Describe your current methods of study. How do you study for each class?
For most classes, I write notes and do assigned readings in order to study. For biology and sociology, I read the assigned chapters and write notes to study off of when it’s time for a quiz or a test. For math, I copy the notes and practice problems that the teacher does on the board or on the screen, and I use those notes to solve assigned math problems for homework. For English, I read the assigned the chapter and follow the instructions my teacher posts in her videos. My main study method is writing notes and studying them to understand the contents of the course.
What specific techniques do you use in class?
In class, I write down important information that the teacher says and writes to study off of later.
What specific techniques do you use outside of class?
Outside of class, I just study the notes that I wrote in class, but I also use outside resources like Khan Academy, YouTube videos and other course related material to better understand the lessons taught in class. I also create study guides to help me when I’m preparing for a test.
Identify one class in which you are doing well (not HLTH 101). What study methods work best and why?
I am doing well in Math 102. Doing similar math problems over and over helps me better understand the questions and makes it easier to solve the problem. I feel like repeating similar math problems and memorizing the concept is beneficial because it allows me to easily retain the information so I can perform better on quizzes and test.
Identify one class where you are experiencing challenges and address the following questions.
A class that I find challenging is Biology. It requires me to understand complex information at a fast rate. The teachers also teach it at a fast pace and present a lot of notes which makes it harder for me to understand the material.
Planning: In biology, I started studying in groups which has made it easier to understand the work that I didn’t before. I also take the practice quizzes at the end of each chapter multiple times, so I retain the information from lesson better. I plan on studying at least 6 hours week or more (at least an hour a day) because this studying will help me later in the semester and in future biology courses. As of now, the material that I need to spend more time is the functions of many cell structures and cell organelles because that is what I am having difficulty understanding.
Monitoring: I am moderately systematic in my studying. I don’t have a fixed schedule for studying, I just study and do homework at different times every day. I am not using many of the learning supports available to me, but if I need help with anything, I am sure that I will utilize those learning supports. I am still motivated to study; I keep in mind the goals that I want to achieve. I was confused with different functions and structure of the types of molecules, but with the help of the study groups, I was able to clarify them. I am still confused on the different function of different parts and organelles of the cell, and I plan to clarify them by attending more group studies and by watching content related videos.
Evaluating: Group studies worked very well for me and they helped me a lot for the exam. They allowed me to ask questions and clarify things that were confusing. I tried to memorize a lot of things which wasn’t helpful because I forgot a lot of the material while taking the exam. It would be better if I write it instead of trying to just retain it in my head. Questions that require me to pay attention to small details in class are the ones I missed on the exam. I only understood it broadly and didn’t study in-depth which is why I answered those questions incorrectly. It came down to 2 answer choices for the questions I got wrong, so I think my incorrect answers were similar or close to the correct answer. Confusions related to the fast-paced learning are what I need to clarify. For example, going from small units of life to a larger scale is confusing for me but I believe I will be able to understand it by studying more.
Review at least 5 academic tips/resources listed here: https://www.odu.edu/success/academic/tips What is one new technique you could try in class to help you better understand the material?
In class, a new technique I can use is the test taking or the DETER strategy which will help me perform better on tests. It will help me better understand the content given to me in class. I chose the test taking strategy because that is something I struggle with. I get good grades in all homework or in class assignments but not with tests.
What is one new technique you could try outside of class to help you better understand the material?
I will use time management techniques to better utilize my time throughout the day. By creating a to do list, I can manage my time better which will give me more time to study and complete my homework.