College Study Tip: Skim Well in Advance

The best studying you can do actually starts before you officially begin studying. When you first receive a book or a syllabus on what areas of a textbook you will cover, scan the readings. Don't read to understand everything, just skim and don't worry if you don't get something. Get a general idea. Come in time to class to go over the readings, ask your questions.

While this may seem like a waste of time, you will probably wind up saving yourself a lot of time and stress in the long run. This way you are always on top of your material, which is both effective and eliminates the anxiety that often accompanies studying.

Easier said than done, you say? Of course it's going to take uncommon discipline, but think of the uncommon payoff.

Keeping up with the reading is one thing, but scanning all of the material in advance gives you the bigger picture as well. You get a much better sense of how everything ties in and relates to each other. And then when it comes time to read and go over the material in class, you have a big advantage. When your professor goes over the material in class, listen and evaluate what he or she says. This process of evaluating what you've already attempted to learn on your own is crucial. If you have questions or disagreements, this is your time to ask.

You may be thinking, "Who has time for this kind of stuff?"

You usually do in fact have time when you make time for yourself. It doesn't mean you have to read a whole textbook in a few days; just skim over what's going to be covered on the next exam, or as much as you can.

The advantage is that you're ahead of the class, and not just keeping up. Come the week before the exam, you're going to be a lot more relaxed than you usually are because you have been actively learning and more than just keeping up. The night before the exam, rather than cramming like most students, you should only be reviewing. This way, it's much easier for you to come to the exam site relaxed and confident, which helps you do your best. Cramming makes you nervous and when you're nervous, you tend to over-analyze and doubt yourself.

For my third biology exam fourth semester, I tried this method--without even always being on top of everything--and not only was I a lot more well-rested and confident going into the exam, it was my highest exam score for the course. It obviously doesn't guarantee you great scores, but why not make studying as effective as you can?