Crafty Listening: Untitled

Concentrate
When Studying and Reading

Information from a handout by Jane L.
McGrath

Students
frequently complain that it is too hard to concentrate when studying or
reading textbook assignments. How often do you hear yourself say, "I
can’t concentrate!"

But is this true? Isn’t the problem
that we really find it harder to pay attention because we don’t like
to read our texts as much as the latest music or movie review, fashion
magazine, or the sports page?

Here
are some strategies that many students have found helpful to overcome
this problem.

What
it means to study!

Studying
is the process that is used to decide what to learn and what to remember
and recall.—James F. Shepherd

Here is what
the process looks like. If you follow these steps, your concentration
and memory will improve!

Diagram
used with permission © Lucy MacDonald
http://www.howtostudy.org/overview.htm

What is reading,
anyway?

You
may think this is a silly question, but how did you answer it?

Did
you think of reading as your eyes moving across a page and words
jumping into your head?

Or did you consider that reading is actually
a conversation between you and the author? If you think of reading
as the way an author talks to you, it is easier to see what you
can do to stay interested and find ways to improve your concentration.

When
reading, because the author communicates to you through the words on the
page, the conversation is from the author to you. If you had that kind
of discussion with your family or friend, would you just not say anything
when others were talking to you?

Or would you join in, offer your opinions,
ask questions when you didn’t understand what they meant, or even
argue? Most of us would want to actively participate in what was being
talked about.

This
active participation is the same key to improving your concentration when
reading.

How do I
get actively involved when reading?

There
are many strategies you can use to become an active reader.
The more techniques you use, the easier it will be to stay focused
on your reading.

Ask
Yourself Questions

The
key to maintaining focus is to stop periodically and ask yourself
questions.

Besides
improving your concentration, you will also determine how well you
have understood what you have read, find the areas you don’t
understand yet, connect information to what you already know and
improve memory, and anticipate possible test questions.

You
will also have questions to ask in class, on the discussion board,
or when you talk with your professor.

So
what do you ask? Here are some examples:

How
does this relate to what I already know?

If
this is true, what else follows?

What
else could these facts mean?

What
assumptions are being made

What
is the evidence for this?

Can
I think of a good example of this?

What
are the unique points of this?

Another
way to ask questions is to get a study buddy, someone with whom you
can go over the assigned material, discuss lecture notes, and prepare
for tests. This strategy has proven more successful than studying alone simply because you talk out loud about what you know. When confused, the two of you search for and vocalize answers.

Read
Bold Headings

Another
technique is to read the bold headings in the chapter and turn those
into questions. Here’s an example using a heading from a sociology
textbook.

India:
A Different Kind of Poverty

Do
I know where India is located? Can I easily find it on a map?

Why is poverty in India different? Different from what? Where?

What measures were used to determine the levels of poverty in India?

How would I feel if I were poor and lived in India? How would I be
treated?

Read
the Ideas

We
often become confused or discouraged when we focus on the words
on the page instead of the ideas.

If we stop and look up all the words we don’t know in the dictionary,
we forget what we are reading about and have to start all over.

Instead,
read the entire paragraph or section or page without stopping. When
you keep reading, the ideas will become more important than the
words and understanding is easier. You can always go back, circle
and look up the words you aren’t sure of—they aren’t
going anywhere!

Strategy: Once
you have read a paragraph or page or section, try the following strategy.

Stop
and close your book.

Think
about the information you have read and what you remember.

Tell yourself
out loud what you know. If you can’t say it, you haven’t learned
it. But don’t get upset or start negative messages to yourself.
Simply open the book, reread the same paragraph or page or section,
then try this again.

If you
find you have to reread numerous times before you can remember most
of the information, break the information up into smaller sections,
such as a paragraph instead of a page, a few sentences instead of a
paragraph.

Do what
works for you!

Read—Write—Speak—Think

Find
ways to do something! In order to read, your brain
has to become involved. Here are some things to do to help this
happen.

Use
a pencil mark to check off each paragraph that you completely
understand. If you start to get lost in the reading, you will
know exactly where: just after the last check.

If
a section is too difficult for you, try reading it out loud. If
you see it and hear it you will understand and remember the information
better and faster.

Try
to link new information with the information you already know.

Ask
yourself, "How do I already know this?" You can also
ask yourself questions such as those listed above. Active linking
creates powerful memories.

Take
a few seconds to write down key words and concepts. Draw pictures
or diagrams.

If
you "read, ‘rite, and recite (RRR), you’ve got
a better chance of retaining crucial information. Seeing, doing,
and hearing is the best formula to increase concentration and
memory.

After
taking a short break from studying and before you begin again,
take a few minutes to review the information you have just learned.
This will give you a sense of progress and motivate you to continue.
It will also tell you which areas you need to review before you
start studying new information. Your confidence will increase,
and you will feel better prepared when it’s time for your
exam.

When
you don't understand concepts or you have trouble applying what
you have learned to problems or exercises, get help immediately. If you don't ask, your instructor assumes you have learned
the material.

Visit
your instructor during an office hour. Have questions prepared
so you use this time effectively.

Contact
your study buddy.

Set
up an appointment with a tutor.

Assess
Study Skills and Environment

Study
Skills Checklist Find out how effective your present study skills
are by taking this quick assessment. (Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University)

Study
Environment Analysis Complete this short inventory to evaluate
your study environment. (Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University)

Study
Habits Assessment Increase your awareness of the time needed for
effective study (Muskingum College)

Assess Your Study Skills Ten questions lead to better study strategies (Study Guides and Strategies)

Concentrating
and Reading Check this out for some simple, direct, practical
information. (Columbia)

Concentration
and Your Body Learn how to work with your body to increase concentration.
Scroll down (University of Texas at Austin) PDF file

Eliminating
Internal & External Distracters, Staying Alert in Class &
Staying Alert While Reading (Muskingum College)

Increase
Effectiveness of Studying

Study
Skills Self-help Information Check out the online study skills
workshops and other links! (Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University)

INDEX Study System Here's how you can determine what you have really learned versus what you think you have learned. (Study Guides and Strategies)

Strategies for Studying on the Go While this site is for preparation for the Medical College Admissions Test, the three suggestions at the beginning of the video are very helpful. Ignore the last part on commercial note cards unless the MCAT is one of your future goals. (youtube.com)

Create and Study with Flash Cards When you have to memorize information, here's one of the best strategies to use. (Study Guides and Strategies)

A.S.P.I.R.E. a study system (Study Guides and Strategies)

Developing Sound Study Skills for College (Niagara University)

Study
Tips You will find information on this site, as well as handouts
that you can download. (Dartmouth College)

Everything
You Want to Know about Study Skills Refer to this comprehensive
academic support site for information related to studying. You'll
find just about everything you need right here! (howtostudy.org)