Table of Contents
How to Use This Book v
Chapter One You Can Manage Your Time 1
Your Typical Day 3
One Week Later: Time to Consider Some Sacrifices 4
Using Time in School 12
Weekends and Holidays 14
Group Projects 17
Chapter Two Homework: Practically a Misnomer 21
The Reason for Homework 23
Preparation: What You Must Do at School 26
A Working Environment 31
Time and Sequence 33
The Question of Quality 35
If You're Having Trouble 38
Chapter Three How to Read a Book (and You Thought You Knew!) 45
Getting to Know Your Textbook 47
How to Read a Chapter in a General Textbook 51
How to Read a Foreign Language Textbook 54
How to Read a Math Textbook 55
How to Read Literature 56
When Reading Is Tough 69
Chapter Four Taking Notes: Capturing the Content 75
Learning to Listen 78
Taking Notes from Auditory Sources 83
Owning the Text 89
Taking Notes for Test and Quiz Preparation 92
Taking Notes for Reading Journals 95
Taking Notes for Research 99
Annotating 105
Chapter Five Creating Wonderful Outlines 111
The Difference Between Notes and Outlines 113
Outlines that Organize 115
Preparing Outlines from Textbook Readings 118
Creating Outlines from Notes 122
Preparing an Outline for a General Writing Task 128
Chapter Six How to Study for Tests and Quizzes (and How to Ace Them) 135
Every Night: The Best Approach to Studying 138
Memorization and Conceptual Learning 144
Preparing for an Essay Exam 151
A Team Effort: Studying with Friends 152
If You Just Don't Get It... 154
Taking the Test 156
Using Test Results for Self-Improvement 158
Chapter Seven Becoming a Better Writer 163
The Right Words 166
Sentence Sense178
Paragraphs 186
Chapter Eight Putting It All Together: The Research Paper 201
Selecting a Topic 204
Making a Schedule 207
Finding the Best Sources 210
Creating an Outline 216
The Works Cited Page 220
Acknowledgments 229
Index 231