To-Do List

A General Description of the Strategy.

This simple and effective strategy will help you lay out the specific items that you need to accomplish during each week. This list will remind you of the things that you need to get done for each course, when they are due and the amount of time you think each of them will take. Once you have made the list it is a good idea to print it off and post it in a place where you will always see it, that way when you complete one of the tasks all you need to do is check it off!

When should you use this strategy?

You should use this strategy when you have a busy week ahead of you and you know that you have to get a lot of things accomplished. This simple strategy will prevent you from procrastinating because it gives you a list of things that you HAVE to accomplish in that week. For example, during the time of midterms and finals people usually have a heavy load on their shoulders. This is an excellent time to make a to-do list for yourself so you know exactly what you have to to get done in order to stay on top of your game. 

Explain how to apply the strategy step by step.

This strategy is quite simple. The first thing you need to do is either get a piece of paper or pull up a word document on your computer. You need to think of all the things that you have to get accomplished in that week and then write them down. If it helps you, write them down in chronological order so that you know which one you have to get done first. After you have made your list write down their due dates beside them and the amount of time you with each of them will take you. 

Finally print it off and post it in a spot where you will always see it. Now, every time you complete a task all you have to do is check it off! 

Why does this strategy work? Explain the theory and concepts underlying this strategy. (Justification)

This strategy works because it creates a time frame for you in which it tells you how long each task will take and the amount of time you need to leave in a day to finish it. It is a great way to get your tasks accomplished and it always feels good to check something off of your to-do list. 

This strategy also allows you to monitor how you are doing on the specific tasks. By having this detailed to-do list you are able to see which tasks you have accomplished and which ones you still need to cover. It is very important that in your to-do list you use SMART goals because if you just have "read chapter 7" for sociology then you will never get it done and won't have the chance to cross or check it off. 

Courses or tasks for which I have used this strategy.

I have used this strategy for sociology, english and for math. It is a great way to motivate you to accomplish your goals and encourages you to get the jobs done. For example, for my english paper I made a big to-do list. I wrote what I needed to get down for the paper and the amount of time that I thought it would take me. By doing this I found that I completely the paper for efficiently and got it done quicker than I had hoped for. 

Questions I can ask myself to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy.

Do I continue to always follow the schedule?

Do I hand in all of the assignments on time?

Do I complete all of the readings that needed to be done for this week?

Are there any tasks that are being carried through to the next day?

Am I working efficiently and staying on task?

General comments about your experiences with this strategy. Examples

My experience with the to-do list strategy was wonderful. It helped get tasks accomplished quicker and more efficiently than I had hoped for and it gave me an outline of the approximate time each task would take me. I would definitely recommend this strategy to anybody who thinks that they have a lot going on on their plate. It helps you get things done a lot quicker and keeps you away from procrastination.

Lecture Notes

A General Description of the Strategy.

Taking notes in class can be difficult for some people so here is a way to make everything a lot easier for you. If you are one of those people that tries vigorously to copy all the notes down from the slide while trying to get everything the prof is saying, you do not need to do that anymore. A much easier way is to read over the slides before  the lecture day, print them off and then in class all you have to do is add in what the prof is saying and you don't have to worry about copying everything thats on the slide. 

When should you use this strategy?

You can use this strategy in all the classes that have slide shows available for you to print off online. Whether it be for economics, sociology or physics you can go onto your profs website and easily print off the slides before lecture. This will help you because while you are sitting in lecture all you have to do is add in anything extra that is not mentioned in the slide. It takes very little time and when you go back to study you have everything that was mentioned in class. Some people don't even bother to write down the extra information that the prof adds in and most likely those are the things that are tested on exams. This will help you immensely when it comes time to study because you will have all of the information right there in front of you. 

Explain how to apply the strategy step by step.

This strategy is very simple. The night before you go to lecture you must read over the slides so that you know what to expect in the up coming lecture. After you have read them over print them off, hole punch them and place them neatly in your binder so that you don't have papers flying all over the place. Once you have done that all you need to do is go to class and write down all the important details that are NOT already mentioned in the slide. Doing this will help you study for exams because not only do you have the information on the slide but you also have all the extra information that the prof did not put on the slide. 

Why does this strategy work? Explain the theory and concepts underlying this strategy.(Justification)

This strategy works because when profs write their exams they put in questions that were covered in the lecture, and if you don't go to lecture then you will have troubles answering those specific questions. Adding in the extra details that are not already mentioned in the slide will help you when you begin to study. The people that don't go to lecture will only have two sources to study from, the textbook and the slides. But if you start using this strategy you will have three sources, the textbook, the slides and the extra information that you added when you went to lecture. 

