Improve Study Skills

Middle school is recognized by most authorities as a crucial period in a student's life. You are at the point where schoolwork is becoming more difficult, and your grades are being counted on your official transcript. These factors alone are formidable, but classwork is also becoming more involved and abstract, and students are being asked to use their brains in ways analytical and intuitive that they may not have yet been called on to develop. Because this period in your life marks your passage into the adult world of practical knowledge, reasoning, and career study, it is important that you cultivate an effective method of learning and reviewing information that allows you to truly understand it. By acknowledging the following factors, you can develop the skills needed to absorb and apply information in class.
Create an appropriate study environment: Many students have a difficult time keeping up with their studies merely because they feel frustrated and uncomfortable when they sit down to begin them. In order to have an encouraging and fruitful experience when studying, you must be in an environment that allows for full concentration.
The first thing that any student appreciates when studying is an open, organized studying surface, such as a large desk or table. A desk with drawers or some plastic tubs that can be stored near the table will allow you to have your resources close by. It is to be stressed that the study area be open--having the space to spread out books and papers will minimize frustration. Furthermore, a focused study environment requires quiet and no distractions. The usual "supplies" that are brought to the study area--a CD player, snack food, etc.--are discouraged. These things break concentration and take time away from studies. The student should know that study time is study time, and should eat before or after--not during--his work. Other factors that create a good study environment are good lighting and comfortable furniture. Studying also requires the correct attitude. Be calm and patient with yourself as you review the material.Class time is when much of learning takes place. Pay attention during class, and don't expect to learn everything later on your own. Some good note-taking strategies are:

Using abbreviations or symbols for commonly used words (e.g. mlcl for molecule, w/ for "with," the Greek letter delta for the concept of change).
Singling out the most important information for the record (main ideas, necessary details).
Using clear headers to organize information.
Drawing pictures or diagrams rather than expressing "visual concepts" in words.
Develop effective memorization methods: While memorization is far from being all you'll need in middle school and high school, it is often called into use.The following is a list of some common study techniques on how to improve your memory:
List: When memorizing dates, formulae, etc., some find useful the most bare method of all--the list. When memorizing the scientific names of different organisms for a biology class, for instance, a student could create two columns side by side--one listing the common names, the other listing the scientific names. By reading the list over several times and then covering up pieces of information so that you are forced to remember them, you can teach your brain to associate the two names more quickly.