IMPROVING STUDY SKILLS IN A UNIVERSITY SETTING

Beverly Kling, Ed.D.

Determining your Ideal Study Environment

One factor which influences performance is studying under circumstances which work for you!
Sitting at a desk in a quiet corner of the library may work for some, but not all students.
Everyone has his/her own study habits which are difficult to change. That is due to the fact that
students learn differently. The student, sitting at the library desk may perform better lying on a
couch with background music. The key is to determine how you best learn! One activity is to
have each student in your class respond to the following questions, by circling either A, S or N
for each statement. Then, place students in pairs and share their responses with each other.

Use the following key when responding to statements:

A=Always S=Sometimes N=Never

1. I like to study in a quiet area. A S N

2. I like to work with background noise. A S N

3. I am distracted when others talk. A S N

4. I like to study in a cool room. A S N

5. I like to study in a bright room. A S N

6. I need a lot of space to study. A S N

7. I like to study at a desk. A S N

8. I like to relax when I study (sofa, bed). A S N

9. I like to study alone. A S N

10. I take notes when I study. A S N

11. I need to sub-vocalize when I study. A S N

12. I need frequent breaks (every 15 minutes) when I

study. A S N

13. I like to snack when I study. A S N

14. I like to study at a particular time of day A S N

_______________________(list time)
15. If I am interrupted when I study
(phone, people talking), I can easily
return to my studies. A S N

After students have had an opportunity to discuss their responses to the above statements, have
them develop individual study profiles, using the following chart. The questions which pertain
to each category are listed on the profile. Have students use the responses to the above
statements as they develop individual profiles.

MY STUDY PROFILE

PREFERENCES
Physical Setting (#1, 2) 1

Temperature/Lighting/Time of Day (#4, 14

5,14)

Seating (#6, 7, 8) The same

Distractions (#3, 15) 3

Study Aids (#10, 11) 10

Other Considerations (#9, 12, 13) 9

Students should try to establish study conditions which match their profiles. After two weeks,
have students come together to share the following:

● Feedback on comfort level when studying under ideal conditions

● Classroom performance (tests, participation)
● Perception on profile changes

Students may find it necessary to adjust profiles to alter any conditions which did not seem to
work. This can be an ongoing project throughout the semester. When students determine their
study needs, they can implement personal study plans which may impact upon performance
throughout their university careers.