24 Tips on How to Study SMART!

24 TIPS on HOW TO STUDY SMART!

• Be good to yourself.
• Keep physically fit and rested.
• Attitude is all-important.
• Use positive affirmations: "I can pass American History."
• Provide your own psychological edge, be it a positive attitude or a "lucky pen."
• Be a chronic enthusiast!
• Used textbooks may provide insights on a course.
• Sit in the front row;
• if you must sit toward the back of the room, lean forward.
• Attentiveness and concentration increase markedly.
• Don't miss the first and last minutes of class.
• They are crucial — important announcements, questions on test, etc.
• Use a variety of study techniques. 
• a. Tape chapters (find out if your textbook has companion pod cast chapters). Listen on way to school, work. 
• b. Use index cards for quick review.
• Keep them simple. Throw your highlighter away!
• Remember: frequent review takes facts from short-term memory to long-term memory — learning as opposed to cramming.
• Study in short bursts.
• (First and last facts are remembered best; therefore, it will accelerate learning.)
• Review notes immediately after class.
• Even for five minutes.
• Something magical happens!
• Review your notes out loud.
• Read your chapters out loud.
• Appearance raises grades.
• Neatness counts.
• Word processors are a plus.
• If a handwritte assignment is acceptable, use erasable pen.
• Don't waste time rereading.
• Rely on "pen in hand" and SQ3R.
• Test professors before they test you.
• Ask questions about what kind of test to expect,
• what material will be covered.
• Become an expert test taker.
• Go with initial hunches.
• Stay with initial hunches. 
• Study according to your biological clock.
• Are you "normal," a night owl, or an early bird?
• Eliminate stress in your life.
• EXERCISE is the best antidote.
• Make extra credit mandatory.
• Never miss a class.
• This is considered mandatory by "A" students.
• Be prepared to bail out.
• Don't be afraid to drop a course that is not working for you., BUT be aware of all official dates to withdraw and any vital state legislative restrictions ( Texas has a limit on total number of W hours.)
• Volunteer to edit a friend's paper.
• Use it as a learning experience.
• Study smart—not hard.

• Time management skills and discipline pay off.
• Stay mentally, physically and spiritually fit. 

Adapted from the video "Where There is a Will, There is an A" by Professor Claude Olney