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Study Habits of Successful Students
Study - the very word strikes terror into the hearts of many college students. Mastering study skills is crucial for college and career success. Fortunately, there are ways to keep the word study from becoming a four-letter word.
KNOW WHERE TO START
Recognize one key difference between college and high school: freedom. You're free to pass or fail, complete assignments or not. Instructors won't hold you accountable; only you will. That makes solid study skills imperative.
Make campus fun secondary to learning. Party only after you've completed assignments. That's real freedom!
TIME MANAGEMENT
Since accountability is entirely in your hands, managing time outside the classroom is crucial. Eight hours for sleep, five for class time, two for meals, one for personal hygiene, five for study and three for fun is a good start. Adjust for your personal study style and class hours.
SEATING STRATEGY
College success means getting in your instructor's face - literally. Let them know you're there. Duncan McRae, Computer Science major, at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, heads right for the second row.
"Make sure you sit in the second row; teachers look over the first row, so the second gets you more attention when asking questions," McRae says.
NOTES ON NOTES
Effective notes are critical to understanding course material. But don't copy every word your teacher utters. Small tape recorders can do that - a good idea if you can handle the extra $30 - $75.
Your instructor's vocal tones, body movements, blackboard notes and repeated phrases are clues to important material. That's what you should write. Highlight key text for later study. Separate notebooks for each subject reduces the risk of misplacing an entire semester's notes.
ESTABLISH PRIORITIES
It's easy to become overwhelmed - three papers due next week, an exam tomorrow, a speech on Thursday. The trick is to rank each assignment's importance.
Rebecca Connor, a sophomore at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, has set priorities for every subject.
"In college you never have just one thing due, so decide what to do first," Connor says. "If I have a paper and some reading due the next day, I'll do the paper first. Since papers are more important, the reading has to wait."
ELIMINATE STUDY DISTRACTIONS
Find a quiet place to study. Clear your work area of unessential materials and post a "Enter under risk of thermonuclear attack!" sign on your locked door. Turn off the TV, unplug the phone, and if you must listen to music keep it low. Use adequate lighting to reduce eye fatigue.
KNOW WHEN TO STOP
Your body will tell you when to stop. The truth is, the more you try the further behind you get. You may even forget things you nailed an hour earlier. Amy Strac, a student at Rhodes College in Tennessee chooses to wait a day when she gets too tired to study.
"Sometimes you just have to quit and get up earlier in the morning to finish," Strac says.
SHARPEN YOUR TESTING SKILLS
Eliminate the word "cram" from your vocabulary. It stuffs your head with jumbled facts. Plan study sessions in advance. Review your notes and study guides daily, taking in a little each day. Learn test language. True or false test qualifiers like "some," "all," "most," "never," "always," "much" and others are meant to confuse you. And for multiple choice, answer the precise question printed on the page. Avoid reading more into questions. When in doubt, avoid the dreaded "none" or "all of the above" responses.
For fill-in-the blank tests, cover the word list with paper and expose one word at a time. The right answer usually leaps from the page. Start with questions that you're sure of, and the rest will fall into place by attrition.
TAG TEAM TACTICS
Most college students wish they could split themselves into two for intense workloads. Mariann Woodward, English grad student at Bowie State University in Maryland, does the next best thing. She and eight fellow students split study tasks to minimize overload.
"When I can't handle everything on my own I brainstorm with my classmates," Woodward says. "We split material into sections to read or research, then share our thoughts and impressions for immediate use in class."
Anyone can master good study habits. It takes knowing your strengths and weaknesses, summoning the discipline to work first and play later, and enlisting the help of fellow students and teachers to offer an occasional boost. But remember, success or failure ultimately rests with you. Article provided by 
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