The night before when you read over the slides you are activating your prior knowledge. You are thinking about what you are already know about the subject and you are preparing yourself for what is to come. You are previewing the information before the lecture which will give you an insight of what the prof is going to be talking about in that lecture. It is always a good idea to prepare yourself before the lecture so that there are no surprises when the lecture is going on. That way you are fully prepared and will already know what is next. 

Courses or tasks for which for which I have used this strategy.

I have used this strategy in my sociology class. The lecture notes were posted on blackboard so every night, before lecture, I would glance over the slides, print them off and place them in my sociology binder. My prof was always adding extra information that was not stated in the slide so I made sure that I wrote down all the information that I thought was most important. This was my only class that posted lecture notes online, besides ED-D, but you can use this strategy for courses like economics, psychology, physics ect.  

Questions I can ask myself to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy. 

Am I carefully listening to what the prof is saying?

Am I engaged with the topic?

Am I following the prof's lecture?

Am I copying the person's notes beside me?

Are my notes too brief? Too long?

Am I keeping my notes neat?

Are the lecture notes placed neatly in my binder?

Are my notes legible? 

General comments about your experiences with this strategy. Examples

This strategy worked very well for me because not only was I activating my prior knowledge, I was getting any extra information that was not already on the slides. This helped me when it came time to start studying for the final because everything was already all laid out for me. I could easily find the information that I needed and once I did the studying portion was a breeze.  

Flash Cards

A General Description of the Strategy.

The Flash Card strategy uses flash cards to help you memorize key terms. With this strategy you put the term on one side of the card and the definition on the other. Flash cards are very helpful for courses that provide you with several terms and definitions, such as any language course, economics, phycology or sociology. This strategy is most effective when you put the definitions in your own words because it helps the memorization process a lot easier. 

When should you use this strategy?

This strategy can be used when memorizing key concepts and definitions. It is also very useful when you are learning new vocabulary in a foreign language. 

Explain how to apply the strategy step by step. 

The first thing that you need to get is flash cards. Once you have found some you will need a pen. It is better to make flash cards with several colors because it makes the learning process a lot more enjoyable.

After you have gone to the lecture and have done the reading for that week you should have a very clear idea of what the main concepts are. If you have difficulty remembering what the main ideas were of that week you can always double check the textbook. Once you have pointed out the main ideas you are not ready to write them down on the flash cards. 

When you begin writing the main ideas on the cards you want to ensure that you put the main idea on one side and the definition/explanation on the other. Monitoring your understanding of the main ideas is very important when you are studying so you want to ensure that you write each definition/explanation in your own words. This is where you can begin to get create and us different colors. 

Once you have finished writing out your flash cards, whether you are doing vocabulary or key concepts, you now have to go through them one by one. For some people, saying them out loud helps them memorize them easier. 

With this strategy you should not wait until the day before the exam to make them. You should continue to create and memorize them as the course goes on so that you are not cramming in all the information the night before the exam. 

Why does this strategy work? Explain the theory and concepts underlying this strategy. (Justification)

This strategy works because it helps you memorize key concepts and new vocabulary words. By using this strategy you are reducing the amount of information you need to read when you are studying for your exams because  you are not going to be able to read your entire textbook the night before. By using this strategy you are selecting what is important, which happens to be one of the SMART operations. This strategy also forces you to translate the information into your own words while monitoring your understanding. Translating the material into your own words is very important because it ensures that you have a complete understanding of the main concepts. If you begin to have troubles understanding a concept you must go back to the textbook and read it over and over again until you are able to put it into your own words. If you are unable to put it into your own words then you do not a a complete understanding of the concept. 

Making flash cards is an excellent way to assemble all of the information about a specific topic, that way when it comes time to study for your exams you will know exactly where to find those specific concepts. Flash cards are a great way to put all the course material instead of having to go back to the textbook to read over all the concepts again. 

Flash cards are also a great way to rehearse the material. By going through the cards over and over again you will be able to understand the material better and better every time. Rehearsing the material is very key because the more you practice the better you will understand what you are studying. 

Courses or tasks for which I have used this strategy. 

I have used this strategy when I studied sociology vocabulary words. It was very useful for me because the more I practiced the better I understood each vocab word. Every night I would go over the flash cards more times then I can count to ensure that I had a complete understanding of each word. 

Questions I can ask myself to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy.

Do my questions require too much information?

Are my questions to broad?

Do my questions revolve around a narrowed topic?

