Study Tools Post 1: Note Cards

I love my job. Not only do I get to do the most fun parts of teaching (planning and presenting) I have been fortunate to add on the responsibility of counseling students who might need a little academic assistance to help them be successful. There is a big gap between the study skills needed for high school and those for college. In this new educational world of "teach to the test" we are neglecting to teach students to think, to discover, to challenge, in short we have a generation of students who don't know how to learn independently.

I confess, I am and always have been a nerd. I love to learn and have always loved school (I guess that's why I never left). If I needed to learn something, I developed tricks to teach myself. In high school and college note cards were my best friends. They helped me learn new material, write papers, and organize thoughts. Over the last six years in higher education, I've been alarmed at how little use note cards and other study tools receive. Students read and re-read their textbook and class notes and are surprised when they can't recall information on a test. They write their papers from memory or their sources and don't understand why they get cited for plagiarism or just don't get a good grade.

This month, in between presentations I'm making it my mission to create a "cheat sheet" of study tools. I want to create a list of tools, their uses, examples, etc. to have ready when students come to see me. I've even bribed some of my old students to give me their ideas. In addition, I thought I would share them here. I hope this is helpful:

Note Cards: Note cards are a “power tool,” meaning that for a little bit of effort, you reap great rewards. Simply making them increases your ability to recall the information, and studying them increases that retention exponentially. They are small, durable, and can be easily carried with you. They work well with terminology and concepts that required listing. Additionally, it’s easier to learn a few concepts at a time so note cards are a convenient way to chunk info.

Uses:

• Vocabulary definitions
• Formulas
• Dates
• Lists of information
• Processes or methods
• Theories
• Textbook note-taking

To Create

Textbook Note-Taking

• Before you begin reading, take a minute to preview the chapter
• Turn the section headings into questions
• “The Parts of a Cell”
• “What are the parts of a cell?”
• Then as you read, write down anything from the section that answers the question
• For Everything Else
• In your class notes, handouts, etc. skim through and highlight anything that was emphasized or likely to be on the test
• Using the highlighted material, write a question or clue word on the front of the card
• Record the answer, definition, or supporting information on the back of the card

To Study

• Quiz yourself by looking at one side and trying to recall the information from the other side (do this both with the front and back)
• Once created you can study them during “found time” such as between classes, waiting for the bus, on the treadmill, waiting in line, etc.

Tips:

• Create them on a consistent basis throughout the semester (at least 1 time per week you should be making new cards for each class)
• Read them aloud
• Color code them
• Include pictures, graphs, phrases, or rhymes
• If you don’t know the answer, resist the urge to cheat-instead put it back in the pile to see if you remember it later