Ten Rules of Good Studying

1. Ten Rules of Bad Studying

Avoid these techniques—they can waste your time even while they fool you into thinking
you’re learning!

1.1. Passive rereading

—sitting passively and running your eyes back over a page. Unless you can prove
that the material is moving into your brain by recalling the main ideas without looking at the page,
rereading is a waste of time.

1.2. Letting highlights overwhelm you.

Highlighting your text can fool your mind into thinking you are
putting something in your brain, when all you’re really doing is moving your hand. A little
highlighting here and there is okay—sometimes it can be helpful in flagging important points. But if
you are using highlighting as a memory tool, make sure that what you mark is also going into your
brain.

1.3. Merely glancing at a problem’s solution and thinking you know how to do it.

This is one of the
worst errors students make while studying. You need to be able to solve a problem step‐by‐step,
without looking at the solution.

1.4. Waiting until the last minute to study.

Would you cram at the last minute if you were practicing for
a track meet? Your brain is like a muscle—it can handle only a limited amount of exercise on one
subject at a time.

1.5. Repeatedly solving problems of the same type that you already know how to solve.

If you just sit
around solving similar problems during your practice, you’re not actually preparing for a test—it’s
like preparing for a big basketball game by just practicing your dribbling.

1.6. Letting study sessions with friends turn into chat sessions.

Checking your problem solving with
friends, and quizzing one another on what you know, can make learning more enjoyable, expose
flaws in your thinking, and deepen your learning. But if your joint study sessions turn to fun before
the work is done, you’re wasting your time and should find another study group.

1.7. Neglecting to read the textbook before you start working problems.

Would you dive into a pool
before you knew how to swim? The textbook is your swimming instructor—it guides you toward
the answers. You will flounder and waste your time if you don’t bother to read it. Before you begin
to read, however, take a quick glance over the chapter or section to get a sense of what it’s about.

1.8. Not checking with your instructors or classmates to clear up points of confusion.

Professors are
used to lost students coming in for guidance—it’s our job to help you. The students we worry about
are the ones who don’t come in. Don’t be one of those students.

1.9. Thinking you can learn deeply when you are being constantly distracted.

Every tiny pull toward an
instant message or conversation means you have less brain power to devote to learning. Every tug
of interrupted attention pulls out tiny neural roots before they can grow.

1.10. Not getting enough sleep.

Your brain pieces together problem‐solving techniques when you sleep,
and it also practices and repeats whatever you put in mind before you go to sleep. Prolonged
fatigue allows toxins to build up in the brain that disrupt the neural connections you need to think
quickly and well. If you don’t get a good sleep before a test, NOTHING ELSE YOU HAVE DONE WILL
MATTER

2. Ten Rules of Good Studying

2.1. Use recall.

After you read a page, look away and recall the main ideas. Highlight very little, and
never highlight anything you haven’t put in your mind first by recalling. Try recalling main ideas
when you are walking to class or in a different room from where you originally learned it. An ability
to recall—to generate the ideas from inside yourself—is one of the key indicators of good learning.

2.2. Test yourself.

On everything. All the time. Flash cards are your friend.

2.3. Chunk your problems.

Chunking is understanding and practicing with a problem solution so that it
can all come to mind in a flash. After you solve a problem, rehearse it. Make sure you can solve it
cold—every step. Pretend it’s a song and learn to play it over and over again in your mind, so the
information combines into one smooth chunk you can pull up whenever you want.

2.4. Space your repetition.

Spread out your learning in any subject a little every day, just like an athlete.
Your brain is like a muscle—it can handle only a limited amount of exercise on one subject at a time.

2.5. Alternate different problem‐solving techniques during your practice.

Never practice too long at
any one session using only one problem‐solving technique—after a while, you are just mimicking
what you did on the previous problem. Mix it up and work on different types of problems. This
teaches you both how and when to use a technique. (Books generally are not set up this way, so
you’ll need to do this on your own.) After every assignment and test, go over your errors, make sure
you understand why you made them, and then rework your solutions. To study most effectively,
handwrite (don’t type) a problem on one side of a flash card and the solution on the other.
(Handwriting builds stronger neural structures in memory than typing.) You might also photograph
the card if you want to load it into a study app on your smartphone. Quiz yourself randomly on
different types of problems. Another way to do this is to randomly flip through your book, pick out a
problem, and see whether you can solve it cold.

