How to study in college / Walter Pauk, Ross J. Q. Owens.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pauk, Walter.

Contributor:

Owens, Ross J. Q.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Study skills.

College student orientation.

Physical Description:

xxvi, 342 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

Eighth edition.

Place of Publication:

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., [2005]

Summary:

This best-selling text has helped over a million students transform adequate work into academic success. Based on widely tested educational and learning theory, How to Study in College teaches useful study techniques such as visual thinking, active listening, concentration techniques, note-taking strategies, and test taking, while incorporating material on life skills. Questions in the Margin, a useful in-text study tool, encourages students to reflect on content and then formulate and record questions based on the most important points conveyed in the text. A second TOC featuring brief summaries of each chapter has been added. The section on note taking leads students through the before, during, and after of the process in one systematic approach. The PACE system for Reading Improvement presents a systematic approach to improving reading that counteracts the claims of speed reading. Managing Stress in Chapter 5 tackles the modern phenomenon of multitasking and offers some common-sense strategies for overcoming its pitfalls.

Contents:

pt. I. Permanent skills

1. Setting goals

Marching to your own rhythm

Resisting the tug of the crowd

Harnessing the power of "imaging"

Pursuing quality instead of quantity

Changing the meaning of GPA

Defining a goal

Devising a plan

Taking action

Final words

Have you missed something?

Words in context

The word history system

2. Controlling your time

Saving time

Finding "hidden" time

Changing your time habits

Sticking to a schedule

Dividing your time into blocks

Thinking in terms of tasks

Ten valuable tidbits about time

3. Staying focused

Eliminating distractions

Reducing external distractions

Discouraging internal distractions

Cultivating concentration

Making lists

Taking breaks

Maintaining a balance

4. Defending your memory

Making an effort to remember

Avoiding pseudo-forgetting

Finding a reason to remember

Setting the size and shape of your memories

Limiting what you choose to learn

Arriving at meaningful patterns

Strengthening memories

Correcting new memories to old

Using recitation to rehearse

Allowing memories time to jell

Studying in short periods

Coming to terms with plateaus

5. Managing stress

Eliminating avoidable stress

Discouraging procrastination

Minimizing multitasking

Sidestepping common stressors

Improving your attitude

Learning to relax

Improving your self-esteem

Taking control of your life

Following a healthy routine

Developing good eating habits

Improving your sleep

Getting some exercise

Finals words

pt. II. Enrichment skills

6. Improving your reading

Learning the limitations of speed

Watch your eye movements

Hearing your silent speech

Keeping comprehension in mind

Allowing time for consolidation

Developing ways to pick up the PACE

P : increasing your preparation

A : determining our altitude

C : reading in clusters

E : drawing on experience

7. Building a lasting vocabulary

Harnessing the power of interest

Choosing the right tools

Learning from a dictionary

Preserving your words on index cards

Exploring your personal frontier

Understanding how words are learned

Recognizing frontier words

Applying the frontier system

Treating words like chemical compounds

Learning roots and prefixes

Using the fourteen master words

Appreciating the value of history

Finding books that tell the stories of words

8. Thinking visually

Using your whole brain

Improving your understanding

Making your memory stronger

Reading pictures

Using the OPTIC system

Learning the language of graphs

Watching out for distorted data

Writing in pictures

Adding illustrations to your notes

Turning abstract ideas into maps

pt. III. Note-taking skills

9. Adopting a note-taking mindset

Preparing to read

Getting acquainted with your textbook

Surveying specific assignments

Preparing to listen

Using triple-A listening

Setting the table for the next lecture

10. Taking effective notes

Using the Cornell system

Marking your textbook

Gathering information

Being inquisitive

Following the signs

Recording efficiently

Dealing with special cases

Pulling things together

Leaving lectures

Finishing readings

Summing up

11. Mastering your notes

Reviewing to cement understanding

Targeting key ideas with the Q system

Seeing the big picture with summaries

Reciting to strengthen memories

Reciting out loud

Reciting by writing

Reflecting to add wisdom

Making the case for reflection

Using techniques to help you reflect

pt. IV. Test-taking skills

12. Managing test anxiety

Preparing yourself academically

Starting early

Staying on top of your coursework

Organizing yourself

Cramming systematically

Preparing yourself mentally

Finding out about the exam

Getting acquainted with the test site

Maintaining a positive attitude

13. Answering objective tests

Choosing effective study methods

Using the Q system

Becoming a study "switch hitter"

Understanding each question type

Separating true from false

Choosing the right answer

Finding the best match

Completing a sentence

Moving systematically through the test

Reading before you answer

Marking methodically

14. Tackling essay tests

Reading before you write

Jotting before you answer

Mapping out your time

Knowing the basics of writing an essay

Understanding each question with precision

Supplying the correct answer

Supporting your points

Operating under time constraints

Getting right to the point

Organizing your essay carefully

Keeping your writing neat

Appendix. Answers.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Pauk, Walter. How to study in college.

ISBN:

061837972X

9780618379729

OCLC:

61723975

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description