per week instead of putting the final two days aside for hours-long
study marathons. 7

Take care of yourself
Even though sleep may take a back seat with all you have to do in crunch times,
research indicates that shortchanging your sleep during the week impairs your ability
to remember and learn, even if you try to make up for it by sleeping all weekend. Sleep
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improves your ability to remember what you studied before you went to bed. So does
having a good breakfast. Even if you’re running late, grab something quick so that you
aren’t going to class on an empty stomach.
Exercise is another key component. The latest research shows that regular exercise
followed by food and rest can significantly improve the functioning of the parts of the
brain most involved in memory—the cortex and hippocampus. When time is tight and
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you have trouble scheduling workouts, remember that those workouts can improve
your academic performance.

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