2.6. Take breaks.

It is common to be unable to solve problems or figure out concepts in math or science
the first time you encounter them. This is why a little study every day is much better than a lot of
studying all at once. When you get frustrated with a math or science problem, take a break so that
another part of your mind can take over and work in the background.

2.7. Use explanatory questioning and simple analogies.

Whenever you are struggling with a concept,
think to yourself, How can I explain this so that a ten‐year‐old could understand it? Using an analogy
really helps, like saying that the flow of electricity is like the flow of water. Don’t just think your
explanation—say it out loud or put it in writing. The additional effort of speaking and writing allows
you to more deeply encode (that is, convert into neural memory structures) what you are learning.

2.8. Focus.

Turn off all interrupting beeps and alarms on your phone and computer, and then turn on a
timer for twenty‐five minutes. Focus intently for those twenty‐five minutes and try to work as
diligently as you can. After the timer goes off, give yourself a small, fun reward. A few of these
sessions in a day can really move your studies forward. Try to set up times and places where
studying—not glancing at your computer or phone—is just something you naturally do.

2.9. Eat your frogs first.

Do the hardest thing earliest in the day, when you are fresh.

2.10. Make a mental contrast.

Imagine where you’ve come from and contrast that with the dream of
where your studies will take you. Post a picture or words in your workspace to remind you of your
dream. Look at that when you find your motivation lagging. This work will pay off both for you and
those you love!

3. 一位清华学霸给高三生的 10 条忠告

朋友老李, 当了近二十年的班主任, 光高三就送了十几届。

我问他:“你班里能出几个清华北大?”

老陈晃着两根手指头, 笑着说:“至少两个!”

我笑着调侃:“这么自信? 是不是搭眼一瞧, 就知道谁能考上清华北大呀?”

老李笑道:“其实这些能考上好大学的孩子, 确实是有点聪明, 但如果仅仅是靠这点聪明, 也到不了现在的水平。他们在生活习惯习惯. 学习方法上, 一般都很有自己的一套, 甚至连对学习的看法都跟一般学生完全不同! 你不服不行。”

下面是老李班里一个考上清华的男孩给学弟学妹们做的分享, 小编看完都觉得受益匪浅。

如果您家里有孩子正在上高中, 那更该看看, 因为很多重要的习惯和心态, 是必须要培养出来的。

3.1. 字迹

一手烂字, 很可能让孩子无缘重点高中, 更别提好大学了。

现在越来越多的考试在普及 “电子阅卷”, 高考. 中考都是这样, 有的地方甚至小升初考试都开始施行了。但是别以为 “电子阅卷” 对书写的要求就降低了, 相反, 要求更严了。

如果孩子从小就写字不规范. 下笔力道也没练好, 那他的答题卡通过扫描仪扫进电脑时, 几乎就是一团模糊。

阅卷老师连看都看不清, 咋给你分?

所以, 从小就好好练字吧, 一手漂亮. 规范的书写不仅仅能让卷面整洁, 还能一定能程度上加快书写速度, 让你在高考这样书写量极大的考试中取得优势, 不至于答不完。

3.2. 拖延

成绩差的孩子, 99% 都是拖延症! 能拖到明天做的事, 绝对不会今天做; 假期里能先玩的, 绝对不会先写作业。

拖延症的坏处在于, 一旦养成了这种习惯, 不但学习上拖拖拉拉, 生活上也会变得磨磨蹭蹭。

那么, 孩子的拖延症一般都是怎么染上的呢?

奥地利心理学家, 阿尔弗雷德 · 阿德勒, 在《儿童人格教育》书中有这样一句话:“一个有拖延习惯的儿童背后, 总有一个事无巨细为其整理收拾的妈妈。”

其实, 有很多小事都是孩子的本分, 完全可以自己独立完成, 比如吃饭. 穿衣. 擦屁股。当家长过度代劳的时候, 孩子做事就没那么积极了。

因此, 改变孩子拖延毛病的第一步, 就是适当对孩子 “狠” 一点, 学会自己的事情自己做。

3.3. 时间

在学习上花的时间越多, 成绩就越好吗?

可不一定!

