1. IMPROVE YOUR GRADES!
Key Study Skills for Success
Presented by John Jablonski
September 19, 2011

2. TAKE GREAT NOTES!
 Cornell Note-Taking Method
 Organized and Concise System
 Builds on the “5R’s” of Note-Taking
 Record
 Reduce
 Recite
 Reflect
 Review
Robinson, Keith. “Cornell Notetaking Method.” Lifehaker.com.
Lifehacker.com 13 September 2005. Web 19 September 2011.

3. CORNELL SYSTEM EXPLAINED
 Divide page into three sections.
 Write main idea in left column and after
class create questions about the
material.
 Write brief notes and focus on the most
important and heavily stressed material.
 Write a summary in the bottom section
after class.

4. FOLLOW 5R’S OF NOTE -TAKING
 Record – Focus on important information and keep it brief!
 Reduce – Summarize material down to a few words after class.
 Recite – Cover your note section and explain the key items and
concepts that you wrote in the other two section
 Reflect – Study your notes and think about the significance of the
material and make it meaningful to you.
 Review – Review as often as possible.

5. READ & RETAIN MORE WITH SQ3R!
 Proven technique for remembering more from reading
assignments.
 SURVEY – Scan the material briefly to get a general idea first.
 QUESTION – When you survey form a question for each section.
 READ – Read a section at a time. Answer your questions and
pay special attention to highlighted material and graphical
representations.
 RECITE – After reading, write down the answers to your
questions.
 REVIEW – Identify and make sure you understand the important
concepts. Mulholland, Ellen. “SQ3R: Note-taking Made Easy.”
Associatedcontent.com. Associatedcontent.com 15 August 2006. Web
19 September 2011.

6. REMEMBER MORE!
 Techniques that use associations
will help you to remember more
about series or related concepts.
 Effective strategies can include
letters, visual images or even
songs.
 Use the strategy that works best for
you.

7. TOP MEMORY STRATEGIES
 Acronyms
 Choose or invent your own word or name where each letter will be a cue for you to
remember related items.
 PEMDAS could be used to remember the sequence for solving math equations:
Parenthesis – Exponent – Multiplication – Division – Addition – Subtraction
 Roy G. Biv could be used to remember the colors in the visible spectrum:
Red – Orange – Yellow – Green – Blue – Indigo – Violet
 Acrostics
 Use a sentence where the first letter of each word is a memory cue.
 Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally could be used for the same sequence for solving math
equations described above.
Parenthesis – Exponent – Multiplication – Division – Addition – Subtraction
Landsberger, Joe. “Using Memory Effectively.” Study Guides and
Strategies. Studygs.net, September 2011. Web 19 September
2011.

8. MORE MEMORY STRATEGIES
 The Method of Loci
 Select a location that you know well such as a room in your home.
 Make associations between items to remember and major objects that you
would see when you walk through that location.
 Chaining
 Create a story where each item that you need to remember cues the next
associated item.
Landsberger, Joe. “Using Memory Effectively.” Study Guides and
Strategies. Studygs.net, September 2011. Web 19 September
2011.

9. MANAGE YOUR TIME WISELY!
 Use basic time management principles to increase your efficiency.
 Identify best time to study.
 Study difficult subjects first.
 Study in short time periods with short breaks.
 Study in a location that has minimal distractions.
 Allow time to reward yourself with recreational activities.
 Get proper sleep and nutrition.
 Use waiting times for other activities to review or study.
University of Minnesota Duluth Achievement Center. “Time
Management Principles.” Student Handbook. 16 January 2011. Web
19 September 2011.
<http://www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/acad/strat/time_man_princ.h
tml>

10. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!
 Do NOT wait until the last minute to study!
 Review notes before and after class.
 Schedule a review period at the end of each week.
 The more you review; the more you retain.

11. SUMMARY FOR SUCCESS
 Use the Cornell method to take great notes.
 Use SQ3R to retain more from reading.
 Use memory strategies to remember related concepts.
 Manage your time wisely.
 Review
 Get Straight A’s!!!

12. WORKS CITED
 Landsberger, Joe. “Using Memory Effectively.” Study Guides and Strategies. Studygs.net, September 2011.
Web 19 September 2011.
 Mulholland, Ellen. “SQ3R: Note-taking Made Easy.” Associatedcontent.com. Associatedcontent.com 15
August 2006. Web 19 September 2011.
 Robinson, Keith. “Cornell Notetaking Method.” Lifehaker.com. Lifehacker.com 13 September 2005. Web 19
September 2011.
 University of Minnesota Duluth Achievement Center. “Time Management Principles.” Student Handbook. 16
January 2011. Web 19 September 2011. <
http://www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/acad/strat/time_man_princ.html >