101 Ways to Make Studying Easier and Faster for College Students: What Every Student Needs to Know Explained Simply

by Susan Roubidoux

Book Overview

Although the average college student spends only between 15 and 18 hours in class in any given week, increasing the amount of free time, there is a correlating increase in the workload. Many college students never learned effective study habits in high school and believe they will be able to make it through college just as easily. However, college and university professors and administrators claim that studying is directly connected to a student s...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1601382499
• ISBN13: 9781601382498
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL)
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Practical college prep advice!

This 6 part guide is a must-read for any prospective college student. It is packed full of tips and strategies for not only incoming freshman but for any college student who is looking to maximize their college experience. The book does an excellent job of outlining the things that will be very different in college than they were in high school, thereby enabling the student to avoid common pitfalls. The emphasis in the book is on preparing the student to negotiate the challenges they will face when making the transition into college classrooms and learning to balance their academic and social lives. Imbedded thoughtfully throughout the book are case studies which provide valuable insight from current college students. They are particularly helpful given the fact that young people are more apt to listen to their peers than anyone else. They illustrate the habits of successful students and urge a proactive approach, while still acknowledging the `fun factor' that is part of the college experience. Decision-making, prioritizing, organizational skills and time management are all key factors that are addressed in a clear, conversational tone. You will find a discussion of learning styles and methods, and the importance of the student recognizing theirs, as well as strategies for success within each style. There are practical tips on reading systems and note taking, critical thinking strategies and exam preparation strategies. The student will find helpful `cheat sheets' that they can print, and interactive worksheets that will give the student practice so they can feel prepared when they arrive on campus. There is a section that introduces them to the kinds of assignments they will have to complete, a section about the variables encountered in online classes, and even a section about studying abroad! This book will help your student develop the coping skills that will help facilitate their success as they make the transition to the demands of college life.

A College Pre-Requisite

101 Ways to Make Studying Easier and Faster for College Students by Susan M. Roubidoux is a valuable resource for anyone heading off to college - whether it be a freshman, a transfer student or even an under-performing senior ready to turn over a new leaf. While the tone is a bit formal and serious - even while the author is reminding students to schedule time for fun - the information is accurate, well-organized and abundant. The book addresses virtually all aspects of academics, from how to choose a prime study spot, to how to ace the dreaded group project. Roubidoux encourages self-awareness by describing the various learning styles and suggests ways to make the best use of each one. She also offers tips on handling various forms of exams, from essay to "True and False," - information which would benefit junior high and high school students as well as the college crowd. Specific topics are easy to find thanks to clearly labeled chapters and sub-sections and a handy index. Information is provided in concise, manageable doses that will not overwhelm. This is the kind of book that students should read all the way through and then return to again and again as new challenges come up.

Life changing experience!

Everyone, listen up! If you're a college freshman, like me, this book is probably one of the most important you'll ever read in college. Before reading this book, I too was having skewed perceptions on how college will be like. Basically, I thought that it was all gonna be just like high-school, but with ten times the parties. I was about to make one of the mistakes that freshmen usually do, as this book has clearly shown me. Did you know that only 63% of students actually get their diplomas and finish college? Me neither. Here's what this book taught me about why this happens. Most freshmen can't get over one of these obstacles: class structure, student schedule, expectations and distractions. Guess what I was about to do? College isn't about having fun, but college isn't about studying hardcore either. College is about studying whilst also having fun and indulging in social activities. With that in mind, I can't wait to get that life experience in the next 4 years. "101 ways..." by Susan Roubidoux is just the help I need in accomplishing that. So what will you learn? One of the most important skills you'll need to succeed in college is to be organized. And that's just one of the things you'll learn how to do, besides what to do every day, how to manage your days, reading and writing strategies, exam studying techniques, memory enhancing tricks, completing assignments and even handling special circumstances, don't think you'll be able to avoid those. Plus, we'll all get to a point when we'll most likely feel almost overwhelmed by it all. This book will help you cope with it, to avoid downfalls and to generally keep up with it all. Here's a handy new trick I've learnt: use the first year to prepare for the next ones. I won't say more, you'll find it all in the book. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars, I practically owe the great experience that college will be for me to this book. So thanks a lot Susan!

A Great Resource for Students

As a college graduate, I can fully appreciate the time and effort required to be successful in college. This is a book I definitely could have used to make my study habits more efficient to allow myself more time for family, friends, and extracurricular activities. The author does not make any promises to help you breeze through your college career. It requires work, but applying the study techniques and suggestions for completing assignments will help you work more efficiently. The book is organized in a reader friendly, approachable manner with suggestions bulleted so they can be easily found and consulted again later. The author includes chapters on discovering your learning style or styles and using them to decide the most effective study methods as well as guidelines regarding time management. These chapters alone make the book worth reading. Students will also benefit from guidelines for approaching that big research project or the dreaded group project. While most of the chapters cover topics one would expect in a study skills book, the author also includes chapters on making the most of university resources, online courses, and study abroad opportunities. While reading this book will not guarantee a perfect grade point average, it will set students who read it ahead of those of us who had to learn many of these techniques and skills through trial and error. This is an excellent resource for freshmen starting their college careers or even upperclassmen who may be struggling and need to improve study habits.

A must have accessory for any new college student

There are a lot of guides on how to succeed in college out there, but rarely does one cover so much ground in so little time. Ms. Roubidoux's advice flows easily from one tip to the next, acquainting new college students to their environment while giving practical suggestions in a voice that never crosses the line into pedantic murmuring. With her stated focus on active learning skills, student self-awareness, and motivation, she manages to turn what seem like simple tricks into a completely well-developed and comprehensive gameplan for the new student to don like armor before stepping into this new arena of heightened play. As a professor, I found each one of her tips to resound with practicality and truthfulness. She does not stint when it comes to the hard facts--college is harder than high school, deal with it--but she accepts the inevitable--spending time with friends to have that ephemeral "college experience" is equally important to students, so her approach to this new level of education is a balanced blend between academic achievement and actual life experience. A big proponent of lists and charts, schedules and honest considerations of one's personal strengths and weaknesses, Ms. Roubidoux has created more than 101 easy steps to success; she has masterminded an entire system for tackling college and succeeding. But this book is not all about generic suggestions and tips; time and again Ms. Roubidoux shows that she knows what she's talking about with detailed examples of how this or that theory works (her section on responding to key terms in essay exams is sure to lead to solid As), and her extensive case studies only reinforce her strategies by giving real life examples of how real students deal with real college situations. Though the English professor in me found a few comma issues and a somewhat confusing usage of student/students a bit distracting at first, the swift narration and utter usefulness of this book quickly overshadowed any minor gripes with editing I had, and by the time I reached the section on making a schedule, I found myself taking notes and considering what I could do to make my own time teaching and grading better spent. A must have for any student heading off to college, 101 Ways to Make Studying Easier and Faster for College Students is a highly readable and extremely handy guide for anyone preparing to sail the somewhat treacherous waters of higher education.