How to Study

Adapt to Your Teacher’s Style
All instructors (perhaps I should say all effective instructors) develop
a plan of attack for each class. They decide what points they will
make, how much time they will spend reviewing assignments and
previous lessons, what texts they will refer to, what anecdotes they
will use to provide comic relief or human interest, and how much time
they’ll allow for questions.
Building a note-taking strategy around each teacher’s typical “plan 
of attack” for lectures is another key to academic success. Why do
some students just seem to know what’s important and what’s not?
How do they ferret out exactly the information that’s “test-worthy”
while not even glancing at the material that isn’t?
What these students innately know is that items discussed during 
any lesson can be grouped into several categories:
■
Information not contained in the class text(s) or other
assigned reading. 
■
Explanations of obscure material covered in the text but with
which students may have difficulty. 
■
Demonstrations or examples to further explain a concept,
process, or subject. 
■
Background information to put course material in context. 
How to Study
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As you listen to your teacher, try to figure out which category his
remarks fall into. This will help you determine how detailed your notes
on that segment of the lecture should be.
How to Prepare for Any Class
In general, here’s how you should plan to prepare for any class before
you walk through the door and take your seat.
Complete All Assignments
Regardless of a particular teacher’s style or the classroom format 
she is using, virtually every course you take will have a formal text 
(or two or three or more) assigned to it. Though the way the text
explains or covers particular topics may differ substantially from your
teacher’s approach to the same material, your text is still the basis 
of the course and a key ingredient in your studying. You must read it,
plus any other assigned books, before you get to class.
You may sometimes feel you can get away without reading assigned
books beforehand, especially in a lecture format where you know the
chance of being called on is slim to none. But fear of being questioned
on the material is certainly not the only reason I stress reading the
material that’s been assigned. You will be lost if the professor
decides—for the first time ever!—to spend the entire period asking
the students questions. I’ve had it happen. And it is not a pleasant
experience for the unprepared.
You’ll also find it harder to take clear and concise notes in class when
you don’t know what’s in the text— in which case you’ll be frantically
taking notes on material you could have underlined in your books the
night before. You’ll also find it difficult to evaluate the relative impor-
tance of the teacher’s remarks.
Chapter 5
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How to Excel in Class
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If you’re heading for a discussion group, how can you participate
without your reading as a basis? I think the lousiest feeling in the world
is sitting in a classroom knowing that, sooner or later, you are going
to be called on and you don’t know the material.
Remember: Completing your reading assignment includes not just
reading the main text but any other books or articles assigned, plus
handouts that may have been previously passed out. It also means
completing any nonreading assignments—turning in a lab report,
preparing a list of topics, or being ready to present your oral report.
Needless to say, while doing your homework is important, turning it
in is an essential second step! My daughter, Lindsay, refused to use
any organizational system for a short time. As a result, in addition to
a host of missed appointments and forgotten assignments, she would
often forget to pack the homework she did do, or bring it to school
but forget to turn it in.
One simple change I made in her routine has made a world of
difference: She now has a bright red manila folder, marked 
“HOMEWORK,” into which she puts every completed assignment
the instant it’s done. When she gets to class, she immediately pulls
out her folder to see if she has something to turn in. (She’s also given
up on her “nonorganizational” system, but that’s another story.)