Includes bibliographical references and index.

Getting Ready to Learn -- Characteristics of Successful Students -- Becoming an Active Learner -- Becoming a Strategic Learner -- Using Learning Styles to Enhance Performance -- What Are Learning Styles? -- Characteristics of Learning Modalities -- Why Your Learning Style Is Important -- Getting Motivated to Learn -- Factors That Influence Motivation -- Strategies to Increase Motivation -- Getting Your Money's Worth -- Why Are You in College? -- Making the Transition to Learn -- Balancing School, Home, and Work Responsibilities -- Accepting New Responsibilities -- Managing Stress -- Decision Making and Problem Solving -- TIPS for Making the Transition to College -- Making the Most of Your College Resources -- Getting to Know the Turf -- Student Support Services -- Your College Library -- Your Professors -- Your College Advisor -- Goal Setting -- What Are Goals? -- Characteristics of Goals -- Long- and Short-Term Goals -- Academic and Personal Goals -- Goal Setting Improves Performance -- Writing Effective Goal Statements -- Use the Five-Step Approach -- Develop an Action Plan -- Setting Goals for the New Semester -- Set Priorities for the First Three Weeks -- Plan for Early Success -- Plan Rewards -- Ten Tips to Get Off to the Right Start This Semester -- Consider Consequences -- Revise Your Goals Periodically -- Time Management -- Analyze Your Use of Time -- Why Is Time Management Important? -- How Do You Manage Your Time Now? -- Identify Time Available for Study -- Identify Time Needed for Study -- Establish a New Time Plan -- Organize Your Study Time -- Create a Semester Calendar -- Prepare Weekly Task Lists -- Use Daily "To Do" Lists -- Set Up Your Study Schedule -- Work Ahead -- Use Time-Management Strategies to Stay Motivated -- Study in One-Hour Blocks -- Take Breaks -- Time Management TIPS for Nontraditional Students -- Tackle Difficult Assignments First -- Switch Subjects -- Plan Rewards -- Reevaluate Your Time Plan -- Coping with Procrastination -- Main Causes of Procrastination -- Other Reasons Why Students Procrastinate -- Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination -- Improving Concentration -- What Is Concentration? -- The Three Levels of Concentration -- The Concentration Cycle -- Causes of Poor Concentration -- Concentration Problems During Lecture Classes -- Concentration Problems When Your Read Your Text -- Concentration Problems When You Study for Exams -- Strategies for Improving Concentration -- Create a Positive Learning Environment -- Deal with Internal Distractions -- Ten Tips for Setting Up a Good Study Environment -- Use Active Learning Strategies -- Match Your Learning Style to the Task -- Monitor Your Concentration -- Benefits of Improved Concentration -- Taking Lecture Notes -- Why Take Lecture Notes? -- How to Take Lecture Notes -- Prepare Before Taking Notes -- Become an Active Listener -- Use an Effective Note-Taking System -- What to Include in Your Notes -- Headings -- Details -- Additional Strategies for Taking Lecture Notes -- Discussion Classes -- Math and Science Classes -- How to Edit Your Notes -- Fill in the Gaps -- Check for Accuracy -- Clarify Meaning -- Rewrite to Improve Organization -- Develop a Recall Column -- How to Review Your Notes -- When and Why You Should Review -- How You Should Review -- Reading Your Textbook -- General Strategies for Reading College Texts -- Buy Your Textbooks Early -- TIPS for Reading College Textbooks -- Preview Your Textbooks -- Read the Chapter Before the Lecture -- Read Ten Pages at a Time -- Monitor Your Comprehension -- Become a Critical Reader -- What Is Critical Reading? -- Understanding Critical Reading Skills -- Use a Text Reading/Study System -- The P2R Reading/Study System -- The SQ3R Reading/Study System -- The S-RUN-R Reading/Study System -- Marking Your Textbook -- Why Should You Mark Your Text? -- How Should You Mark Your Text? -- Highlight -- Underline -- Make Marginal Notes -- Avoid Complex Marking Systems -- What Should You Mark? -- Mark Headings -- Mark Main Ideas -- Focus on Supporting Details -- How Much Should You Mark? -- How to Review Your Text Marking -- Re-Mark Your Text -- TIPS for Marking Your Text -- Take Notes on Your Marking -- How to Evaluate Your Text Marking -- Be Sure Your Marking Makes Sense -- Get Feedback on Your Marking -- Test Your Marking After an Exam -- Taking Text Notes -- Why Should You Take Text Notes? -- Note Taking Promotes Active Reading -- Note Taking Condenses the Material -- When Should You Take Text Notes? -- When You First Read the Chapter -- After the Lecture -- At the End of the Week -- When You Prepare for the Exam -- How Should You Take Text Notes? -- Written Notes -- Mapping -- Charting -- TIPS for Taking Text Notes -- How Should You Review Your Text Notes? -- Recite Your Notes -- Replicate Your Notes -- Create a Recall Column -- How Should You Evaluate Your Text Notes? -- Preparing for Exams -- Gather Information Before You Study -- Learn About the Exam -- Levels of Questions -- Learn About Yourself -- Use the Five-Day Study Plan -- Space Your Study -- Divide the Material -- Study the Oldest Material First -- Plan Active Study Tasks -- Monitor Your Learning -- Use Active Study Strategies -- Reread and Re-Mark Your Text and Notes -- Prepare Word Cards -- Make Question Cards -- Create Study Sheets -- Make Self-Tests -- Use Recitation Strategies -- More Active Study Strategies -- Study in a Group -- Evaluate Your Preparation -- Evaluate as You Prepare -- Evaluate After You Complete Your Plan -- Evaluate After the Exam -- Improving Memory -- Understanding Memory Processes -- Information Processing Model -- Retrieval and Forgetting -- Why You Need Memory Strategies -- General Memory Strategies -- Spaced Practice -- Breaking Down Tasks -- Repetition -- Overlearning -- Specific Memory Strategies -- Rehearsal Strategies -- Elaboration Strategies -- More TIPS for Improving Your Memory -- Organizational Strategies -- Comprehension Monitoring Strategies -- Affective and Motivational Strategies -- Taking Objective Tests -- Reduce Test Anxiety -- What Is Test Anxiety? -- What Causes Test Anxiety? -- Is Test Anxiety Normal? -- Coping with Test Anxiety -- Don't Let Test Anxiety Become an Excuse -- General Test-Taking Strategies -- Prepare Well -- Follow Directions -- Budget Your Time -- Answer the Easiest Questions First -- Specific Test-Taking Strategies -- Strategies for Matching Tests -- Strategies for True/False Tests -- Strategies for Multiple-Choice Tests -- Guessing Strategies -- Look for Patterns -- Check for Balanced Answer Keys -- Guessing Doesn't Replace Proper Preparation -- Learning from Exams -- End-of-Exam Strategies -- Evaluate Your Preparation -- Learn from Your Mistakes -- Get Help Before the Next Exam -- Preparing for Essay Tests -- Predict Questions -- Predict Extra Questions -- Predict the Right Kinds of Questions -- Predict Challenging Questions -- Gather Information -- Treat Each Question Separately -- Organize Information -- Label Each Point -- Outline Your Answer -- Learn the Information -- Identify and Learn Key Points -- Use Mnemonic Devices -- Write Out the Answer -- Why You Should Write Out Your Answer -- Practice Using Your Outline -- Write Out the Most Difficult Questions -- Prepare All Sample Questions -- TIPS for Preparing for Essay Tests -- Taking Essay Tests -- How to Take an Essay Test -- Read the Directions Carefully -- Plan Before You Write -- Write Your Answer -- Factors That Influence Your Grade -- Content -- TIPS for Taking Essay Tests -- Format -- Mechanics -- Neatness -- Strategies for Gaining More Points -- Use the Exam as a Resource -- Always Write Something -- Leave Extra Space -- What If You Run Out of Time? -- Learning from Exams -- What Can You Learn? -- How Can You Evaluate Your Answer? -- Rewrite Your Answers for Comparison -- Preparing for Final Exams -- What Are Final Exams? -- How Should You Prepare? -- Manage Your Time Efficiently -- Make Academics Your Top Priority -- Set Priorities for Exams -- Attend All Classes -- Reduce Test Anxiety -- Preparation Strategies -- Make a Final-Exam Schedule -- Set Up a Study Schedule -- Prepare for Comprehensive Finals -- Use Active Study Strategies -- Stay Motivated -- TIPS for Preparing for Final Exams -- Put Forth Your Best Effort on Each Exam -- Monitor Your Progress -- Communicating on Paper, Orally, and on the Internet -- Communicating on Paper -- Writing Is a Process -- Brainstorm -- Get Focused -- Getting Organized -- List and Select Ideas -- Develop a Tentative Thesis -- Outline Your Paper -- Drafting Your Paper -- The Introduction -- The Body Paragraphs -- The Conclusion -- Revising Your Paper -- Revise as You Plan -- Revise After Your Paper Is Returned -- Evaluating Your Paper -- Compare Your Paper with Previous Papers -- Discuss Your Paper with Your Professor -- Communicating Orally -- Preparing a Speech -- Choose the Topic -- Research the Topic -- Organize the Information -- Prepare Your Speaking Aids -- Practice the Speech -- Delivering a Speech -- Prepare Yourself to Speak -- Use Good Delivery Techniques -- Evaluating a Speech -- Communicating on the Internet -- What Is the Internet? -- Getting Connected -- Finding Information on the Internet -- Browsing for Information -- Searching for Information -- Narrowing Your Search -- Doing Library Research On-line -- TIPS for Communicating on the Internet.

This guide provides readers with a solid foundation of learning skills and strategies that will help them succeed in college. No other book does a better job of building on the reader's previous school years of studying and prepares them for college courses that are more difficult, more intensive, and faster paced.