Overview

When you settle in to study for a test, it's sometimes difficult to know where to begin. The first thing you should know when you study is how to use your textbook. Sections such as the index and the table of contents make it easier to find the material your test covers. You can use the glossary to access definitions of technical words used in your book.

You can get more out of your study time by setting goals and planning how long you think it will take to accomplish them. You can also use a study method, such as SQ3R. In SQ3R, you can survey the materials by skimming them, question yourself about the test topic, read important sections of the material carefully, record the answers to your questions after thinking about them, and finally review, or check these answers against the text to see if they are correct.

Presenting information efficiently is the key to a successful study session. You can use tables, time lines, and other graphic aids to organize ideas. Presenting information graphically makes it easier to see relationships among numbers or dates. Graphic aids also help readers focus on the most important information.