How to Study in College TENTH EDITION Walter Pauk Cornell University, Emeritus Ross J. Q. Owens Australia • Brazil • Japan • Korea • Mexico • Singapore • Spain • United Kingdom • United States How to Study in College, Tenth Edition © 2011, 2008, 2005 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Pauk, Owens ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the Senior Publisher: Lyn Uhl copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, Director of College Success: Annie Todd including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, Web distribution, information networks, or Senior Sponsoring Editor: Shani Fisher information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted under Assistant Editor: Daisuke Yasutake Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 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Purchase any of our products at your local college store or at our preferred online store www.CengageBrain.com Printed in Canada 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 14 13 12 11 10 How to Study in College The Book at a Glance Part 1 Building a Foundation 1 Start with fundamental skills that help to put you on fi rm academic footing. 1 Goal-Setting: Know What You’re Aiming For 3 2 Organization: Use Your Time and Space Effectively 25 3 Concentration: Stay Focused 57 4 Stress Management: Learn How to Handle Pressure 77 Part 2 Gaining Information 105 Pinpoint and understand the most valuable information in your courses. 5 Comprehension: Read Smarter 107 6 Vocabulary: Extend Your Word Frontier 127 7 Critical Thinking: Use Questions to Zero In on Valuable Information 157 8 Flexible Thinking: Learn Through Multiple Channels 179 Part 3 Retaining Information 205 Once you’ve acquired information, it’s no use if you can’t fi nd a way to hold onto it. 9 Remembering: Fight Back Against Forgetting 207 10 The Cornell System: Take Effective Notes 235 11 Mastery: Turn Your Notes into Knowledge 279 Part 4 Explaining Information 301 To demonstrate your level of learning, you need to “show what you know.” 12 Tests and Quizzes: Ace Your Exams 303 13 Class Participation: Get the Most out of Discussions 337 14 Written Assignments: Turn in a Solid Research Paper 361 Contents To the Instructor of the Tenth Edition ix To the Student xv Part I Building a Foundation 1 1 Goal-Setting: Know Stick to a Schedule 30 What You’re Aiming For 3 Divide Your Time into Blocks 31 Think in Terms of Tasks 37 March to Your Own Rhythm 4 Get Your Priorities Straight 39 Resist the Tug of the Crowd 5 Stay Organized 43 Harness the Power of “Imaging” 5 Devise a System 43 Pursue Quality Instead of Quantity 6 Keep Things Flexible 46 Change the Meaning of GPA 9 Cut Down on Clutter 47 Defi ne Your Goal 10 FINAL WORDS 48 Devise a Plan 12 Seven Valuable Tidbits About Time 49 Take Action 14 CHAPTER CHECKUP 50 FINAL WORDS 16 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 52 CHAPTER CHECKUP 17 Say What? 52 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 19 Vocab-u-ladder 54 Say What? 19 Backstory 55 Vocab-u-ladder 21 Backstory 22 3 Concentration: Stay 2 Organization: Use Your Time Focused 57 and Space Effectively 25 Eliminate Distractions 59 Reclaim Lost Time 26 Reduce External Distractions 59 Find “Hidden” Time 26 Discourage Internal Distractions 62 Change Your Time Habits 27 Minimize Multitasking 64 iivv ContentsContents Cultivate Concentration 68 Improve Your Attitude 82 Make Lists 68 Learn to Relax 83 Take Breaks 68 Improve Your Self-Esteem 85 Maintain a Balance 69 Take Control of Your Life 86 FINAL WORDS 70 Follow a Healthy Routine 88 CHAPTER CHECKUP 71 Develop Good Eating Habits 88 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 73 Improve Your Sleep 92 Say What? 73 Get Some Exercise 96 Vocab-u-ladder 74 FINAL WORDS 98 Backstory 75 CHAPTER CHECKUP 99 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 101 4 Stress Management: Say What? 101 Learn How to Handle Pressure 77 Vocab-u-ladder 103 Backstory 104 Eliminate Avoidable Stress 78 Discourage Procrastination 79 Sidestep Common Stressors 81 Part II Gaining Information 105 5 Comprehension: Say What? 122 Read Smarter 107 Vocab-u-ladder 124 Backstory 125 Learn Your Speed Limit 108 Keep an Eye on Your Eyes 108 6 Vocabulary: Extend Your Listen to Your Silent Speech 110 Word Frontier 127 Don’t Forget Comprehension 111 Choose the Right Tools 128 Pick Up Your PACE 112 Harness the Power of Interest 128 P: Increase Your Preparation 112 Make the Most of the Dictionary 132 A: Choose Your Altitude 113 Preserve Your Words on Index Cards 139 C: Read in Clusters 115 Explore Your Personal Frontier 141 E: Draw on Your Experience 117 Understand How Words Are Learned 142 FINAL WORDS 119 Recognize Frontier Words 143 CHAPTER