WAYS TO “A’s”

DEVELOP A POWER PLAN

• Collect your syllabi, and write on one piece of paper all your tests and assignments, by DATE (not subject). Put this over your desk where you can see it.  This gives you a "long-term view" of your semester, as well as a day-to-day or week-to-week view.
• Develop a weekly study plan and stick to it. You should be studying about 2 hours per credit hour per week; e.g., a 14-credit load means you should have about 28 preparation hours per week.
• If you have research papers due, visit this wonderful Research Paper Planner and incorporate research/writing times into your weekly schedule (above).
• After Spring Break, check your Final Exam dates.  
• Confirm the information with your professor and/or syllabus.   If you find you have 3 exams on one day, there is NOT a policy that “requires” faculty to change one of the exam days/times!  However, by planning ahead and speaking to them early, you are giving sympathetic instructors a chance to be helpful.  Do NOT expect sympathy at the last minute!

USE ACTIVE STUDY METHODS:

• Organize and actively review your lecture notes, textbook notes, handouts, previous tests and quizzes, and sample tests from each chapter.  You should do this each time you sit down to study.
• Re-write class notes and/or develop a study guide that utilizes all of these sources.
• Draw diagrams or pictures to illustrate how important concepts relate to each other. 
• Use note cards to quiz yourself out loud on concepts, equations, and vocabulary.
• Predict test questions – and answer them!
• Study with a group that has good study habits.
• These activities will help you analyze, organize, and synthesize your knowledge – which helps you REMEMBER it, too!
• Remember, an athletic team does not cram all its practices into the week before the season starts; neither should you!  Success is a process.