There are very few “rights” and “wrongs” out there in the study
world. There’s certainly no single “right” way to attack a multiple-
choice test or take notes or write a paper. So don’t get fooled into
thinking there
is, especially if what you’re doing seems to be working
for you. Don’t change what “ain’t broke” just because some self-
proclaimed study guru claims what you’re doing is all wet. Maybe he’s
all wet.
Needless to say, don’t read
my books
looking for some single, inestimable
system of “rules” that works for everyone. You won’t find it, ’cause
there’s no such bird. You
will find a plethora of techniques, tips, tricks,
gimmicks, and what-have-you, some or all of which may work
for you, some of which won’t. Pick and choose,
change and adapt,
figure out what works for you. Because
you are responsible for
creating
your study system,
not me.
That said, I can guarantee that the nearly 1,000 pages of my
How to
Study Program contain the most wide-ranging,
comprehensive, and
complete system of studying ever published. I have attempted to
create a system that is usable, useful, practical, and learnable. One
that
you can use—whatever your age, whatever your level of achieve-
ment, whatever your IQ—to
start doing better in school, in work,
and in life
immediately.
I think we’ve spent enough time talking about what you’re
going to
learn. Let’s get on with the learning.
Ron Fry
How to Use This Book
xvii
“It is not enough to understand what we ought to be,
unless we understand what we are; and
we do not understand
what we are, unless we know what we ought to be.”
—T.S. Eliot
T
aking a good, honest look at yourself is not the easiest thing
in the world. In the next two chapters, I’m going to help you:
■
Evaluate the current level of all your study skills, a necessary
step to identify those areas in which you need to concentrate
your efforts.
■
Identify the study environment and learning style that suit you.
■
Categorize all of your school subjects according to how well
you
like them and how well you
do in them.
Chapter 1
How
to Start out Right
1