Learning is a skill

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."

Learning is a skill. You can only understand something if it is broken down into separate and distinct pieces. By forming your own relationships and representations within your mind, can the material enter into long-term memory. This is why you have to train yourself on how to think through the material, with diagrams, notes in your own words, and your own unique method of interconnecting ideas. When you get done with covering the material, your information should look like a lecture that you can present in front of your class. But this requires strong work ethic, dedication, and self-confidence.

Your Study Goals:

1. Previewing the material multiple times to encourage familiarity and overcome anxiety of subject complexity
2. Categorize and Compartmentalize complex chapters via the Mapping Method & Indexing System
   
3. Understand the chapter by taking your own notes and in your own words. This is critical because you are translating the notes into a language that you understand.
   
4. Schedule Daily Review Sessions - Spend no more than 10-15 minutes reviewing a particular subject each day. Review your Map, and link various concepts with 2-3 brief sentences.
   
5. Schedule Master Review Session - spend 2 hours on a weekend re-reading Map and focus on main areas covered by Handouts and Lectures. These tend to be subject matter on tests.
   
6. Special note: You will realize that you will see the chapter material multiple, multiple, multiple times. But each time that you see it, you add something to it. In essence, you never get behind.

Your Step-By-Step Study Guide: (bombard your brain)

1. Preview the Material: (1) Table of Contents, (2) Chapter main & sub topics, and (3) Prof.’s Handouts. Goal is to develop an overall feel for where the chapter is going. (5 mins)
   
2. Create a Roadmap - Map the Table of Contents. For main topics that has many sub-topics, "list" for later indexing. (5 mins)
   
3. Question-Orientation Review - spend a few minutes reviewing the overall Map and question the nature and/or purpose for each inclusion. This process will give you an overall familiarity for each important areas the chapter is going to cover. (5 mins)
   
4. Carefully Read The Chapter #1- the overall objective is (1) to connect each chapter topic with each point on your Map, and (2) in one word and/or phrase, and in your very own words, write on the Map, your interpretation of the subject matter. Do not try to memorize anything at this point. (2 hours) - Read, Stop, and Ask!
   
5. Flashcards - from Map create index cards for 10-15 mins daily review session Q&A review. On back of each flashcards map the subject matter to be memorized, and put the answer in your own words. On front of card, draw a blank, but exact flow chart (or in question format). Remember to shuffle the deck so you can't figure out any answers. Carry your cards with you everywhere. (1 hour)
   
6. Daily Review Sessions - Spend no more than 10-15 minutes reviewing a particular subject each day. Review your Map, and link the various concepts with brief sentences.
7. Carefully re-read the Chapter, a 2nd time (2 days later)- Now that your are very familiar with the chapter contents, refer back to Map and explain each concept in 1-2 sentences, in your own word, into your note-book. Update your Index card with any new material, not covered in 1st reading. (2 hour)
   
8. Review Chapter end of chapter Q&A and Instructor' handouts and homework, and remember to generate and write down questions that need additional clarification. This ensures that your study method was not a superficial memorization process.
   
9. Also, you must at this point have 1-3 questions for the Professor, which will highlight your enthusiasm and dedication as an A+ student.
   
10. Chapter Handouts Comparison - highlight each area covered on your Map and Handouts. Any areas not covered on Map and/or Handouts, mark with a question mark, and see Prof. during or after class.
    
11. Class Session - focus on key areas the Prof. is dwelling on and highlight on Map. The idea is to isolate the heavily discussed topics that will most probably be on test (s).
    
12. End of Class - Take 10-15 minutes immediately after the lecture to re-read your Map, and note any unresolved issues ... on separate piece of paper and for additional follow-up.
13. Memory Map - create the Map from memory by doodling, and keep testing yourself from index card notes, and especially during "downtime".
    
14. Linking - Spend no more than 10-15 minutes reviewing a particular subject each day. Read over your Map. Each time challenge yourself to add at least 2 sentences to your notes. Now, in these 2 sentences, you should be able to link concepts to something else. Write down the relationship in a brief sentence. You will become so good at this that you will be able to do this in 10 minutes. It is essential that you link your notes to existing concepts within your mind. This is how things stay in long-term memory.
15. Master Review - re-read Maps and connect Handouts. You need to go over it for around 2.50 hours. Focus on the areas heavily covered in lectures and Prof. handouts. And guess what.. You need to add more sentences. Overall, make sure you've 5 to 10 sentences for the entire chapter.
16. Day Before The Test - Spend 1 or 2 hours for each chapter reading through your Map, all concise notes, and sentences that you added.