Page 53 - Irvine Valley College Student Planner 2022-2023

Boxes and Arrows: Whenever you need to learn the way a process works (such as the Krebs Cycle, the water cycle, or the emergence of Existentialism from earlier schools of philosophy), try drawing the progression from A to Z by drawing a box with one idea in it and connecting it with an arrow to a box containing a different idea. Use this method as a way to visualize cause-and-effect relationships and historical progressions.
Main Idea Second Idea
Third Idea Third Idea
Retype your notes from class on a computer at some point after the class has finished. This is a good idea for a few reasons:
• Copying your notes will help you to review the concepts you have just learned, and to reflect on the material. Think of it as instant studying.
• Writing your notes by hand forges pathways in your brain that typing
does not. Pressing a key to type a letter only uses one motion, but when you write letters on a paper, your muscle memory works in tandem with your brain and helps you to retain more of the information for longer.
• Retyping your notes allows you to reorganize, reorder, and add to the information in your notes, causing your brain to make new connections between ideas that will allow you to retain more of the information.
TEST TAKING
Improving your performance on tests can be achieved through several steps.
STEP 1: Prepare—Create
• Don’t wait until the last minute to study!
• Prepare ahead of time-create a 5-day study plan.
• Condense the study materials.
• Create flash cards.
• Create test questions—turn sub-headings from textbook into test
questions.
• Create organization charts.
• Prepare physically—get a good night’s rest and eat well before an exam.
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