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Puzzled
about the best time to study? Put your mind at
ease with these helpful tips.
Get it Right at Study Time
By Feona Sharhran Huff
January 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- Hitting
the books is essential to scoring well on college
tests, that's why finding the right time to study
can give you the A+-advantage you need! The first
thing to conquering the right-time-to-study blues
is knowing your body time clock, says Angela L.
Daniels, a counselor with the Student Support
Service Program at Norfolk State University (NSU),
Norfolk, VA. "You have to know when you are capable
of getting the task done and when it's time to
call it quits," Daniels says. "When you try to
fight against your body, you can't concentrate."
Still not sure when to
study? Follow these dos and don'ts:
DO study directly after
class. The material will be fresh in your
mind, says Daniels. It's the opportune time to
review those chapters that caused you so much
anguish on your own, but that your professor broke
down for you in a matter of minutes. Reinforce
also those points he hinted "may" be on the pop
quiz next week.
DO study when there
are large gaps of time between your classes.
Sherry Harper, a senior speech language pathology
and ideology student at NSU, says she makes the
most of her down-time. On Mondays and Wednesdays,
she's classless from noon to 4 p.m. "The other
days of the week I have classes back-to-back,
so I do nothing but study between these times."
DO study when the house
or your dorm is people-free. It's a no-brainer
that you can get more studying accomplished when
there's peace and quiet. Just think -- if there's
no chatter, loud music, or other distractions,
you'll be better able to concentrate on your material.
DON'T study after eating
a heavy meal. You'll be more likely to hit
the bed instead of the books on a full stomach,
says Jane Ciarlone, coordinator of The Workshop
Program at Southern Connecticut State University,
New Haven, CT. "Carbohydrates put you to sleep.
That's why we get full and tired after Thanksgiving
dinner." However, she says, don't skip a meal,
just eat light.
DON'T study when your
friends come over. Do you really think you're
going to be able to concentrate on figuring out
those calculus formulas with your friends in the
next room laughing about a funny incident that
happened in school today? Don't even think about
it, says Ciarlone. You know you're going to be
tempted to join them. Besides, weren't you there
when the girl's skirt got caught in the elevator,
then ripped when she walked away?!
DON'T study when you're
exhausted. You're not going to get much of
anything done when you're nodding off every other
second or find your head buried in your chem'
book. Instead, get some rest, that way, you'll
have the proper energy to be able to study effectively
later.
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