Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens

by Barbara Oakley

Test Preparation Checklist* Answer “Yes” only if you usually do these things: ______Yes ______No 1. Did you get a reasonable night’s sleep before the test? (If your answer is “No,” then your answers to the rest of the questions may not matter.) ______Yes ______No 2. Did you review your notes from class not long after you took them? Did you use active recall during your review to see if you could easily pull to mind the key ideas? ______Yes ______No 3. Did you study a little bit on most days instead of waiting until the last minute and cramming right before the test? ______Yes ______No 4. Did you focus carefully during your study sessions, doing your best to avoid distractions except when you were taking a break? ______Yes ______No 5. Did you study in different locations? ______Yes ______No 6. Did you read your textbook or class worksheets carefully? (Just fishing around for the answer to what you’re working on doesn’t count.) While you were reading, did you avoid too much underlining and highlighting your textbook? Did you make brief notes about the book’s key ideas and then