Your first task will be to assess your current reading and study skills. To do this please complete the survey below.

Study Skills Assessment

The purpose of this assessment is to help you gain a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses in seven different study skills areas. Please read each statement carefully. After you have thought about how the statement applies to you, check either Y (yes) or N (no) to indicate whether or not the statement is true for you.

Goal Setting & Time Management

1. I use a calendar to write down assignment deadlines, test dates, appointments, and other personal and academic activities.
2. I develop and write down short-term and long-term academic goals and then work towards those goals.
3. I prioritize my personal and academic activities and then schedule my time around them.
4. I make a daily to-do list of personal and academic activities and refer to it throughout the day.
5. I begin working on assignments way before they are due.
6. I I know which time of day I am most productive and I use that time to study and do homework.
7. I am successful at balancing my academic and social activities.
8. I finish one task before moving on to the next.

Note Taking

9. I keep my notebooks organized and up-to-date.
10. I write notes in a manner that makes it easy to condense them.
11. I review my lecture notes from the previous class meeting before class begins.
12. I use a proven note-taking system (like the Cornell System) when taking notes on assigned readings and during class.
13. I take telegraphic notes instead of writing out complete sentences.
14. I write notes in the margins of my textbooks.
15. I listen for cues during class lectures that indicate when a certain point is of high importance and I mark the importance in my notes.
16. I read over my notes after a lecture and fill-in missing words, phrases, and facts that I may have missed.

Exam Preparation & Performance

17. I seek out help from classmates, tutors, and instructors when I do not understand something.
18. I complete and turn in assignments and homework on time.
19. I read the assigned material for my classes.
20. I study in quiet areas.
21. I am able to effectively predict what items will be on an exam and study accordingly.
22. I prepare and adhere to a study plan before exams to avoid last minute cramming.
23. I generate questions that allow me to recite and reflect on the material that will be on an upcoming exam.
24. I read over the syllabus for each class with a fine-tooth comb.
25. I look over the entire exam before I begin marking answers and review my answers before turning in my exam.

Writing

26. I research a topic before I begin writing a paper so that I know what I want to say in the paper, and I take complete notes to support my viewpoint.
27. I allow plenty of time to revise and edit what I have written in my first draft before submitting the final version of a formal paper.
28. I support my arguments with solid evidence obtained through my own research and properly cite this evidence in my papers.
29. I understand what plagiarism is and am comfortable requesting guidance about the use of sources either from my instructors or reference librarians.
30. I know how to use library resources, including scholarly works published online.
31. I effectively organize my thoughts on paper in a way that makes sense to my readers.
32. I regularly investigate shades of meaning (i.e., I use a dictionary) and am confident of my word choices in my writing.
33. I work with course preceptors, writing tutors, or peer editors to improve my writing.

Memory & Concentration

34. I have necessary supplies like pens, paper, a calculator, etc. organized and available in my workspace before I begin studying.
35. I am able to remember what I have just read when I reach the end of the chapter.
36. I recite items from my notes and from the text in my own words when I am reading or reviewing class material.
37. I limit myself to no more than 60 minutes of continuous study on a single subject.
38. I use memory tricks like mnemonics, acronyms, and acrostics to help remember new class material.
39. I look back over chapter headings, subheadings, and review questions after I finish reading a chapter in my textbook.
40. I study and read in quiet areas to avoid distractions.

Conceptual Understanding & Critical Analysis

41. I look up words I am unfamiliar with when I encounter them in my chapter reading.
42. I preview my textbooks at the beginning of the semester to get a “big picture” understanding of how the texts are organized.
43. I relate and compare new information or ideas to similar concepts with which I am already familiar.
44. I read all of the assigned reading material for class and hone in on the parts that the professor has signaled are especially important.
45. I frequently use the index in textbooks to quickly locate information.
46. I am familiar with what type of learner I am (kinetic, visual, auditory, etc.) and use that knowledge to my benefit.
47. I use diagrams when taking notes on reading material or lectures.
48. I do the end-of-the-chapter exercises whether they are assigned or not.

Anxiety & Stress Management

49. I get the grades I expect to get after studying for an exam.
50. I do not feel stressed or panicky before or during major exams.
51. I exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week.
52. I do not have difficulty paying attention in class.
53. I usually try to average about 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
54. I eat three well-balanced meals each day.
55. I maintain the same sleeping pattern throughout the week by going to bed at the same time and waking at the same time each day, even on weekends.
56. I have rarely, if ever, “gone blank” during an exam.
Email(Required)
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