Skip to main content
Eastern Illinois University

Academic Support Center

Study Skills:

100 Suggestions for Success

The following suggestions are gleaned from experiences of students and teachers throughout the nation. Some are personal recommendations, while others are statements to be considered.

  • Keep your sense of humor.
  • Get plenty of sleep.
  • Study for long-term memory.
  • Use an index card as a pocket organizer.
  • Get a tutor before it’s too late.
  • Review your notes right after class.
  • Use flash cards to help you remember and rehearse retrieval of information.
  • Write everything down.
  • Find a quiet place to study.
  • Take lots of notes.
  • Use an electronic organizer.
  • Establish a routine.
  • Ask questions again and again until you understand.
  • Study with a partner.
  • Take all the time you can for a test.
  • Ask professors to give a test study guide.
  • Get a head start on your reading.
  • Do more than is required.
  • Give yourself rewards.
  • Start research papers early.
  • Take hard classes in the summer.
  • Parent yourself.
  • Be accountable for yourself.
  • Trick your mind into thinking you like something even if you don’t.
  • Go to summer school.
  • Read all your assignments.
  • Fight the odds.
  • Burn an assignment into your brain. Live it, breathe it, think it; make it a part of you.
  • Divide large projects into small steps.
  • Read information on university bulletin boards.
  • Spend lots of time studying. It works!
  • Study smart.
  • Be patient. It all works out.
  • Relax.
  • Make many friends.
  • Develop a good attitude.
  • Be pleasant and polite.
  • Work hard. College can sneak up on you!
  • Get work experience in your major field.
  • Take aptitude and interest tests.
  • Do internships.
  • Be confident.
  • Be sure your professors know you by name.
  • Be realistic.
  • Balance work with recreation and pleasure.
  • Approach each semester as a fresh beginning.
  • Travel and get a global perspective.
  • Attend all classes.
  • Avoid complaining.
  • Resist the easy way out.
  • Demonstrate a sense of confidence.
  • Keep things in proper perspective.
  • Learn from everyone.
  • Use the resources of the university.
  • Read the university newspaper.
  • Recognize your limitations.
  • Learn how the system works.
  • Understand that the university is not against you.
  • Try and fail, but never fail to try.
  • Be resourceful.
  • Explore all the avenues available to you.
  • Expand your horizons.
  • Aim for the best grades you can get.
  • Pretend the professor is going to give you a daily quiz.
  • Remember that learning is a process. Enjoy the journey.
  • Face your anxieties.
  • Avoid procrastination.
  • Know your learning styles.
  • See it!  Say it!  Do it!
  • Use multi-sensory learning strategies.
  • Use the library.
  • Resolve past hurts. They interfere with learning.
  • Find a listening friend.
  • Do your best; always give more than the rest.
  • Study even when you don’t have specific homework.
  • Being too social can be death of good grades.
  • Remember why you’re in school – keep your eyes on the prize.
  • Choose extracurricular activities which will enhance your career.
  • Learn how to use technology.
  • Survive your first semester.
  • Practice making up test questions.
  • Make up essay questions; write the answers.
  • Take tests backwards.
  • Find a way that works for you and stick to it.
  • Get to know your professors.
  • Sit where the professor can see you.
  • Study to remember.
  • Over-learn.
  • Learn from those who do well.
  • Attend university events and seminars.
  • Emulate good role models.
  • Study just before sleeping.
  • Get to know other students in all of your classes.
  • Study as if you are the professor who will be giving the lecture.
  • Keep track of your grades in each class. Be in charge of your achievements.
  • Don’t be afraid to pray.
  • Practice good listening skills.
  • Show appreciation.
  • Perform community service.
  • Do it now!!!

 

 

CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT

Academic Support Center

McAfee Gym, Room 2230
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 581-6696
success@eiu.edu

Office Hours

Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.