1. READ THE BOOKS! Before all else fails, read the directions.
2. PUT IN THE TIME! You should plan to spend a lot of time on this class. In college the average amount of study time per week should be twice the amount of lecture time in each class. Since you will spend 5 hours per week in this class, you should plan on spending at least 10 hours per week studying for this class.
3. ASK QUESTIONS! Come prepared with questions. Work through the curriculum before coming to class and develop a list of questions or topics for which you would like an alternative explanation. If the instructor doesn’t answer these questions or offer the explanation during lecture, ask the question or request the explanation. Ask the instructor to clarify any points you have at the point of your confusion, don’t expect to figure it out later.
4. TAKE NOTES IN CLASS. What did he say? That it was going to on the test or not? Notes help you remember.
5. TAKE NOTES WHILE ONLINE and WHILE WORKING! If writing notes in class helps you remember what the instructor said, taking notes while reading will help you remember what the author wrote. Highlighting does not improve memory.
6. ANSWER THE PRACTICE QUESTIONS at the end of each lesson. These are sample test questions and you can expect the exam questions to be very similar in design and content.
7. REVIEW NEW MATERIAL WITHIN 24 HOURS. A quick reading of your notes the day after you take them will almost double your memory of the material. If you read the notes out loud, it will double your memory.
8. START ASSIGNMENTS IMMEDIATELY! All assignments in this course will take longer than you expect. If you start early, you will be able to use the instructor’s (and fellow students’) class and lab time to help you develop your project. Waiting until the week it is due will not leave enough time to ask for help!
9. HAVE FUN! If you become bored, frustrated or sleepy this usually means that your short-term memory is “full” and it is time to take a break. Even a short break will give your short-term memory a chance to process what it has just absorbed.