Study skills

Study skills, academic skill, or study strategies are approaches applied to learning. They are generally critical to success in school,[1]
considered essential for acquiring good grades, and useful for learning throughout one's life.

Study skills are an array of skills which tackle the process of organizing and taking in new information, retaining information, or
dealing with assessments. They include mnemonics, which aid the retention of lists of information; effective reading; concentration
techniques;[2] and efficient notetaking.[3]

While often left up to the student and their support network, study skills are increasingly taught in high school and at the university
level.

More broadly, any skill which boosts a person's ability to study, retain and recall information which assists in and passing exams can
be termed a study skill, and this could includetime management and motivational techniques.

Study skills are discrete techniques that can be learned, usually in a short time, and applied to all or most fields of study. They must
therefore be distinguished from strategies that are specific to a particular field of study (e.g. music or technology), and from abilities
inherent in the student, such as aspects of intelligence orlearning styles.

Contents
Historical context
Types
Rehearsal and rote learning
Reading and listening
Flashcard training
Keywords
Visual imagery
Acronyms and mnemonics
Exam strategies
Spacing
Time management, organization and lifestylechanges[16]
Study environment
Analogues
Concept mapping
See also
References
External links

Historical context
The term study skills is used for general approaches to learning, skills for specific courses of study. There are many theoretical works
on the subject, including a vast number of popular books and websites.Manuals for students have been published since the 1940s
.

In the 1950s and 1960s, college instructors in the fields of psychology and the study of education used research, theory, and
[4][5] Marvin Cohn based the advice for parents in his 1978 book Helping Your
experience with their own students in writing manuals.
Teen-Age Student on his experience as a researcher and head of a university reading clinic that tutored teenagers and young adults.[6]
In 1986, when Dr. Gary Gruber’s Essential Guide to Test Taking for Kids was first published, the author had written 22 books on
taking standardized tests. A work in two volumes, one for upper elementary grades and the other for middle school, the Guide has
[7][8]
methods for taking tests and completing schoolwork.

Types

Rehearsal and rote learning

Memorization is the process of committing something to memory. The act of memorization is often a deliberate mental process
undertaken in order to store in memory for later recall items such as experiences, names, appointments, addresses, telephone
numbers, lists, stories, poems, pictures, maps, diagrams, facts, music or other visual, auditory, or tactical information. Memorization
may also refer to the process of storing particular data into the memory of a device. One of the most basic approaches to learning any
information is simply to repeat it by rote.Typically this will include reading over notes or a textbook, and re-writing notes.

Reading and listening

The weakness with rote learning is that it implies a passive reading and listening style. Educators such as John Dewey have argued
that students need to learncritical thinking – questioning and weighing up evidence as they learn. This can be done during lectures or
when reading books.

A method that is useful during the first interaction with the subject of study is
REAP method. This method helps students to improve
their understanding of the text and bridge the idea with that of the author's. REAP is an acronym for Read, Encode, Annotate and
Ponder.[9]

1. Read: Reading a section to discern the idea.

2. Encode: Paraphrasing the idea from the author's perspective to the student's own words.
3. Annotate: Annotating the section with critical understanding and other relevant notes.
4. Ponder: To ponder about what they read through thinking, discussing with others and reading related materials.
Thus it allows possibility of elaboration and fulfillment ofzone of proximal development.
Annotating and Encoding helps the student reprocess the content into concise and coherent knowledge which adds a meaningful
symbolic fund of knowledge. Precise annotation, Organizing question annotation, Intentional annotation and Probe annotation are
some of the annotation methods used.

A method used to focus on key information when studying from books uncritically
is the PQRST method.[10] This method prioritizes the information in a way that
relates directly to how they will be asked to use that information in an exam.
PQRST
is an acronym for Preview, Question, Read, Summary, Test.[11]

1. Preview: The student looks at the topic to be learned by glancing over

the major headings or the points in the syllabus.
2. Question: The student formulates questions to be answered following a
thorough examination of the topic(s).
3. Read: The student reads through the related material, focusing on the
information that best relates to the questions formulated earlier
. A student of the University of British
4. Summary: The student summarizes the topic, bringing his or her own Columbia studies for his final exams
understanding into the process.This may include written notes, spider using the PQRST method.
diagrams, flow diagrams, labeled diagrams,mnemonics, or even voice
recordings.
5. Test: The student answers the questions drafted earlier , avoiding adding any questions that might distract or change
the subject.
There are a variety of studies from different colleges nationwide that show peer-communication can help increase better study habits
tremendously. One study shows that an average of 73% score increase was recorded by those who were enrolled in the classes
surveyed.
 , comprehension, and understanding[12] .
Speed reading, while trainable, results in lower accuracy

Flashcard training
Flashcards are visual cues on cards. These have numerous uses in teaching and learning, but can be used for revision. Students often
make their own flashcards, or more detailed index cards – cards designed for filing, often A5 size, on which short summaries are
written. Being discrete and separate, they have the advantage of allowing students to re-order them, pick a selection to read over, or
choose randomly for self-testing.Software equivalents can be used.