Am I reading over the flash cards in the same order every time?

Are my answers too long? Am I having troubles memorizing the answers?

Am I being specific? 

General comments about your experiences with this strategy. Examples. 

This strategy is great for memorization. I have used it on a couple of my midterms and I believe that it gave me great success in the end. I think that not only reading the flash cards over and over again help you understand the concept but writing them out also helps you understand the key ideas. It is very important that you write out the flash cards as the course goes on because then when it comes time for finals you are not rushing to write them all. If you write them as the term progresses all you have to do is read them over and you won't have to worry about writing a hundred flash cards. The flash card strategy is more surely a worth while strategy!

A Strategy for Reading a Textbook: SQRW

A General Description of the Strategy.

The SQRW strategy is a four step strategy used to help you when you are reading and taking notes from one of your subjects textbooks. This strategy has just over a few steps and each letter of the strategy stands for a different step. This strategy will help you prepare for exams because it enables you to read carefully and it helps you have a complete understanding of what you have just read. It also helps you prepare a written record of what you have learned from the reading. Having that written record will help you when it comes time for a class discussion or even an exam because all of the things you have read are summed up in your own words right in front of you. The SQRW strategy will help you get engaged into the text and will ensure that you have a better understanding of the information that is at hand. 

When should you use this strategy?

You should use this strategy anytime you are assigned a reading from the textbook or when you are preparing for a midterm or final. The SQRW strategy will help you have a clear understanding of the information the is in front of you and it will ensure that that you will walk away with confident knowledge on the topic. For example, this strategy would come into great use when you have a economics final coming up and you have to read four chapters. This strategy will help you not only read what is laid out in front of you, but it will help you have a clear understanding of the subject. This strategy can easily be used for any subject that requires you to read a textbook. 

Explain how to apply the strategy step by step.

Each letter of the SQRW strategy stands for a different step. The first letter stands for "Survey." This step helps you think about the kinds of things you already know about the subject and prepares you to learn more. Before you actually begin to read the chapter you must survey it first. When you survey a chapter you look at the title, the introduction, the headings, the sub headings, bolded words and the conclusion. It is also important that you take a look at the pictures, maps, charts and graphs and reading the captions that go with each. This will help you to prepare yourself when it is time to read and it will give you a very clear idea of what the chapter is about. 

The second letter stands for "Question." As you begin to read you should have questions in your mind at all times. Questions give you a purpose for reading and help you stay focused on the reading assignment. When making questions you should turn each heading into a question using the words who, what, where when, why and how. If the heading is already stated as the question, then use the same question. If a heading contains more than one idea you can make a question for each idea. Having more than one question for each heading is completely fine. The only thing that you do not need to form questions for are the introduction and conclusion, everything else that has a heading should be transformed into a question(s). 

The third letter stands for the obvious, "Read." Now you have to read the information that follows each heading to find that answer to the question you created. Sometimes as you read you realize that you need to change your question or turn it into several questions in order for it to be answered. While you read you must stay focused and flexible so that you can gather as much information as you need to answer each question. 

The last letter of the SQRW strategy stands for "Write." Now it is time for you to write the question and the answer in your notebook. Be sure that you reread each of your written answers so that they are and that they contain all of the information needed to answer the question. 

As you use this strategy more and more you will find that you learn more and have good study notes when it comes time to prepare for exams. 

Why does this strategy work? Explain the theory and concepts underlying this strategy. (Justification)

This strategy works because it gives you clear steps on what to do while you are reading a textbook. With this strategy you are not only reading, you are also engaging into the text and understanding it a lot better. The SQRW strategy helps you have a better understanding of what you are reading because it forces you to make your own questions and answer them with all the correct information. This then forces you to create a detailed study guide for when it comes time for your exam. This strategy also forces you to think deeply about what you are reading because you are not just reading for the sake of reading, you are trying to find an answer to the question you have formed. The SQRW strategy helps you to activate your prior knowledge when you are surveying the textbook in step one. While using this strategy you are also elaborating and generating and  you are structuring. All of these concepts will help you become a more active and better reader. 

Courses or tasks for which I have used this strategy. 

I used this strategy when I was studying for my sociology exam. I had to read five chapters and for each chapter I used the SQRW strategy. This strategy helped me immensely because in the end I understood all of the concepts much better. I was able to ask the questions to myself and, without looking at the answers, I was easily able to answer them. I think that this is one of the top strategies I have used this year and I am definitely going to be using it for future courses. 

Questions I can ask myself to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy.

Am I reading the headings and subheadings?