有些孩子虽然看起来很努力, 课间不出去玩, 周末也窝在家里写作业, 但他大部分时间并没有集中精力, 只是在漫无目的. 心浮气躁地 “磨洋工”。一个班里 30%~40% 左右的中等生, 基本都是这个状态。

有些孩子从来不熬夜, 该玩的时间也在疯玩, 但他们在学习的时候, 能提前做个计划, 知道总共有哪些任务, 安排好先做什么后做什么。一个班里 10% 左右的尖子生, 都是这个状态。

所以, 决定成绩的并不是孩子在学习上花了多长时间, 而是这些时间是否 “有效”, 是否都能集中注意力。

3.4. 英语和语文

英语和语文是非常相似的两个学科, 有心的孩子都能发现, 做语文中的 “文言文” 和英语中的 “阅读理解” 都是同一种感觉: 都需要查生词, 都需要分析语法, 都需要判断句式……

对于这种语言类的学科, 最笨却又最有效的方法, 就是大声朗读!

因为课文都有完整的故事情节和语境, 能帮助你很快地记住生词。

另外, 当你对课文熟读成诵之后, 一些基本的句式就印在脑子里了, 下次做类似的题时, 光靠感觉也能猜个八九不离十。

3.5. 数学

必须要整理错题

数学里的知识点. 题型, 相对而言是有限的, 而且必定会重复出现。只要你能保证这次做过的题型下次不再出错, 就没什么问题了。

3.6. 粗心

身边经常有同学考完试后说:“我竟然忘了这个知识点, 粗心了粗心了……”

他真是粗心吗?

不, 他就是这个知识点没掌握好, 基础不扎实而已。所谓的 “粗心”" 马虎 ", 更像是自我安慰的借口。

细心. 沉稳. 脚踏实地, 是一个好学生必备的心理素质。

高考的时候, 一个小小的数学选择题就是 5 分, 你要是随便粗心两下子, 10 分就没了, 在全省的排名就可能落后好几千! 这时候, 你再用 “粗心” 安慰自己, 还有啥用?

3.7. 起跑线

“让孩子赢在起跑线”, 这句话是有问题的, 其实就是精明的商人设计的谎言。

孩子的一生不是短跑, 而是一场漫长的马拉松。马拉松上没有什么抢跑一说, 因为根本没什么用, 前半段过度消耗体力, 反而会影响后面发挥。

我上小学的时候, 班里那个第一名到了初中就跟不上节奏了, 原来成绩平平的同学反而赶了上来; 后来到了高中, 初中时的第一名又跟不上节奏了, 其他同学又慢慢赶了上来……

你看, 谁都没办法一劳永逸, 要想赶在前面就得不断努力才行; 另一方面, 只要你想努力, 什么时候都不晚, 说不定哪次考试你就 “超车” 了。

3.8. 阅读

“腹有诗书气自华”, 多读书才是提升语文能力. 人格修养的根本方法。

很多同学都对作文发愁, 有的说不会审题, 有的说不会描写方法, 有的说应试教育的作文没意思……

但实际上, 作文写不出来的原因就一个: 读书太少!

举个例子, 同样是描写一个人的站姿不优雅, 大多数同学都会平淡地凑字数:“她的站姿很不优雅”" 她的站姿很不好看 "……

而那些读过鲁迅《故乡》的同学, 就知道一个非常形象的比喻:“她站在那里, 双手叉腰, 像个细脚伶仃的圆规!”

所以你看, 课外书读少了, 你连生活中最基本的 “站” 这个小动作都描写不好, 作文怎么能写好呢?

3.9. 未来

总有学生问:“既然上了大学也不一定能找到工作, 那干嘛还要拼了命考大学? 早点进入社会磨炼多好?”

没错, 上了大学也会找不到工作, 而且很多大学生毕业后还不如搬砖的农民工。这说明了什么呢? 大学没用吗?

错! 这只能说明: 你高中不好好学, 考了个不入流的大学! 然后大学又不好好学, 整天混日子!

再好的大学, 不好好学习也会变成渣子; 再差的大学, 努努力也能找到体面工作。

不要埋怨父母没权势, 也不要埋怨社会太黑暗, 明明就是你自己不努力而已!

3.10. 竞争

我虽然也勉强考上了清华, 但是等大学报到之后才发现, 我在班里都快垫底了。班里成绩最好的那个男孩, 每天都早早起来, 嗷嗷背英语。

跟身边这群牛人待久了我才意识到, 最可怕的不是你的竞争者比你聪明, 而是人家既比你聪明, 还比你努力!