PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Department of Electrical Engineering

EE 11 ORIENTATION TO EE

MODULE 2. Developing Good Study Habits

Prepared by:

ENGR. IAN D. VALDEZTAMON

Faculty, Department of Electrical Engineering
College of Engineering, Architecture & Technology
Palawan State University

THIS MODULE IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

This module has the following sections and corresponding icons:

TITLE

It shows the specific topic of the module.

OVERVIEW

The topics in this module are included in this section.

LECTURE PROPER

A brief debate on the lectures is given in this section.

It helps you explore new ideas and capabilities.

PRACTICE PROBLEM

It involves questions or an expression that sets out the concepts

and wordings that you learned from real-life circumstances.

ASSESSMENT

It is a job aimed at evaluating your mastery in acquiring learning skills.

SUPPLEMENTARY KNOWLEDGE

In this segment you will improve your awareness or experience

through the lectures as an additional practice.

ANSWER KEY

This contains answers to all activities in the module.

REFERENCES

This is a list of all sources that this module uses for creation.

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 Course Overview
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course introduces electrical engineering (EE) as a discipline and its various
applications. It also discusses EE as a profession with emphasis on the requirements for
professional practice as well as career opportunities. The course also provides venues
to develop engineering skills in order to succeed in engineering studies.

COURSE OUTCOMES:
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Explain the field of electrical engineering and its applications.

2. Explain engineering profession and the requirements for professional practice.
3. Define electrical engineering as a career and identify the career opportunities for
electrical engineers.

TIME FRAME:
This course is intended for 18 weeks

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 Module Overview
COURSE OUTCOME:
At the end of this module, students will be able to:

1. Identify ways on developing good study habits.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, the students will be able to:

1. Describe the learning channels.

2. Identify the effective time when to study.
3. Identify different way on how to study.
4. Define SQ3R Method of Reading.
5. Learn how to move from short-term to long-term memory.

TIME FRAME:
This module is intended for 1 week.

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

This chapter enumerates on how to study in an effective way. Most of us has a

different way to retain topics, memorize ideas and understand different formula. By this
module, let’s identify what means may can be applied to you. Have fun!

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 LESSON 1 – DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE STUDY HABITS

GET THE STUDY HABIT

Did you ever stop to wonder what sets apart the really successful students from
the average ones? Why do some students who appear to study all the time just get by,
while others who don’t appear to put in as much time and effort do well? Is it all related to
IQ and genetics or are some other factors involved? The truth is that success in school is
not so much determined by sheer intelligence as knowing how to study.

Studying is a skill. Being successful in school requires a high level of study skills.
Students must first learn these skills, practice them and develop effective study habits
in order to be successful. Very often the study habits and practices developed and
used in high school do not work for students in college.

Good study habits include many different skills: time management, self discipline,
concentration, memorization, organization, and effort. Desire to succeed is important, too.

In this module, you will discover your areas of strength and identify your
weaknesses pertaining to studying. You will learn about your preferred learning
channel, tips to organize your studies, and ways to help you remember what you study.
The skills you will learn about in this module can be applied in other areas of your life as
well: your job, your career, or any activity that requires thought, planning, information
processing, and self discipline. You’ll find that once you develop effective study
habits, the job of studying and learning will become easier. Instead of working
harder, you'll be working smarter.

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Exercise: Discover your approach to studying. Circle the responses that apply to
you.

1. My study habits are... good fair poor

2. For every hour in class, I study… a little 1 hr. 2 hrs. more than 2 hrs.
3. I have an organized plan and schedule for study... true false
4. I have a quiet place in which I study... true false
5. I usually approach studying with a positive attitude. true false

In what ways could you improve your study habits? _________________________

___________________________________________________________________

YOUR LEARNING PREFERENCE

Knowing how you learn best is the first step in developing effective study habits.
Every student approaches the task of learning differently. Every student has a unique and
personal learning style or a preferred channel through which learning comes more easily.

Ask yourself the following: Am I more inclined to remember something better when
I see it, when I hear it, or when I experience it or do something active with it? Depending
on how you learned the activity or game, you will have a fair idea of what learning channel
– visual (by sight), auditory (by hearing), or hands on (by doing)—you prefer to use.

