Study Skills Revisited.

Let's revisit the idea of study skills. We receive our information in many different ways but we all need to spend time reinforcing what we have learned on our own. 

Here are some basics to try 

1. Take the time to review what you have learned daily. This likely takes 5-10 minutes. Write down or flag areas that require clarification. Ask for clarification the next class. 

2. Use a calendar or agenda to keep track of dates. This helps you prioritize your time. Time management is critical in planning. Many students are involved in activities outside of academics and  taking time to prepare will pay off. The sooner you can do this for yourself the more adept you will be at it when your time becomes a commodity in post secondary studies. 

3. Cramming does not work. The night before a test or evaluation should be spent doing light review using strategies that work for you. Being well rested is the best way to help your brain perform the following day. Late night cram sessions or all day study marathons do not set your brain up for absorption. If you have been reviewing and prioritizing all along you save time. You don't need to study everything for an evaluation. You just need to focus on areas you have not mastered. If you have never reviewed to see what you do and don't understand, then you will waste your time trying to study everything. 

4. Ask for help with study strategies. If you manage time well and review regularity but still struggle then you may need some help with study strategies. There are a plethora of resources out there but your teacher likely has a treasure chest full of ideas. 

Dalhousie university has some interesting resources on study skills. http://www.dal.ca/campus_life/student_services/academic-support/study-skills-and-tutoring/handouts.html

5. Practice discipline during class. Class time is the best time to stay focused and ask questions when the topic is being taught. Often questions can allow a teacher to readdress a topic and approach it in a different way. It also opens the opportunity to explore other aspects of a topic that may enrich and reinforce concepts with the direction the question might drive the discussion. Without timely feedback the teacher will have to assume everything is going well. Try not be distracted by side conversation and the need to socialize with your peers.

----------------------------------

Yes, perhaps knowing  the names of all the immune cells ( to revisit an idea expresses in the previous blog post) is something you may never need to know in your specific discipline in health science. However, the mental practice involved in mastering that knowledge is a skill that WILL be necessary to acquire the specific knowledge and facts that you may HAVE to recall and apply in your job on a daily basis. If you can accomplish mastery of a topic now ( terminology included) then mastery of any future knowledge is attainable. The PROCESS of this mastery is more important than the topic in high school ( although the concepts covered establish a very solid base for your health career future) but the topics themselves are the building blocks we use to master our process.