How to Study

Who Is This Book Really For?
While I originally wrote How to Study for high school students, I’ve
discovered over the years that I could probably count on only a 
couple of hands the number of such students who actually bought 
a copy of the book.
The surprise was that so many of the people buying How to Study
(and writing me reams of letters along the way) were adults. Yes, a
number of them were returning to school and saw How to Study as a
great refresher. And some were long out of school but had figured
out that if they can learn now the study skills their teachers never
taught them (or they never took the time to learn), they will do 
better in their careers.
All too many were parents who had the same lament: “How do I get
Johnny to read (study, do better on tests, remember more, get 
better grades)? If all his classes were on PlayStation, he’d be an A 
student!”
So I want to briefly take the time to address every one of the audi-
ences for this book and discuss some of the factors particular to each
of you.
How to Study
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If You’re a High School Student
You should be particularly comfortable with the format of the book—
its relatively short sentences and paragraphs, occasionally humorous
(hopefully) headings and subheadings, and the language used. I wrote
it with you in mind!
But you should also be uncomfortable with the fact that you’re
already in the middle of your school years— the period that will 
drastically affect, one way or the other, all the rest of your career—
and you still don’t know how to study! Don’t lose another minute. 
Make learning how to study and mastering all of the study skills in 
this book your absolute priority.
If You’re a Middle School Student
Congratulations! You’re learning how to study at precisely the right
time. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grades—before that sometimes-
cosmic leap to high school—is without a doubt the period in which 
all these study skills should be mastered, since doing so will make 
high school not just easier, but a far more positive and successful 
experience.