A Cognia Accredited and "A+ School of Excellence" | Tuition-Free Public Charter School | 26-27 School Year Applications Now Open A Cognia Accredited and "A+ School of Excellence" | Tuition-Free Public Charter School | 26-27 School Year Applications Now Open A Cognia Accredited and "A+ School of Excellence" | Tuition-Free Public Charter School | 26-27 School Year Applications Now Open
Apply Now Join Our Team
toggle menu

ONE PREP

Study Methods

One Prep provides students with helpful strategies and resources to strengthen their study skills, prepare for tests, and become more effective learners.

Click here for more information

Five Types of Studying

Type #1: Studying to Gather Information

The purpose of this type of studying is to create a complete and accurate set of notes from lectures and textbooks.

Effective ways to gather information include:

  • Identifying main ideas and important details in lectures and textbooks.
  • Organizing and condensing information into a format that supports learning.
  • Using study tools such as:
    • Notecards
    • The Cornell Note-Taking System
    • Outlines
  • Checking your notes to make sure they are complete and accurate.

Simply attending class or reading a textbook does not automatically result in learning. Learning depends on what you do with the information afterward.

Type #2: Studying to Learn Information

The purpose of this type of studying is to move information from short-term memory into long-term memory.

This requires repeated practice and recitation.

Some effective strategies include:

  • Scheduling regular times to review and recite lecture and textbook notes.
  • Creating notecards with the main idea on one side and supporting details on the other.
  • Looking at the main idea and attempting to recite the details aloud without looking.
  • Checking your answers for accuracy and completeness afterward.

If you can recall the information completely and accurately on the first attempt, place it in your “I Know This” pile and review it two or three times each week.

If your recall is incomplete or incorrect, continue practicing the material and place it in a “Not Yet Learned” pile. Review this material at least every other day until you can accurately recall it.

The number of times someone needs to review information varies from person to person. Some learners may need three or four repetitions, while others may need six to ten. This is normal and is not related to intelligence.

Type #3: Studying to Check for Learning

The purpose of this type of studying is to determine what you have actually learned before taking a test.

Self-testing is an effective way to check your learning.

Try the following:

  1. Look only at the main idea and hide the details.
  2. Recite the relevant information aloud without looking.
  3. Check your response for accuracy and completeness.
  4. If you recall everything correctly on the first attempt, you have learned the material.
  5. If your response is incomplete or incorrect, return to the strategies in Studying to Learn Information.

Self-testing can be done individually or with a study group two or three times each week.

Type #4: Studying to Refresh

The purpose of studying to refresh is to prevent forgetting information you have already learned.

Two effective strategies are:

  1. Schedule regular review sessions for previously learned material.
  2. Review learned material at least two or three times each week, either independently or with a study group.

Regular review helps prevent the Fading Effect, which occurs when information is not used or repeated often enough to remain in memory.

Type #5: Studying to Improve Learning Skills

This is one of the most overlooked types of studying.

The purpose is to identify which learning strategies are effective and which strategies need to be improved.

One of the best ways to do this is by reviewing returned quizzes and tests.

Ways to improve learning skills include:

  1. Use quizzes and tests as feedback about the effectiveness of your study strategies.
  2. Review answers that were completely correct and identify which learning strategies helped you learn the material.
  3. Review incorrect answers and determine which strategies were ineffective or missing.
  4. Modify or replace study strategies that resulted in lost points.

Additional resources for improving learning skills include:

  • Learning from successful students and their study habits.
  • Consulting books and resources about learning strategies.
  • Taking learning skills classes or attending workshops.
  • Asking instructors for advice.
  • Meeting with a campus learning skills counselor.

Cramming

Cramming is rarely an effective primary strategy for learning and may result in lower performance than a student is capable of achieving.

Some students may be able to memorize information quickly, but quick memorization does not always lead to a strong understanding of the material. It may also make it more difficult to apply, analyze, or remember information over a long period of time.

Students who take more time to understand information may have an advantage when applying, analyzing, and remembering concepts weeks, months, or even years later.

Khan Academy

Seniors & Juniors

By this point, students should be working toward completing their SAT or ACT testing by the end of their junior year.

To help achieve this goal:

  • Establish your target SAT or ACT scores by researching the colleges you are interested in attending and understanding the scores needed for scholarships such as Bright Futures.
  • Track your testing progress using your PSAT, practice SAT or ACT, and official test scores.

Knowing where you currently stand and what score you want to achieve can help you make adjustments and work toward your goals.

What is Khan Academy?

Khan Academy is an interactive educational resource that provides students with free learning materials, including videos, articles, and interactive practice questions. The platform adapts to student progress in different subjects.

Subjects Available

MATHEMATICS

  • Pre-Algebra
  • Algebra 1
  • Geometry
  • Algebra 2
  • Trigonometry
  • Precalculus
  • Statistics & Probability
  • AP Calculus AB
  • AP Calculus BC

SCIENCE

  • Physics
  • AP Physics 1
  • AP Physics 2
  • Chemistry
  • AP Chemistry
  • Biology
  • AP Biology
  • Health & Medicine

COMPUTER SCIENCE

  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Science

SOCIAL SCIENCE

  • World History
  • U.S. History
  • AP U.S. History
  • Art History

ECONOMICS

  • Microeconomics
  • Macroeconomics

TEST PREP

  • SAT

BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL

  • College Admissions
  • Careers
  • Personal Finance
  • Entrepreneurship

Cornell Notes

The Cornell Note-Taking System

Source: Cornell University

1. Record

During class, use the note-taking section to record important information from the lecture. Keep notes brief and focus on key ideas and details.

2. Questions

As soon as possible after class, create questions based on your notes.

Writing questions can help:

  • Clarify important ideas
  • Identify relationships between concepts
  • Strengthen memory
  • Prepare you for future studying

3. Recite

Cover the note-taking section with a sheet of paper.

Using only the questions or cue words, explain the answers aloud in your own words without looking at your notes.

4. Reflect

Think about the information and ask yourself questions such as:

  • What is the significance of these facts?
  • What principle is this information based on?
  • How can I apply this information?
  • How does this connect to what I already know?
  • What additional information can I learn?

5. Review

Spend at least ten minutes each week reviewing your previous notes.

Regular review can help you retain information for current assignments and future exams.

Apply Now