Keywords
Summary methods vary depending on the topic, but most involve condensing the large amount of information from a course or book
into shorter notes. Often, these notes are then condensed further into key facts.

Organized summaries:Such as outlines showing keywords and definitions and relations, usually in atree structure.

Spider diagrams: Using spider diagrams or mind maps can be an effective way of linking concepts together. They can be useful for
planning essays and essay responses in exams. These tools can give a visual summary of a topic that preserves its logical structure,
with lines used to show how different parts link together.

Visual imagery
Some learners are thought to have a visual learning style, and will benefit greatly from taking information from their studies which
are often heavily verbal, and usingvisual techniques to help encode and retain it in memory.

Some memory techniques make use of visual memory

, for example the method of loci, a system of visualising key information in real
physical locations e.g. around a room.

Diagrams are often underrated tools. They can be used to bring all the information together and provide practice reorganizing what
has been learned in order to produce something practical and useful. They can also aid the recall of information learned very quickly,
particularly if the student made the diagram while studying the information. Pictures can then be transferred to flashcards that are
very effective last-minute revision tools rather than rereading any written material.

Acronyms and mnemonics

A mnemonic is a method of organizing and memorizing information. Some use a simple phrase or fact as a trigger for a longer list of
information. For example, the cardinal points of the compass can be recalled in the correct order with the phrase "Never Eat
Shredded Wheat". Starting with North, the first letter of each word relates to a compass point in clockwise order round a compass.

Exam strategies
The Black-Red-Green method (developed through the Royal Literary Fund) helps the student to ensure that every aspect of the
question posed has been considered, both in exams and essays.[13] The student underlines relevant parts of the question using three
separate colors (or some equivalent). BLAck denotes 'BLAtant instructions', i.e. something that clearly must be done; a directive or
obvious instruction. REd is a REference Point or REquired input of some kind, usually to do with definitions, terms, cited authors,
theory, etc. (either explicitly referred to or strongly implied). GREen denotes GREmlins, which are subtle signals one might easily
miss, or a ‘GREEN Light’ that gives a hint on how to proceed, or where to place the emphasis in answers [1]. Another popular
method whilst studying is to P.E.E; Point, evidence and explain, reason being, this helps the student break down exam questions
allowing them to maximize their marks/grade during the exam. Many Schools will encourage practicing the P.E. BEing method prior
to an exam.
Spacing
Spacing, also called distributed learning by some; helps individuals remember at least as much if not more information for a longer
period of time than using only one study skill. Using spacing in addition to other study methods can improve retention and
performance on tests.[14] Spacing is especially useful for retaining and recalling new material.[14] The theory of spacing is that
instead of cramming all studying into one long study session an individual would split that single session to a few shorter sessions
that are hours, if not days apart. Studying will not last longer than it would have originally and one is not working harder but this tool
gives the user the ability to remember and recall things for a longer time period. The science behind this; according to Jost’s Law
from 1897 “If two associations are of equal strength but of different age, a new repetition has a greater value for the older one”.[15]
This means that if a person were to study two things once, at dif
ferent times, the one studied most recently will be easier to recall.

Time management, organizationand lifestyle changes[16]

Often, improvements to the effectiveness of study may be achieved through changes to things unrelated to the study material itself,
such as time-management, boosting motivation and avoiding procrastination, and in improvements tosleep and diet.

Time management in study sessions aims to ensure that activities that achieve the greatest benefit are given the greatest focus. A
traffic lights system is a simple way of identifying the importance of information, highlighting or underlining information in colours:

Green: topics to be studied first; important and also simple

Amber: topics to be studied next; important but time-consuming
Red: lowest priority; complex and not vital.
This reminds students to start with the things which will provide the quickest benefit, while 'red' topics are only dealt with if time
allows. The concept is similar to the ABC analysis, commonly used by workers to help prioritize. Also, some websites (such as
FlashNotes) can be used for additional study materials and may help improve time management and increase motivation.

In addition to time management, sleep is important; getting adequate rest improves memorisation.[17] Students are generally more
productive in the morning than the afternoon.[18]

In addition to time management and sleep, emotional state of mind can matter when a student is studying.If an individual is calm or
nervous in class; replicating that emotion can assist in studying. With replicating the emotion an individual is more likely to recall
more information if they are in the same state of mind when in class. This also goes the other direction; if one is upset but normally
calm in class it’s much better to wait until they are feeling calmer to study. At the time of the test or class they will remember more.
[19]

Study environment
Studying can also be more effective if one changes their environment while studying. For example: the first time studying the
material, one can study in a bedroom, the second time one can study outside, and the final time one can study in a coffee shop. The
thinking behind this is that as when an individual changes their environment the brain associates different aspects of the learning and
gives a stronger hold and additional brain pathways with which to access the information. In this context environment can mean
many things; from location, to sounds, to smells, to other stimuli including foods. When discussing environment in regards to its
effect on studying and retention Carey says “a simple change in venue improved retrieval strength (memory) by 40 percent.”[20]
Another change in the environment can be background music; if people study with music playing and they are able to play the same
music during test time they will recall more of the information they studied.[21] According to Carey “background music weaves itself
subconsciously into the fabric of stored memory.”[22] This “distraction” in the background helps to create more vivid memories with
the studied material.[22]

Homework completion is typically irrelevant to academic performance.[23]

Analogues
 [24]
Analogies can create misleading or superficial mental models in learners.