We all use all three learning channels. In fact, we use all our senses in learning
about the world around us, but each of us has a tendency to lean more heavily on one of
the three learning channels – visual, auditory, or hands on. You can improve your study
habits by developing all three learning channels.

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TO IMPROVE AS A VISUAL LEARNER:

• visualize what you are studying

• use color in your notes (colored pens, highlighters, etc.)
• visualize what the instructor is lecturing about
• draw pictures and diagrams
• use mind maps in your notes
• use picture and graphics to reinforce learning
• learn from videos

TO IMPROVE AS AN AUDITORY LEARNER:

• listen to tapes of recorded assignments

• tape record your own textbook reading
• read out loud
• talk over ideas from class and what you are studying with other students
• participate in class discussions
• listen to audiotapes on the subject

TO IMPROVE AS A HANDS-ON LEARNER:

• stand up and move around while you are studying

• take frequent breaks while studying
• make use of your hands and write things down as you study
• use the computer to reinforce learning
• be physically active; experiment with objects
• memorize or drill while walking or exercising

WHEN TO STUDY Y

DAILY REVIEWS:
Study begins on the first day of class. Successful students read and review notes before
each class to recall information from the previous class and to warm up for learning. Review
your notes immediately after each class to reinforce learning or within a 24-hour period for best

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recall. Repeated exposure to the material will store it in your long-term memory.

Studying one hour immediately after a class will do more good in developing an
understanding of the material as several hours a few days later. Studies show that as much as
80 % of material learned in class is forgotten within 24 hours if there is no review.

WEEKLY REVIEWS:
At the end of the week go over your notes for the week. This refreshes your memory and
promotes better recall of the material. Repetition is the key to remembering. The more times you
look at the material, the stronger you make the neural (brain) pathways that lead to the material.
This makes recall much easier.

PRE-EXAM REVIEWS:

These reviews are longer, from 3 - 5 hours. Break your study sessions into one-hour
blocks with ten-minute breaks in between. Get up, stretch, get a drink, and move around during
your break. The more active you are, the more effective your study time will be. A tired body
only makes a tired mind.

PEAK STUDY TIMES:

Study when you are at your peak, when you are more awake and alert and able to absorb
new information. If you are a morning person, your best study time is in the morning. If you are
an evening person, study at night. If you cannot find time to study at your peak time, try to study
when you are feeling relatively awake and alert.

BONUS STUDY TIME:

Whenever you have extra time, study. Write notes on 3x5 cards and have them with you.
Whenever you have free time, such as when waiting for appointments, study your notes. Study in
your car by tape recording your notes and listening to them while driving to school. Study
whenever you find yourself having an unexpected break, a free hour, a canceled class, etc.
Don't forget that weekend evenings can also be used for studying.

Exercise: Fill in the blanks with the first thought that comes to mind.

1. I find it easiest to study when ______________________________________.

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2. If a subject is really hard, I tend to __________________________________.

3. The subject I most like to study is __________________________________.

4. The subject I least like to study is __________________________________.

STATE YOUR INTENTION

Why are you studying and what do you intend to gain from it? Ask yourself this question
every time you sit down to study. Half-hearted or distracted studying is a waste of time. Relate
studying to your life goals. If your life and future depended on how well or how much you
studied, would it make sense to do it well? If you cannot see the point in studying, it will only
make it boring and tedious. Think about your goals. Ask yourself, “Is this what I really want to be
doing?” "What do I hope to gain from this?" You have to put meaning into your studies in order
for them to be meaningful to you.

ORGANIZE YOUR TIME

Plan your study time. Leave enough time for each of your subjects and more time for
difficult subjects. Most college classes require about six hours of study per week or two hours of
study for every hour in class. If you are a slow reader or have other study problems, you may
need to plan more time.

Prioritize your time and put off other activities to allow for adequate study time. You may
find it necessary to postpone or eliminate certain activities in order to fulfill your goals as a student.

Keep a weekly and monthly schedule planner in which to record due

dates of assignments, tests, papers, field trips, etc. Transfer important dates from your syllabus
to your weekly/monthly planner.

Schedule study times daily in your planner. Be sure to plan extra time for long study
sessions before tests. Schedule time for weekly reviews of all your notes from the beginning of
class to the present.

