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10RulesofGoodandBadStudying
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10RulesofGoodandBadStudying

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Theserulesformasynthesisofsomeofthemainideasofthecourse.
Whatareyourclassmatessayingabouttheserules?Checkitoutinthe
"10RulesofStudying"Forum

10RulesofGoodStudying
ExcerptedfromAMindforNumbers:HowtoExcelinMathandScience(EvenifYouFlunked
Algebra),byBarbaraOakley,Penguin,July,2014
1.Userecall.Afteryoureadapage,lookawayandrecallthemainideas.Highlightverylittle,and
neverhighlightanythingyouhaventputinyourmindfirstbyrecalling.Tryrecallingmainideaswhen
youarewalkingtoclassorinadifferentroomfromwhereyouoriginallylearnedit.Anabilitytorecall
togeneratetheideasfrominsideyourselfisoneofthekeyindicatorsofgoodlearning.
2.Testyourself.Oneverything.Allthetime.Flashcardsareyourfriend.
3.Chunkyourproblems.Chunkingisunderstandingandpracticingwithaproblemsolutionsothatit
canallcometomindinaflash.Afteryousolveaproblem,rehearseit.Makesureyoucansolveit
coldeverystep.Pretenditsasongandlearntoplayitoverandoveragaininyourmind,sothe
informationcombinesintoonesmoothchunkyoucanpullupwheneveryouwant.
4.Spaceyourrepetition.Spreadoutyourlearninginanysubjectalittleeveryday,justlikean
athlete.Yourbrainislikeamuscleitcanhandleonlyalimitedamountofexerciseononesubject
atatime.
5.Alternatedifferentproblemsolvingtechniquesduringyourpractice.Neverpracticetoolong
atanyonesessionusingonlyoneproblemsolvingtechniqueafterawhile,youarejustmimicking
whatyoudidonthepreviousproblem.Mixitupandworkondifferenttypesofproblems.This
teachesyoubothhowandwhentouseatechnique.(Booksgenerallyarenotsetupthisway,so
youllneedtodothisonyourown.)Aftereveryassignmentandtest,gooveryourerrors,makesure
youunderstandwhyyoumadethem,andthenreworkyoursolutions.Tostudymosteffectively,
handwrite(donttype)aproblemononesideofaflashcardandthesolutionontheother.
(Handwritingbuildsstrongerneuralstructuresinmemorythantyping.)Youmightalsophotograph
thecardifyouwanttoloaditintoastudyapponyoursmartphone.Quizyourselfrandomlyon
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differenttypesofproblems.Anotherwaytodothisistorandomlyflipthroughyourbook,pickouta
problem,andseewhetheryoucansolveitcold.
6.Takebreaks.Itiscommontobeunabletosolveproblemsorfigureoutconceptsinmathor
sciencethefirsttimeyouencounterthem.Thisiswhyalittlestudyeverydayismuchbetterthana
lotofstudyingallatonce.Whenyougetfrustratedwithamathorscienceproblem,takeabreakso
thatanotherpartofyourmindcantakeoverandworkinthebackground.
7.Useexplanatoryquestioningandsimpleanalogies.Wheneveryouarestrugglingwitha
concept,thinktoyourself,HowcanIexplainthissothatatenyearoldcouldunderstandit?Using
ananalogyreallyhelps,likesayingthattheflowofelectricityisliketheflowofwater.Dontjustthink
yourexplanationsayitoutloudorputitinwriting.Theadditionaleffortofspeakingandwriting
allowsyoutomoredeeplyencode(thatis,convertintoneuralmemorystructures)whatyouare
learning.
8.Focus.Turnoffallinterruptingbeepsandalarmsonyourphoneandcomputer,andthenturnona
timerfortwentyfiveminutes.Focusintentlyforthosetwentyfiveminutesandtrytoworkas
diligentlyasyoucan.Afterthetimergoesoff,giveyourselfasmall,funreward.Afewofthese
sessionsinadaycanreallymoveyourstudiesforward.Trytosetuptimesandplaceswhere
studyingnotglancingatyourcomputerorphoneisjustsomethingyounaturallydo.
9.Eatyourfrogsfirst.Dothehardestthingearliestintheday,whenyouarefresh.
10.Makeamentalcontrast.Imaginewhereyouvecomefromandcontrastthatwiththedreamof
whereyourstudieswilltakeyou.Postapictureorwordsinyourworkspacetoremindyouofyour
dream.Lookatthatwhenyoufindyourmotivationlagging.Thisworkwillpayoffbothforyouand
thoseyoulove!

