STUDY SKILLS / GOAL SETTING
Study Skills
Start off the school year with a study routine that you can
use throughout the year.
Examples:
• Choose a study place with minimal distractions for
uninterrupted study time. Hang a “DO NOT DISTURB”
sign if needed. A quiet, well-lit environment is best.
• Be sure to have all the materials needed in your study
place before you get started. Have a supply of pens,
pencils, erasers, calculators, paper, etc. available.
• Ask questions. If you do not understand an assignment,
be sure to know who you can go to if you have questions.
Some teachers are available via email or phone.
• Use note cards and note-taking techniques to organize
ideas in an outline.
• Organize ideas in an outline to help you prepare for tests.
• Apply new study strategies, including the use of note
cards, flashcards, color-coding, and study guides.
• Use an encyclopedia and the Internet for research
and to create a bibliography.
• Use all parts of a textbook to complete homework
assignments, such as Table of Contents, Index, and
Glossary of Terms.
• Use a study guide if given to you by your teacher or
make your own.
• Start preparing early. Do not wait until the last minute!
• Review what you have done in class each day.
I will work first and play later.
If I complete my work, I will feel
much less stressed when it is
“down time.”
Goal Setting
A
goal
is something you want to achieve.
A
short-term goal
is something you want to achieve soon.
Examples of short-term goals are finishing your homework
and doing well on tomorrow’s test.
A
long-term goal
is something you want to achieve at
some later date. Examples of long-term goals are writing a
paper and passing a class.
To set appropriate goals, you must know what is important
for you to accomplish. Then you must set specific and clearly
stated goals so that your effort will have direction and focus
in order to achieve success. It is important to write down
both your short-term and long-term goals so you can refer
back to them.
To help in this goal setting process, make sure each goal
states the following:
•
What
you will do
•
When
you will accomplish it
•
Always begin each goal with “I will...”
•
For example: I will finish gathering information for my
research paper
(what)
by November 20
(when)
.
Your goals should be:
• Within your skills and abilities.
Knowing your strengths
and weaknesses will help you set goals you can
accomplish.
• Realistic.
Do not try to do too much or too little.
• Flexible.
Sometimes things will not go the way you
anticipate, and you may need to change your goals.
• Measurable.
It is important to be able to measure your
progress toward a goal. It is especially important to
recognize when you have accomplished your goal and
need to go no further.
• Within your control.
Other than working as part of a
group, accomplishment of your goal should not depend
on other students. You can control what you do, but you
have little or no control over what others do.
Many times your parents and
teachers will set goals for
you. They can also help you
accomplish these goals.
SM-79