SCHEDULING LONG-TERM ASSIGNMENTS

Some assignments will span a week, a month or even a semester. You are likely to
leave these important assignments to the last minute if you don’t schedule time for them in your
daily schedule. Get started on these early, by allotting time for them each day in your daily
planner.

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SCHEDULING FOR STUDENT WITH JOBS

If you have a full or part-time job, you probably have less time to study than nonworking
students. You must use your time very carefully. Your daily schedule should include a list of
things to do, in order of priority. To be successful, you must have a sense of urgency about
referring to your list and studying whenever an opportunity presents itself. Cross off tasks as
you complete them, including your study tasks. Take advantage of spare moments when you
can study while waiting for a class to begin, when stuck in traffic, or while waiting for a doctor’s
appointment. The easiest way to do this is to convert your notes to 3x5 or 5x8 cards that you
can carry with you, or record your notes on a cassette. Some students make it a habit to listen
to recorded notes while driving to and from school or work.

ORGANIZE YOUR STUDY AREA

Keep notes and handouts from class in a 3-ring binder. This is useful because you can
add pages to it, copy notes that were missed from other students, and add handouts from class
in the proper sections. You can also put index tabs marking different topics in your note binder.
Study in an area that is set up for serious study. Have your tools for study: notebooks,
textbooks, pens, pencils, computer, dictionary, thesaurus, etc. Be sure the area is well-lit, free
from noise and distractions, and not too comfortable. Control for interruptions like phones
ringing, doors opening and closing, and people coming and going. Try to study in the same
place everyday.

STUDYING WITH CHILDREN UNDERFOOT

For anyone who has tried to study with children around, the task is usually frustrating
and sometimes impossible, depending on the age of the children. These tips, taken from the
book, On Becoming a Master Student, are worth trying:

➢ Plan tasks for your children while you study: silly putty, blocks, coloring
books and other toys can engage your child’s interest while you study.

➢ Childproof a room to study and fill it with toys. Make it a place where
children can roam with minimal supervision.

➢ Allow for interruptions. Schedule the kinds of study activities, like reviewing
flash cards, that can be interrupted.

➢ Use television creatively, selecting videos or educational programs. Have your

child use headphones so you can concentrate.

➢ Make studying a game by getting your children to help by holding study

cards and talking to them about what you are studying.

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 ➢ Ask for cooperation and reward them when they respect your study time.

➢ Attend to your child’s needs first by spending time with them prior to
studying.

➢ Plan study breaks with your children or reward them with time together
after you finish studying.

➢ Develop a routine and keep to a schedule, giving rewards for keeping the
schedule.

➢ Ask other adults to help you with childcare at times when you must
study alone, or find community activities such as day care services.

➢ Find a playmate for your child while you study. Despite your efforts to study at
home when children are present, you may find that your best and most productive study
time is at school, in the quiet, private atmosphere of the library.

Exercise: Answer the following questions.

Libraries are generally ideal study locations. Why?

________________________________________________________________.

The Student Commons is not the best place to study. Why?

________________________________________________________________.

HOW TO STUDY

Reading and Studying Textbooks:

As soon as you buy your textbook for a class, give yourself a head start before going to
class. Read the Table of Contents, prefaces, introduction, and any other up-front material in the
book. Leaf through the book and see what it contains. Read the captions, read chapter titles, and
go to the back of the book to see if there is a glossary, an index, answers to quizzes given
throughout the text, etc. Get familiar with your book. Treat it like a tool you want to use with
proficiency. When you are ready to begin reading a chapter, don’t just plunge into your reading.

Here is a sure-fire way to get the most out of your reading:

First, preview the chapter. Look at headings, subheadings, topic sentences,

boldfaced and italicized words, pictures, diagrams, graphs, summaries, and review

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 questions at the end.

Second, ask yourself questions about the subheadings.

Third, read a section of the chapter (one subheading at a time). Put the book
down and ask yourself what you just read. Did you understand what it was about? Could
you answer questions about it? Could you explain it to someone else? Continue reading
and stopping to think about what you just read. Ask yourself questions.

Fourth, don’t skip any part of the chapter. Read the sidelines, the captions under
photos, definitions, and any additional information the author has included. It’s all there
to help you learn.