TenRulesofBadStudying
ExcerptedfromAMindforNumbers:HowtoExcelinMathandScience(EvenifYouFlunked
Algebra),byBarbaraOakley,Penguin,July,2014
Avoidthesetechniquestheycanwasteyourtimeevenwhiletheyfoolyouintothinkingyoure
learning!
1.Passiverereadingsittingpassivelyandrunningyoureyesbackoverapage.Unlessyou
canprovethatthematerialismovingintoyourbrainbyrecallingthemainideaswithoutlookingat
thepage,rereadingisawasteoftime.
2.Lettinghighlightsoverwhelmyou.Highlightingyourtextcanfoolyourmindintothinkingyouare
puttingsomethinginyourbrain,whenallyourereallydoingismovingyourhand.Alittle
highlightinghereandthereisokaysometimesitcanbehelpfulinflaggingimportantpoints.Butif
youareusinghighlightingasamemorytool,makesurethatwhatyoumarkisalsogoingintoyour
brain.
3.Merelyglancingataproblemssolutionandthinkingyouknowhowtodoit.Thisisoneof
theworsterrorsstudentsmakewhilestudying.Youneedtobeabletosolveaproblemstepby
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step,withoutlookingatthesolution.
4.Waitinguntilthelastminutetostudy.Wouldyoucramatthelastminuteifyouwerepracticing
foratrackmeet?Yourbrainislikeamuscleitcanhandleonlyalimitedamountofexerciseon
onesubjectatatime.
5.Repeatedlysolvingproblemsofthesametypethatyoualreadyknowhowtosolve.Ifyou
justsitaroundsolvingsimilarproblemsduringyourpractice,yourenotactuallypreparingforatest
itslikepreparingforabigbasketballgamebyjustpracticingyourdribbling.
6.Lettingstudysessionswithfriendsturnintochatsessions.Checkingyourproblemsolving
withfriends,andquizzingoneanotheronwhatyouknow,canmakelearningmoreenjoyable,
exposeflawsinyourthinking,anddeepenyourlearning.Butifyourjointstudysessionsturntofun
beforetheworkisdone,yourewastingyourtimeandshouldfindanotherstudygroup.
7.Neglectingtoreadthetextbookbeforeyoustartworkingproblems.Wouldyoudiveintoa
poolbeforeyouknewhowtoswim?Thetextbookisyourswimminginstructoritguidesyou
towardtheanswers.Youwillflounderandwasteyourtimeifyoudontbothertoreadit.Beforeyou
begintoread,however,takeaquickglanceoverthechapterorsectiontogetasenseofwhatits
about.
8.Notcheckingwithyourinstructorsorclassmatestoclearuppointsofconfusion.Professors
areusedtoloststudentscominginforguidanceitsourjobtohelpyou.Thestudentsweworry
aboutaretheoneswhodontcomein.Dontbeoneofthosestudents.
9.Thinkingyoucanlearndeeplywhenyouarebeingconstantlydistracted.Everytinypull
towardaninstantmessageorconversationmeansyouhavelessbrainpowertodevoteto
learning.Everytugofinterruptedattentionpullsouttinyneuralrootsbeforetheycangrow.
10.Notgettingenoughsleep.Yourbrainpiecestogetherproblemsolvingtechniqueswhenyou
sleep,anditalsopracticesandrepeatswhateveryouputinmindbeforeyougotosleep.
Prolongedfatigueallowstoxinstobuildupinthebrainthatdisrupttheneuralconnectionsyouneed
tothinkquicklyandwell.Ifyoudontgetagoodsleepbeforeatest,NOTHINGELSEYOUHAVE
DONEWILLMATTER.

CreatedSat26Apr20147:24AMPDT
LastModifiedTue6Jan201510:39AMPST

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