CHECKUP 120 Apply the Frontier System 143 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 122 Contents v Treat Words Like Chemical Compounds 143 Follow a Set of Guidelines for Analysis 169 Learn Roots and Prefi xes 144 FINAL WORDS 171 Use the Fourteen Master Words 147 CHAPTER CHECKUP 172 FINAL WORDS 149 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 174 CHAPTER CHECKUP 150 Say What? 174 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 152 Vocab-u-ladder 176 Say What? 152 Backstory 177 Vocab-u-ladder 153 8 Flexible Thinking: Learn Backstory 154 Through Multiple Channels 179 7 Critical Thinking: Use Questions to Zero Deal with the Dominant Channels 180 In on Valuable Information 157 Cope with Diffi cult Texts 180 Understand Visuals 182 Figure Out Whether Information Change the Channel 188 Is Relevant 158 Convert Words into Pictures 188 Do a Bull’s-Eye Search 159 Work in Groups 195 Do a Ballpark Search 160 Gain Hands-On Practice 196 Decide Whether Information FINAL WORDS 198 Is Important 162 CHAPTER CHECKUP 199 Answer the Author’s Questions 162 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 201 Answer Your Own Questions 163 Say What? 201 Determine Whether Information Is Reliable 164 Vocab-u-ladder 203 Beware of Reliability Distractors 164 Backstory 204 Part III Retaining Information 205 9 Remembering: Fight Back Against Limit What You Choose to Learn 213 Forgetting 207 Arrive at Meaningful Patterns 214 Strengthen Your Memories 215 Make an Effort to Remember 210 Connect New Memories to Old 215 Avoid Pseudo-Forgetting 210 Use Recitation to Rehearse 222 Find a Motivation 211 Allow Time for Consolidation 223 Organize Your Information 212 Break Up Your Study Sessions 224 vi Contents Come to Terms with Plateaus 225 FINAL WORDS 271 FINAL WORDS 226 CHAPTER CHECKUP 272 CHAPTER CHECKUP 227 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 274 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 229 Say What? 274 Say What? 229 Vocab-u-ladder 276 Vocab-u-ladder 231 Backstory 277 Backstory 232 11 Mastery: Turn Your Notes 10 The Cornell System: Take into Knowledge 279 Effective Notes 235 Review to Cement Understanding 280 Prepare to Take Notes 236 Target Key Ideas with the Q System 280 Prepare for Readings 236 See the Big Picture with Summaries 284 Prepare for Lectures 242 Recite to Strengthen Memories 286 Start with the Cornell System 243 Recite Out Loud 287 Take Separate Notes 244 Recite By Writing 287 Mark Your Textbook 249 Refl ect to Add Wisdom 288 Annotate Electronic Text 250 Learn Why Refl ection is Vital 289 Gather Information 254 Use Techniques to Help You Refl ect 290 Be Inquisitive 254 FINAL WORDS 293 Follow the Signs 255 CHAPTER CHECKUP 294 Record Effi ciently 260 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 296 Deal with Special Cases 266 Say What? 296 Tie Things Together 267 Vocab-u-ladder 298 Wrap Up Your Readings 268 Backstory 299 Relive Your Lectures 268 Walk Through the Note-taking Steps 268 Part IV Explaining Information 301 12 Tests and Quizzes: Ace Your Understand Objective Questions 312 Exams 303 Learn the Basics of Writing an Essay 318 Work Systematically 323 Manage Test Anxiety 304 Read Before You Answer 323 Prepare Yourself Academically 304 Map Out Your Time 324 Prepare Yourself Psychologically 311 Use Markings and Jottings 325 Know What Each Question Requires 312 Contents vii Learn from Experience 326 14 Written Assignments: Turn Analyze Your Answers 326 in a Solid Research Paper 361 Plot a Course Correction 327 FINAL WORDS 328 Decide What to Investigate 362 CHAPTER CHECKUP 329 Choose a Subject 362 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 331 Narrow Your Topic 363 Say What? 331 Find a Focus 363 Vocab-u-ladder 333 Gather Your Information 364 Backstory 334 Know Where to Look 364 Assemble a Working Bibliography 367 13 Class Participation: Get the Take Notes 368 Most Out of Discussions 337 Devise a Framework 370 Decide on a Basic Premise 370 Do Your Homework 338 Cluster Your Notes 371 Prepare Based on Specifi c Readings 338 Plot an Organizational Pattern 372 Prepare Based on Specifi c Questions 339 Write the Paper 373 Know the Ground Rules 339 Race Through the First Draft 373 Learn What the Instructor Expects 339 Revise and Edit Your Paper 374 Adapt to the Discussion Environment 340 Add the Missing Elements 376 Participate Fully 342 FINAL WORDS 379 Listen Actively 342 CHAPTER CHECKUP 389 AIM to Make Your Points Effectively 347 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 391 Follow Up Promptly 351 Say What? 392 Review In-Class Discussions 351 Vocab-u-ladder 393 Review Online Discussions 352 Backstory 394 FINAL WORDS 352 CHAPTER CHECKUP 353 Index 395 VOCABULARY IN ACTION 355 Say What? 355 Vocab-u-ladder 357 Backstory 358