Fifth, don’t be afraid to mark your text – use different colored highlighters
for particularly important parts, but don’t defeat the purpose of highlighting
by overdoing it.

Sixth, outline the chapter: When you have read the chapter through, go back
and take notes. Define terms, draw diagrams, and explain things in your own words. Make
up memory tricks to help you remember new terms. For example, if you are studying the
part of the brain called the “hippocampus” you may use a memory trick of association,
picturing a “hippo” with a good memory, since the hippocampus deals with memory
formation.

Seventh, draw arrows or other symbols to direct you to important details or

definitions. If a word appears that you do not know, look it up and write the
definition in the margin. Underline key points.

The following method of reading, called the SQ3R Method, was developed to help people read
faster and study better. It is similar to the information you just read, with some added details.

SQ3R METHOD OF READING G

SURVEY ----- QUESTION ----- READ ----- RECITE ----- REVIEW

Survey:

This step takes only a few minutes. Go through the chapter quickly. Glance at the chapter
title, the introduction, headings, and summary paragraphs, if any. Notice any pictures, diagrams,
graphs, tables, etc. Read any bold print. Previewing your text gives you some background about
topics you may have never encountered before. You pick up general information. You know where
to find information. You gain a better idea of how the information is organized and presented. It
opens up a place in your brain where the new information will be

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stored. It saves time by reducing the amount of time it takes to read the chapter.
Another advantage is that it creates an interest in what is coming up. It motivates
you to read less interesting material to get to the “good stuff.”

Question:

Before you begin reading a section, turn the heading into a question. For example,
if the heading is Basic Causes of Stress, your question would be "What are the
basic causes of stress?" This arouses your curiosity and increases your
comprehension. It also brings to mind information you already know. The
questions you ask help make important points stand out as you read. This forces
you to think about what you are reading.

Read:

Read the material under the heading with the purpose of getting the answer to your
question. Read with concentration. Identify the main ideas and highlight or underline them. Read
sections at a time and stop to ask questions. Jot down notes and ask yourself what you just read.
If you can answer your question, read on. If not, look it over again. A good practice for more
difficult reading is to do an outline of chapter in your notes. By leaving extra space you can fill in
details during the class lecture. Make note of new vocabulary and write definitions in your notes.

Recite:
This step requires that you recite out loud the answer to the question you asked
prior to reading a section of the text. Say it in your own words. If you find you cannot answer your
question, go back and look for the answer, then try again. This way you will know if you have
understood the material. Besides answering your questions, look away from the book and try to
state in your own words what the reading is about. You may jot down brief notes about what you
read. When you are done, go back and make an outline of the chapter.

Review:
After you have read the entire chapter, look over the notes you made to familiarize yourself
with the important information. Check your memory by reciting the main points out loud. Then
review the main points in your notes, making sure you understand them. Add to your notes from
the text, if necessary. Always do a review of the chapter after completing your reading. Then do
quick reviews before and after each class. Do longer, more in-depth reviews before exams.

Don’t wait until exam time to review your textbook. Review once a week all the readings
from that week. Be sure you can summarize the key points. Write them down to further reinforce
learning. Finally, make up test questions from what you have read. Be sure to write them
down and answer them.

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ADVANTAGES OF THE SQ3R METHOD

The SQ3R Method of reading sets the stage for interacting with your text material. As you
go through the five steps you are gaining information, formulating questions, thinking about what
you are reading, and trying to find answers to your questions. You are also reciting information
out loud. All of these steps require the use of your auditory, visual and kinesthetic senses. When
more senses are involved, more effective learning takes place.

SOME ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR READING TEXTBOOKS:

➢
Know what to read by following your syllabus or list of assignments. Never fall
behind, but always stay ahead in your reading.
➢
• Divide chapters into readable chunks. Reading ten pages at a time will seem
manageable compared to reading forty pages.
➢
• Always preview the chapter before you read.
➢
• If your text has any practice tests, do them. Pay particular attention to the essay
questions. If you can answer them, you will have a good grasp of the information in the
chapter.

MOVING FROM SHORT-TERM TO LONG-TERM MEMORY

The key to remembering what you study is to move information from the temporary
short-term memory to the long-term memory. These next tips will help you do this.

They are simple and fun to use and the results you will get will be amazing.

