Study skills are techniques that make learning more efficient and more rewarding. As students progress through school, they become more and more responsible for their own learning. Attending class regularly, participating, getting the most out of instruction, and being prepared for class and exams are just some of the skills students must develop in order to succeed. It is also crucial for students to develop successful study habits including: careful listening and effective note-taking, carefully preparing for and taking tests, thinking strategically, taking an active approach to studying, and being able to self-regulate learning and studying. This chart describes some necessary skills related to developing good study techniques.

Necessary SubSkills Common Obstacles Helpful Tips
Student is able to take meaningful and efficient notes, e.g., pulls out key points from class instruction and from textbooks, has an organized way of taking notes, etc. Student doesn’t have good note-taking skills, e.g. doesn’t pull out the important information from lectures or textbooks, doesn’t have an efficient system for taking or organizing notes, etc. view
Student can prepare for upcoming tests, e.g., knows what topics to study and how to study them. Student has difficulty preparing for tests, e.g., doesn’t know what topics study or how to go about studying them. view
Student takes an active approach to studying, e.g., uses strategies to help learn and remember information. Student is passive when studying, e.g., doesn’t use strategies to learn or remember information. view
Student is able to self-regulate when studying or doing homework, e.g., sets goals for himself, evaluates how he is doing, changes his approach or strategy as needed, etc. Student doesn?t plan ahead or set goals for himself when studying or doing homework.Student doesn?t monitor how his studying is going, e.g., doesn?t check to see if his strategy is working well, or if he needs to change his approach. view