The good news is that these study skills can be learned and it doesn’t take long to get started.
What is an effective study skill?
A study skill is an organised strategy or plan of action we use to improve our ability to process information. Study skills improve the way we store and retrieve information. They help us when we need to remember something for a short period of time, and they also help us learn for the long term.
Study skills are not innate talents, rather they are a learned set of actions that can be taught, learned, practiced, and improved upon. As with learning any new skill, it takes patience and practice to develop good study habits.
There are three main areas of study skills:
1. Time Management
2. Note Taking
3. Test Taking
Why are study skills important?
In today’s world, students need more than just good test-taking skills to succeed in school. Successful students have mastered the art of efficient studying – they have developed a set of techniques that allow them to learn more in less time and remember what they have learned long-term so they can recall it at will on tests or other assignments. In college, the most important measure of learning is how well you do on tests.
A good study skill will help you retain the information you need to do well on tests (and other assignments). An effective study skill can literally be the great educational equalizer – helping a student with average intelligence produce great academic results.
Remember that there are many different ways to study. Don’t be afraid to ask other students what works for them, and try out different techniques yourself. The important part is to find out what works best for you!
