The document provides tips for academic success including setting goals, choosing courses, using resources, meeting instructors, active learning, time management, reading skills, note-taking, involvement in extracurricular activities, specific note-taking skills like using a separate notebook for each class, sitting at the front, pre-reading, identifying main points, reasons to take notes, identifying important content, study skills like using flashcards and study groups, creating study guides, quizzing oneself, getting enough sleep, and test-taking skills like arriving early, confidence, following directions, planning time, and reviewing answers.

1. Note Taking, Test Taking
& Study Skills

2. Ten Steps to Academic
Success Set individual academic and personal goals.
 Choose courses carefully, especially during the
first year.
 Know and use resources.
 Meet and get to know your instructors.
 Learn actively.
 Manage your time well.
 Know and actively use reading skills.
 Develop strong listening and note-taking skills.
 Get involved in co-curricular activities; learn

3. Note Taking Skills
 Use a separate notebook
for each class.
 Put a heading and date
on notes each day to
remember when you
discussed the topic.
 Sit near the front of the
class to have direct
communication with the
professor.

4. Note Taking Skills
Continued Attend all lectures, even if
attendance is not necessary.
Listening to the lecture helps to
reinforce the material.
 Pre read material in text to be
better prepared for what the
lecture will cover.
 Learn to identify main points
and summarize information in
lecture.

5. Reasons To Take
Notes Making yourself take notes forces you to listen
carefully and test your understanding of the
material.
 When reviewing, notes provide a gauge to what is
important in the text.
 Personal notes are usually easier to remember than
the text.
 Writing down important points helps you
remember them even before you have studied the
material formally.

6. What Is Important
 Material written on the board,
overhead or power point.
 Repetition – anything that the
instructor repeats.
 Emphasis - can be judged by tone of
voice or the amount of time the
instructor spends on the topic.
 Summaries given at the end of class
 Reviews given at the beginning of
class.

7. Study Skills
 Study for the test over several days
– don’t cram the night before.
 Use flash cards to memorize key
words and definitions.
 Create a review sheet or study guide
with all of the important facts.
 Quiz yourself.

8. Study Skills
Continued Form a study group to review
with.
 Find a comfortable, quiet place to
study for best concentration.
 Take breaks to regroup and give
your brain time to retain.
 Get a good nights sleep so you are
more alert.

9. Test Taking Skills
 Be prepared. Arrive early
and review notes.
 Approach the exam with
confidence. View the exam as
an opportunity to show how
much you have studied.
 Read and listen to directions.
 Skim the exam and plan your
time wisely.

10. Test Taking Skills
Continued
 Answer the easier questions first to
build confidence and create
momentum.
 If you don’t know an answer, skip it.
Another question may trigger your
memory or provide the answer.
 Save a few minutes to go back over the
test and review your answers to look
for careless mistakes.