Concept mapping
There is some support for the efficacy of concept mapping as a learning tool.[25]

See also
Homework
Learning
Learning styles
Reading day
Speed reading
SQ3R
Study guide
Study software
Video study guide

References
1. "Contributions of Study Skills to Academic Competence"(http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordD
etails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchV alue_0=EJ667615&ERICExtSearch_SearchT ype_0=no
&accno=EJ667615). Educational Resources Information Center . ISSN 0279-6015 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/027
9-6015). Retrieved 2009-02-01.
2. Bremer, Rod. The Manual: A Guide to the Ultimate Study Method(Second ed.). Fons Sapientiae Publishing.
ISBN 978-0993496424.
3. http://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/site/colleges/seh/freshinfo/vs/StudySkills2008b.pdf
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20
090319212840/http://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/site/colleges/seh/freshinfo/vs/StudySkills2008b.pdf) March 19, 2009, at the
Wayback Machine
4. Preston, Rah (1959). Teaching Study Habits and Skills, Rinehart. Original from the University of Maryland digitized
August 7, 2006.
5. Kranyik, Robert and Shankman, Florence V
. (1963). How to Teach Study Skills, Teacher’s Practical Press.
6. Cohn, Marvin (1979). Helping Your Teen-age Student: What Parents Can Do to Improve Reading and Study Sk
ills,
Dutton, ISBN 978-0-525-93065-5.
7. Gruber, Gary (1986). Dr. Gary Gruber’s Essential Guide to Test Taking for Kids, Grades 3, 4, 5, Quill, ISBN 978-0-
688-06350-4.
8. Gruber, Gary (1986). Dr. Gary Gruber’s Essential Guide to Test Taking for Kids, Grades 6, 7, 8, 9, Quill, ISBN 978-0-
688-06351-1.
9. Sheryn Spencer-Waterman (9 January 2014). Handbook on Differentiated Instruction for Middle & High Schools(http
s://books.google.com/books?id=JSIEAQAAQBAJ&pg=P A61). Routledge. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-317-93008-2.
10. Gopalakrishnan, Karthika (2009-01-08)."Students tackle stress as board exams draw"(http://timesofindia.indiatime
s.com/Chennai/Students_tackle_stress_as_board_exams_draw/articleshow/3949131.cms) . The Times Of India.
11. Stangl, Werner. "The PQRST Method of Studying"(http://arbeitsblaetter.stangl-taller.at/LERNTECHNIK/PQRST.shtm
l). stangl-taller.at. Robinson, Francis Pleasant (1970).Effective study. New York: Harper & Row.
12. https://espressoscience.com/2017/02/15/the-fiction-and-facts-of-speed-reading/
13. Royal Literary Fund: Mission Possible: the Study Skills Pack
http://www.rlf.org.uk/fellowshipscheme/writing/mission_possible.cfm
14. Carey, Benedict (2015). The Surprising Truth About How We Learn And Why It Happens. New York: Random House.
pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-0-8129-8429-3.
15. Carey, Benedict (2015). The Surprising Truth About How We Learn And Why It Happens. New York: Random House.
p. 68. ISBN 978-0-8129-8429-3.
16. College Success: Study Strategies and Skills, Jean A. Reynolds, ©1996 by Allyn & Bacon, Boston
17. Study Efficiently (https://www.teenlife.com/blogs/articles/how-study-more-efficiently) TeenLife Media, January, 2015
18. http://home.uchicago.edu/~npope/morning_afternoon.pdf
19. Carey, Benedict (2015). The Surprising Truth About How We Learn And Why It Happens. New York: Random House.
p. 47. ISBN 978-0-8129-8429-3.
20. Carey, Benedict (2015). The Surprising Truth About How We Learn And Why It Happens. New York: Random House.
p. 62. ISBN 978-0-8129-8429-3.
21. Carey, Benedict (2015). The Surprising Truth About How We Learn And Why It Happens. New York: Random House.
p. 50. ISBN 978-0-8129-8429-3.
22. Carey, Benedict (2015). The Surprising Truth About How We Learn And Why It Happens. New York: Random House.
p. 51. ISBN 978-0-8129-8429-3.
23. http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/news/the-homework-debate-the-case-against-homework/
24. http://theelearningcoach.com/learning/analogies-for-learning/
25. https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-talk/concept-map-learning-tool-any-subject

External links
Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and
Educational Psychologyfrom Association for Psychological Science
Academic learning strategy videosfrom Dartmouth College provide skills training
Think You Know How To Study? Think Again - audio report by NPR

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