Siyurka's Studying Tips

Hey, everyone! Siyurka here! This post is something a little different.  But I'm sure it'll help you!

I've compiled a list of studying tips that'll help you for college or just school in general. 

Here will go over annotating tips, note taking tips, studying methods and organization, and briefly going into planning and memorization. 

Annotating Tips 

Annotating is absolutely a MUST, I can't explain how much my 11th-12th-grade teachers stressed on how much we annotated. 

When you annotate and take notes, you are interactive with the text and more engaged with the author and the story. 

Here are some tips I have learned to do over my years in High school. 

(1) Use different colored highlighters. 

- To make things like literary devices, unknown words, plot points, character development and thematic ideas. 

Or you can use page tabs, and use different colored highlighters to find specific themes. 

Like in Call of the Wild, I used orange for savagery, blue for Buck's loyalty towards John, or yellow for pride. 

(2) Title each chapter you finish, which could be the main idea for that chapter. (This is a tip from my friend Anya.) 

(3) List characters and keep track and of their character development in a small notebook

- It's a no brainer and something it'll probably earn a special place in your English teachers heart if you do this.
- Not only for characters and their development but also for vocabulary or anything else you can think of, like important quotations. 

(4) Summarize chapters 

- I specifically use sticky divider notes and write chapter 1,2, 3, etc., etc. On the tab, but using sticky notes or a notebook is exceptional as well. Your summarizing should be informative and concise. This will help you with essays, either with summarizing a particular chapter or the entire story. Same goes with taking note of literary devices, plot points, themes and more. 

(5) Make a note of unknown words.

Either underlining, circling, anything you can think of. I usually circle words that I don't know. 

Lastly, this isn't really a tip, but more of an opinion. What you read is what you make it, and no one else. Don't let anyone's ideas on a subject or reading avert your own viewpoint something you feel. Even if you and your friends talk about the book, in the end, it should all depend on how you feel about the story. This is more of an opinion used for book reading, but for textbooks, they are more on the logical side. 

Notetaking Tips 

Before every lecture

• Briefly, go over your textbook, so you are prepared for what'll be spoken in that day's lesson. It's best to take very MINMUAL notes on the chapter. For this year, I'll be using the Cornell Note Taking System. They are other systems out there as well, but this is my personal favorite. 

- When going over a textbook or novel, what I did for my AP classes was read the subheadings, the pictures (quotations under them as well), and graphs, charts, or maps. Introductory, concluding paragraphs, and summary. This particular study method is the SQ3R Reading Method. 

- Also if you have homework problems/questions from your teacher or professor from the last lecture look over those as well. 

Color-code your notes! 

• This is a most ESPECIALLY if you're a visual learner like me. I know other learners like auditory and kinetic. Also, I know they are tons more out there. But we're just covering the main three. 

This includes different colored pens and highlighters. Even if it's blue, black, and red. Maybe green if you wanna "slay" your note taking. 

- So what do you with these three-four colors?
      First off use the black for title header and subheadings,
      Blue for anything that stands out in the text.
      Green for vocab words you do not know, (you can go back after you are done taking notes.)
      Red for any corrections or things you might wanna add. Maybe something that caught your eye during a lecture, anything! 

Like annotating, summarize your notes. 

- So it's easier for you to go back over your notes. And also you're not flipping through Powerpoints after Powerpoints and loose notes. Like I should it should be concise but formative. 

Organization 

• Organization is critical; it de-stresses you when about to study and not only organizes you but your thoughts as well. So implementing an organization system is the must for studying 101. 

- Have a binder or an expanding folder for all your notes for specific classes, so it's easier to go back and find your notes.
- Title your notes by chapter from the textbook, or how your teacher labels a lecture/class.
- Have a day like on the weekends or day when you're not taking notes to go over what you have taken for the past week and organize them. The weekend is best for a weekly review and weekly organization.

Studying Methods

• They are many out there, from outlining, Cornell, to idea mapping, those are the main ones. Search up on them to see which one works out for you the best. 

-Fluctuate what note taking methods you use for class. For instance, in English class, Cornell note taking, or History class, use outlining note-taking method. These are only examples so like I said, find the best note taking the system for your classes to see which works out the best. 

Spaced Repetition - (explained later) 

Corson technique - Know where you are "stuck" with identifying the points where you don't understand.

Studying in different places, when your environment changes, you tend to work better and more motivated to continue. When you're in something like your dorm, or bedroom you tend just lose yourself and stare at your bed. As it beckons for you. Go to places like the library, coffee shops anywhere! 

Procrastion Killer - Find what is making you procrastinate and put them away. This is also called the Akrasia or Pomodoro method. 

Reward method - (explained later) 

The methods are vast, so it's up to you how to want to use these methods to your best advantage. 

FRENDSSS (I spelled that wrong on purpose)

• Meet people in the same class as you, and work together when taking notes during lectures. Have time to meet up to go over your notes and bring them all together. 

Knowing your learning style

• Going back to this topic, knowing your learning style will help you better understand how you can intake information. 

- For visual learners, they like seeing things, auditory is listening, and kinetic is doing. 

For those who have learning disabilities 

It's okay, breathe and find help it isn't the end of the world. Most colleges have a Disability Center which you can go to with your diagnostic evaluation of your learning disability.  

When you meet with the people there, you'll talk about your needed accommodations. Using laptops during lectures, tape recorders, a note-taker if possible, extending time on tests and also taking one exam a day. 

It's frustrating, I know, but it's possible to learn. And bypass your learning disability. I've done it and will continue to do so. 

If you don't understand something ASK during office hours. Meet with your academic counselors and talk regularly those who are willing to help you. Like math centers, writing centers, and student workshops. 

Marty Lobdell's Lecture Study Less, Study Smart

Watch it here 

My dad showed this to me when it first came out. But I most recently I saw a comment from one of my favorite YouTubers Thomas Frank, and he explained a brief summary of his lecture. You can go to the video and see Mr. Frank's message or watch his video on it. I highly recommend you checking out his channel. 

Planning

I love to plan things, it's my niche. I'm going to be completely and utterly honest with you. I have a daily planner, a weekly planner, my monthly planner and my study planner. FOUR PLANNERS. It may sound excessive which is sort of is, but I am a very organized person. So I like to not only plan out my days, weeks and months. But also my studying. I won't show you, my planners, unless you all request to. 

Memorization + Motivation

For me, I struggle with memorizing certain steps in math, so I need a lot of direction. But history is more of my highest subject in school. Mnemonics is something I learned recently, and I'm terribly in love with them. Mnemonics are acronyms like WTF, LOL, etc., Important information like dates, people, periods of time. Also, Image association as Mr. Frank talked about as well. Back when I was studying for my AP classes. I did Spaced Repetition Studying Method, which is you study your notes like on Monday for example. And go back to them on another day like Wednesday. They are several more ways you could do to also motivate yourself to study. Like the rewarding study method, taking a break after 15-30 minutes of studying a subject. Or placing candy in your textbook in particular sections of the book to motivate you to continue further.

Most of all: Someone is paying for you to go to school, so make the MOST of it. 

Until next time! Thanks for reading.

~Siyurka