How to Study

William J. Rapaport
Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Department of Philosophy, Department of Linguistics, and Center for Cognitive Science

rapaport@buffalo.edu http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport

Outline
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Manage your time Take notes in class & re-write them at home Study hard subjects first, in a quiet place Read actively & slowly, before & after class Do your homework Study for exams Take exams Do research & write essays

Introduction
Everyone has a different attitude towards learning
What are the answers? (You tell me) Lets discuss this / find out together (We tell each other) Heres why I think this is the answer (Ill convince you)

So, everyone has a different studying style

So, my suggestions might not work for you But they worked for me
So, try them!

1. Manage Your Time

School is a full-time job, so
1. 2. Education > {job for fun, extra-curricular activity} If you must work, dont be a full-time student

If education is your full-time job, then spend 40 hrs/wk

1 academic credit 1 hour So, 12 cr 12 hrs in class; so: 4012=28 hrs @ home studying 28/(5 study days/wk) 5.5 hrs/day 1.4 hrs/course (4 courses) 9 cr + 20 hrs assistantship = 20 hrs/wk for courses So, 9 cr 9 hrs in class; so: 209=11 hrs @ home studying 11/5 2.2 hrs/day 0.7 hrs/course (3 courses)

Or:

2. Take Notes in Class & Re-write at Home

Take complete notes in class
write as much as possible
forces you to pay attention keeps you awake (!) less to remember

use abbreviations neatness doesnt count ask questions & make comments
put in notes, even if not uttered in class

Understand at home
copy class notes at home
dont just re-read in-class notes reorganize notes

Dont take notes on computer

noisy; Internet is too tempting; inconsistent with re-writing

Dont rely on instructors notes or copies of slides

re-write them, too!

3. Study Hard Subjects First

Study harder subjects while youre alert.

& Study in a Quiet Place

Recent finding:
People cannot multi-task successfully!

4. Read Actively & Slowly, before & after Class

Dont read passively
think about what youre reading

Slow-reading algorithm
after each sent., ask why? (next slide)

Slow-Reading Algorithm
WHILE there is a next sentence to read, DO: BEGIN (* while *) Read it, SLOWLY; IF you do not understand it, THEN BEGIN (* if *) re-read the previous material, SLOWLY; re-read the incomprehensible sentence, SLOWLY; IF you still don't understand it, THEN ask a fellow student to explain it; IF you still don't understand it, THEN ask your Teaching Assistant (TA) to explain it; IF you still don't understand it, THEN ask me; IF you are in an upper-level course & you still don't understand it, THEN write a paper about it (!) END (* if *) END; (* while *) Since there is no next sentence (because the Boolean test in the WHILE is false), you've understood the text!

4. Read Actively & Slowly, before & after Class (contd.)

Highlight text in margin

dont paint entire page in day-glow yellow highlighter! 1st pass: square bracket in margin

2nd pass: 3rd pass:

double bracket more important material underline really important material]]

]]

Write notes in margin

personalize your (own!) text index your notes

Keep a reading journal

copy important passages (with full citation) write your comments about it

Read twice: both before & after class

5. Do Your Homework
Do HW on time
Do it on scrap paper
then copy neatly

Write both problem & solution

6. Study for Exams

Manage your time
start 1 week before exam spend 1 hr/day studying
study entire night before exam

final exams:
do nothing else but study! for E exams over D days,
spend D/E days studying for each exam

Make a study outline & study from that

from re-copied class notes + highlighted text + reading journal try to fit on 1-2 pages, front only (write small)

Write sample essays or do sample problems

work in a study group

Make flash cards (actually: notebook paper, 2 cols):

left column: question right column: answer cover R column with blank page; write answers; then check

7. Take Exams
Read entire exam first. For essay questions:
do mind dump develop outline write (or copy from memory)

Do easy problems first

Review answers

8. Do Research & Write Essays

Choose topics carefully
not too broad, not too narrow

Do literature review & research

read slowly & actively keep reading journal

Make an outline (from reading-journal notes)

top-down design & stepwise refinement

Write, using outline as guide

keep audience in mind

Edit
read your own work slowly & actively have fellow student/colleague read critically

Manage your time

start early, do a little each day, finish early

Do I Really Have to Do All This?

Yes!
But not necessarily all at once