Visualize
Try to see what you are reading. Get a feel for the subject. Make it come alive for you. If you
read about insects, try to feel them wiggle in your hand and imagine sounds they might make.
The more senses you use, the stronger you make the neural pathways in your brain and the
better you remember the information.

Highlight
Highlight, mark, underline, and deface your text! Make it a tool to work with. Write questions and
comments in the margins. Even though you may not be able to resell it, consider the benefits
you'll get using your text as a study tool.

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Talk About It
Talk about what you're reading. Share the information with others. This helps to reinforce
learning and proves whether or not you understand the information. Talk about what you are
studying. The best place to do this is in a study group where you can discuss the material, quiz
each other, and share information.

Review
Review, review and review again! Go over notes, outlines and the text. Read the highlighted
parts out loud. Develop a habit of regular review to move information from your short-term to
your long-term memory.

USE YOUR NOTES

If note-taking is a weak area for you, review the study skills module on Note Taking. The
following tips are also helpful:

Add to your notes. Supplement the notes you took in class with extra material from the text and
handouts. Always leave plenty of extra space in your notes for this.
Define terms heard in class. When you hear unfamiliar words in class, write them in your notes
as best you can, then look them up later, getting the correct spelling and definition in your notes.
Clean up or rewrite your notes. If notes are too scribbled or difficult to read, copy them again.
Summarize your notes at the end of each topic or chapter.

CREATE REVIEW TOOLS

Review tools will help make studying more interesting and effective. Design your own
tools or work with a group or study partner to develop them. Following are some suggestions for
study tools:

Concept maps - create a visual diagram of your notes with the central topic at the top
middle of the paper and the remaining concepts branching off from the central point.

Study checklists - make a list of all the topics you are going to study and check off as
you go along.

3X5 CARDS
These are excellent review tools for many reasons. They consolidate information in a
format that is easy to read, they are small and easy to carry, and they allow for review during
free times without requiring that you take out books and notes. A main topic or question is
written on one side, the details, facts, or answer to the question are written on the back.

USE MEMORY TRICKS

Mnemonic devices or memory tricks help you remember factual information like names,
dates, formulas, or other information that requires rote memorization. Some sample mnemonic
devices are:

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Rhymes:
"In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue."
"Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November..."

Creative Sentences:
"My very eager mother just served us nine potatoes." (the planets in
order from the sun)

Acronyms:
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
ROY G BIV (the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green,
blue, indigo, and violet)
IPMAT (stages of cell division: interphase, prophase, metaphase,
anaphase and telephase)
EGBDF - every good boy does fine (lines of the treble clef)

Exercise:
What memory tricks do you use? Describe one of them below:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

JOIN A STUDY GROUP

A good study group can be one of the most effective means of studying. It helps to
combine the efforts of different minds, increase your storehouse of information, learn new study
techniques, and allows you to share notes and information. It reinforces learning through
discussion, questioning, repetition, and reinforcement. If you can't find a study group, organize
one. Set rules, limit the size of the group, and make it an effective study session, not a social
gathering. Study groups require the same organization and time management as private study
sessions.

A QUICK REVIEW

Now that you have completed this module, do the following review to test your knowledge of
study skills.

Answer True (T) or False (F):

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1. ____ It is best to study notes from a lecture class immediately after class.
2. ____ All assignments should be broken up into half-hour study sessions.
3. ____ Using all 3 learning channels maximizes your learning potential.
4. ____ When you have children, it is usually best to study at home.
5.____ Scheduling your study time in a daily planner is a waste of time.
6.____ Creating associations is a good way to remember new material.
7.____ The SQ3R method is used only for difficult to read material.
8.____ Most students enter college knowing how to study.
9.____ Studying is a learned skill that requires practice.
10.____ You can maximize your study time by joining a study group.

Assessment

A. Evaluation:
Answer the following questions:
1. What did you find most helpful about the study tips explained in this module?

2. What further questions do you have about developing effective study habits as a result
of completing this module?

3. Please rate how helpful you found this module to be. Place an “X” above the
number of your choice.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Not Helpful Very Helpful

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B. ASSIGNMENT
Make a 3-minute video showing all your effective study habits based on this module.

References
This module was adapted from Mayland Community College S.O.A.R. Program
(Revised April 2002)

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