Mike Gates

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Mike Gates is currently reading

How to Improve Study Habits

by Christine Reidhead (Goodreads Author)

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Mike Gates said: " This is an excellent book for students either developing new approaches to study habits or re-calibrating the ones that they have. This can be an overwhelming task to embark on for a lot of us because we have approaches that have become familiar and This is an excellent book for students either developing new approaches to study habits or re-calibrating the ones that they have. This can be an overwhelming task to embark on for a lot of us because we have approaches that have become familiar and routine, and at least we’ve come to believe they are the best way to go. What Christine Reidhead offers the readers with this book is a chance to rebuild our perspective from the ground up.

What makes it effective is the simple, straightforward approach that emphasizes first becoming aware of what we’re already doing to affect our success. While young people are often given guidance on what they should be doing to achieve good grades, some of this guidance tends to be a little overly simplistic. “Work hard, take notes, apply yourself”, etc. With this book, the new student can makes conscious, deliberate decisions about everything from where to study, when to study, and who to study with. Reidhead highlights the things which the student should factor in as they do this, making every part of the study process a conscious decision customized for maximum impact. There is nothing complicated about the approach, but many of the things that can have a major influence on concentration and memory are not properly considered when we dive into intensive study sessions, and this book fills that gap.

Through nine chapters, the student gets to review the major critical factors affecting learning and helps streamline their process. The book discusses ways to organize information and set goals, learning styles and specific methods to cater to the different varieties (an especially overlooked topic by many students), and finally the skills that come after these foundational items are taken into consideration. Of course you shouldn’t continue to do anything if you’re not seeing benefits, and the book highlights this flexible approach, encouraging “trial periods” for your new routine, and criteria for determining if it’s working. Bad habits are highlighted and cautioned against, as well as the somewhat elusive effect our environment itself can have on our study abilities.

Finally, Reidhead discusses how overdoing your study session, or committing the cardinal sin of cramming, can be detrimental, and the importance of being able to recognize when it’s time to take a break. The key reoccurring word is discipline, which is the element the student must bring to the table. With this excellent book, which also includes a planner and comprehension quizzes, the student can assemble all of the tools they need and apply that discipline as they create a personalized technique to truly work smarter, rather than harder. This book is an excellent gift or personal resource for any student, and will continue to pay off the more its’ lessons are put into play. I highly recommend it. ...more "

Nov 08, 2020 12:18PM · see review