#sq3r method

[joelbrandall1]

You're probably making your textbook reading far harder and less productive than you're supposed to. Take the SQ3R method for a spin! Follow for more college hacks.

[lapathtomedschool]

The SQ3R Method

SQ3R method

Survey: get the best overall picture of what you're going to study BEFORE you study it. It's like looking at a road map before going on a trip.

Question: ask questions for learning. The important things to learn are usually answers to questions. Questions should lead to emphasis on the what, why, how, when, who and where of study content. Ask yourself questions as you read or study. As you answer them, you will help to make sense of the material and remember it more easily because the process will make an impression on you. Those things that make impressions are more meaningful, and therefore more easily remembered.  

Read, Recite, Review

Read: when you read, read actively, Read to answer questions you have asked yourself or questions the instructor has asked. Always be alert to bold or italicized print. Tables, graphs, and illustrations can convey an idea more powerfully than written text. 

Recite: when you recite, you stop reading periodically to recall what you have read. Try to recall main headings, important ideas of concepts presented in bold or italicized type, and what graphs, charts or illustrations indicate. Try to connect things you have just read to things you already now. When you do this periodically, the chances are you will remember much more and be able to recall materials for papers, essays, and objective tests.

Review: a review is a survey of what you have covered. It is a review of what you are supposed to accomplish, not what you are going to do. Rereading is an important part of the review process. Reread wit hthe idea that you are measuring what you have gained from the process. During review, it's a good time to go over notes you have taken to help clarify points you may have missed or don't understand. The best time to review is when you have just finished studying something. 

Reading: Read with a purpose. You must know before you begin reading what your purpose is, and read accordingly. 

  Taking Lecture Notes

When listening to a lecture, formulate questions as you listen. Your main job in taking lecture notes is to be a good listener. To be a good listener, you must learn to focus and concentrate on the main points of the lecture. Get them down, and then later reorganize them in your own words.