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This book asks a lot of questions to help you learn how to study
effectively. But there are no “right”or “wrong” answers here. Every question
is designed to help you discover how you learn, and to help you do more of
what works for you—whether you’re reading a text, listening to a lecture,
writing a paper, or preparing for a test.
For example, in order to understand what you’re reading right now,
you are doing something that works for you. Maybe you’re reading this
out loud. Or “hearing” your voice in your head as you read this silently.
Perhaps you are making pictures on paper. Maybe you’re reading this as
you’re walking. You might be reading all this in an orderly way, making a
kind of outline in your head as you go along.
Each of these ways is a different learning style. And the early chapters
in this book focus on helping you find your own learning style. Later
chapters help you work with your learning style so you can use it more
often. The icons shown to the left stand for the five learning styles you’ll
find out about in this book. Once you’ve identified your learning style in
Chapter 2, “Discovering How You Learn,” you can look in the later chapters
for the icon that stands for your style to find study tips that will help
you take advantage of your strength.
You’re more comfortable when you’re using your own style because
you’re understanding more. And when you’re comfortable, you’re more
receptive—you find it easier to get involved with what you’re studying, as
you’ll see in Chapter 9, “Getting Involved in Learning.” When you’re
involved with what you’re studying, it doesn’t feel like work; it becomes
something you enjoy.
Getting satisfaction from what you’re studying requires careful
planning. Dividing big jobs into little ones makes overwhelming tasks
more bearable. There’s a chapter in this book on that, too. Sometimes
people can’t pay close attention to their studying because something else
needs to be done. Spending a few minutes on that other job before studying
will ease the conscience—thus making studying more productive. |
