Studying, done with purpose, is the best thing outside of the classroom a student can do to improve their learning.  

Studying, done without purpose, is largely a waste of time.  In this episode we dive into how students can discover purpose in their studying, and how you can guide students in discovering and defining that purpose.

In order to study well, a carefully considered reflective component needs to be in place.  This is why study guides are not very useful, even if the test is almost identical to the study guide.  

When students first list all of the topics they’ve learned, and they grade their understanding and ability for each topic on a scale of 1 to 3 (3 being great, 1 being … much help required), a few things happen.

The first thing that is now in place is the potential to strategize.  If all of the time is being spent on the 3 or the 1, the biggest gains are likely left untouched.  By understanding where the biggest gains can be had, students can plan what it is their time will be spent studying and practicing.

The second thing that happens is that students can find a greater focus for when they are studying one thing versus another.  For example, when studying something they’ve got a good handle on, they might just need to create a list of pitfalls.  Watch out for this, be sure to do this …  

The bulk of the time is likely best spend shoring up the accessible information.  With some practice and review, these topics and skills can easily be moved from an almost got it, to a mastery level.  The topics and skills that are out of reach will require some serious work, some research and tutoring.  Those needs must be addressed well in advance!