Am I reading the intro and conclusion?

Am I looking over the bolded words?

Am I look over maps, charts, tables and graphs?

Am I reading the captions that go with all the pictures?

Am I making questions for myself?

Do my questions correspond with each of the headings?

Are my questions too broad?

Do I have to turn each heading into more than one question?

Am answering each question in my own words?

Do I fully understand what I am writing down?

General comments about your experiences with this strategy. Examples.

I had a great experience with this strategy because I was able to learn and understand the sociology concepts a lot better. The SQRW strategy helped me understand concepts more clearly and it helped me teach myself what they all meant. I would definitely recommend this strategy everyone because of my wonderful experience with it. 

References and empirical support for this strategy.

http://www.how-to-study.com/pqr/htm

Concentration When Studying

A General Description of the Strategy

The art or practice of concentration, no matter if studying biology or math, is to focus on the task at hand and eliminate distraction. Concentration is a key element when studying because when you are unable to concentrate you are also unable to get any studying done. You have to be able to eliminate all distractions around you, whether thats moving to a different location or turning the music off, to be able to fully concentrate on what is in front of you. 

When should you use this strategy? 

This particular strategy should be used all the time. Whether you are reading a textbook or writing an english paper you have to have the ability to fully concentrate. This strategy is particularly useful when it is time for exams and people are beginning to get excited for the holidays. With Christmas in the back of your mind you have to be able to eliminate those holiday thoughts and concentrate on the task at hand. This strategy is also very useful and most successful when you are in the library because everyone around you is doing the exact same thing. If you are able to take a quick glance around you will notice that almost 100% of the people around are in complete concentration, trying ever so hard to focus on their work.  

Explain how to apply the strategy step by step.

This strategy has simple guidelines. There are some strategies out there that are more complex but this strategy almost comes natural. Firstly, you have to ensure that you are in a quiet environment without a single distraction. Distractions include music playing, text messaging, facebook chatting, video game playing ect. You want to get rid of all of those distractions so that there is nothing to catch you off guard. Secondly, you want to have all of your studying materials laid out neatly in front of you so that you do not feel flustered. You want to be able to feel relaxed and calm when you trying to complete a task or else the concentration part will become more difficult. You also want to have a lot of room when you are studying and trying to concentrate because you want to feel as comfortable as possible. Once all distractions are taken care of and you are in a comfortable position the next part is getting fully embezzled into the text with entire concentration. 

Why does this strategy work? Explain the theory and concepts underlying this strategy. (Justification)

This strategy works because without having a concentrated mine set you are unable to get anything done. This particular strategy enables you to focus on the task at hand and helps you complete the certain amount of material that you want to accomplish. Without this strategy you would have many troubles finishing a particular task, such as studying or doing research for an english assignment. This strategy helps you stay away from procrastination because when you are not concentrating you are more or less procrastinating. It is very important to try and stay away from procrastination because when you are trying to complete a certain task procrastination will not help you complete what you are trying to achieve. Therefore, it is very important to concentrate when you are studying or working on an assignment because you will realize how much quicker you will get the jobs the done. Concentration will also lead  you to using other strategies as well. Not only can you concentrate but you can also highlight or underline, summarize, predict and question and you can also brainstorm while concentrating at the exact same time. 

Courses or tasks for which I have used this strategy. 

I have used this strategy for all of my courses.  I have used it while studying and writing my sociology paper, working on math problems and while writing an english papers. It helps me stay on task and it ensures that I get the jobs done. Having a complete concentrated mine set really helped me when I began studying for all of my finals. When you are completely concentrated you will find that you get more accomplished and you begin to have a better understanding of things. Without this strategy of concentration I would not be able to get particular things accomplished. 

Questions I can ask myself to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy.

Am I in a quiet environment?

Do I have any distractions?

Do I find myself looking at facebook every fifteen minutes?

Am I listening to my ipod?

Am I completely engaged into what I am doing?

Am I focused?

Am I getting any work accomplished?

Am I procrastinating? 

General comments about your experiences with this strategy. Examples

This strategy really came in hand when i was studying for my sociology final. I had to get a lot of reading done so I made sure that i was in an environment that had no distractions and had a clean space in front of me. It was just me, my textbook, a highlighter and a quiet room. My neighbor usually has his music playing but he went home this week so I was in complete silence. I found that i got all of the readings done and with this concentration strategy I knew that I could complete the task that I wanted to get completed. Concentration is very key when it comes to studying for midterms and finals because when you are unable to concentrate you are enable to fully learn the material.