What Does Study Mean in College?

Unfortunately, many students don’t know what it means to “study” in college.  Studying is essential to getting good grades.  This list provides key components necessary to learn college level material.

Attend every class and listen actively

Take handwritten notes during lectures.

Read all text assignments

Reading out loud causes you to focus and read slowly.  It also allows you to hear the material. Be aware of what to do before, during, and after reading.

Create notes using a note taking system such as Cornell notes

More information about Cornell notes and other note taking systems can be found here

Manipulate your lecture notes as soon after class as possible

This means putting them on note cards, creating a mind map, changing the format (for example create an outline), creating charts and graphs, drawing sketches -- anything that causes you to think about them.

Set up a study schedule

Be sure your schedule includes at least 2 hours of studying for every hour that you spend in class. This may vary depending on the course and your study habits, so determine what is right for you.

Use study strategies to improve learning

Attend Virtual Learning Center workshop sessions or arrange for Personal Strategy Sessions with a member of the VLC Team.

Visit the OCCC Labs

OCCC has many student labs available to assist you.  They are a great resource as they provide FREE tutoring to OCCC students! 

Quiz yourself

Quiz yourself on your lecture notes, book notes, class handouts etc.  on a regular basis. Self-test regularly to determine what you DO and what you DON’T know.  Do this well in advance of the test so that you have time to continue studying.  Create your own tests using a format like the one used on the actual test.  Repeat the self-test until you are confident you know the material.

Form study groups

Compare notes, create test questions and answers, and quiz each other.

Do the homework

Work on projects and papers starting as soon as they are assigned.  Work a little at a time until the project/paper is completed ahead of the due date.

Teach someone else what you know!

Explaining the course content you are learning to others can help you cement the new knowledge in your mind and help identify areas where you may not be as clear about the learning as you could or should be.

We're Here to Help You! 

The VLC has multiple resources and opportunities available to provide assistance to you. 

• Study Hacks - Do you wish that someone could help you look at things and see how you could spend your time more efficiently and get better results? 
  
• Tech Support -Do you have the tech blues?  Contact the VLC for some help. 
• Note Taking - Is taking notes in class hard for you?  Do you wish you could capture all that is being said in class in a way that makes sense when you get home to study?  Check out Cornell notes!
• Test Anxiety - Do taking tests stress you out?  Do the questions seem tricky and hard to understand? We have some resources available to help you!
• Reading a College Textbook - How to plow through the material and make sense of it all the reading you'll need to do to be prepared and succeed.
• Organizing Strategies to De-Stress Your Days - Getting and staying organized can be a challenge for most of us.  Once an organizational system is put into place, it can reduce the stress of completing the other parts of your day. The VLC has some easy tips to get and stay organized!