Effective study skills and strategies are the basis of effective learning. They give you an opportunity to approach learning tasks systematically and independently. By always using good study habits and learning to work like a successful student, you can become one. 　

　Learning is a very personal matter. There isn't one study skill or learning strategy that works for every person in every situation. Therefore, you must learn what you know, learn what you don't know, and learn what to do about it. Don't always wait for others to tell you what to learn or how to do it. 　

　Know Yourself 　　　Begin by honestly assessing your strengths and weaknesses in basic college skills and identify your learning style preferences. Many factors may affect learning, but consider whether you learn most effectively by reading, by watching, by listening, or by doing. You must also become familiar with your instructors' teaching styles to help you adapt your learning style to them for your best advantage. In addition, consider when and where you are at your best for learning. (Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you prefer to be alone or with others? Do you concentrate best in a bright room with noise or in a cozy, quiet corner?) 　

　Manage Your Time And Life　　　 Learn to manage your time and control your own life. Identify what your goals are and then establish priorities to help you reach them. If you aren't spending time on your priorities, you must make the necessary adjustments or you won't reach your goals. If school learning and good grades are priorities, then you must make and follow a schedule that gives a significant amount of time to class and study. 　

　Improve Your Concentration　　　As a good student, you will not necessarily study more than a poor student, but you will definitely use your study time more effectively. Learn to keep your attention focused on the task at hand. When you are in class or ready to study, give it your full attention. How well you learn something, not how fast you learn it, is the critical factor in remembering. You must "get" something before you can "forget" it. 　

　 Know What Study Means & How To Do It 　　　Learning takes more than just going to class and doing homework. It is really a four-part cycle:
preview→class→review→study→
When you establish a learning-cycle routine you will be able to learn more in less time with less stress. 　

　Become An Active Reader　　　 To learn from reading or studying, you must be an active, thinking participant in the process, not a passive bystander. Always preview the reading and make sure you have a specific purpose for each assignment. Read actively to fulfill your purpose and answer questions about the material. Keep involved by giving yourself frequent tests over what you've read. 　

　Build Listening & Notetaking Skills　　　 Accurately listening to a lecture and deciding what is important are two aspects that must be mastered before you worry about how to write the information in your notes. Again, being an active rather than a passive participant is the key to your success. 　

　 True education is not about cramming material into your brain. Instead, true education is a process of expanding your capabilities, of bringing yourself into the world. Professors can merely set the stage for you to create learning through your own action. 　

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