Introduction
       How this book is organized
       Where to start?
       Section breakdown
       Icons and diagrams used in the book
       Where to from here?
The Information Revolution
       Motivation
       Your brain
       You can learn anything
       Improving intelligence & memory
       Learning to learn:
       You have already learned so much:
Understanding Your Mind
       Your three brains in one:
       How does the triune brain affect your studying?
       Using your brain (waves)
       Using both sides of your brain
       Using your senses
       Your multiple intelligences
       Putting it all together – its time to start using your brain!
Understanding Your Memory
   What is memory?
       The 3 R’s of memory:
       Short-term and long-term memory:
       Why do we forget?
       Time and pace learning:
       Memory associations:
       Mnemonics:
Preparation
       Why preparation is important
   Preparation goals
       Preparing your study environment
   Preparing your mind
       Visualization
       Music - Baroque
   Preparing your body
       Breathing
       Muscle relaxation
   Putting it all together- preparing your mind and body!
       Your mind and body preparation
Concentration
       What is concentration?
       Factors that affect concentration
   Improving your concentration:
       Reducing distracters:
                       
       Keeping motivated:
       Strengthening your concentration:
Study Tools
   Your toolbox
       Hand Tools:
       Power tools:
           Clustering
           Acronyms
           Acrostics
           Interactive Imagery
           Pegword System
           Location method
           Keyword system
       Personal tools:
       Developing your skills & tools:
       Keeping your tools sharp:
Stress and Academic Anxiety
   Introduction to stress
       What is stress?
       The effects of stress have only been recently studied:
       What can you do about stress?
       Accounting for your own stress:
   Preventing and reducing stress
       Methods to reduce stress:
       Reducing your personality type stress:
       Reducing stress from smoking:
       Reducing stress associated with drug and alcohol abuse:
       Reducing stress associated with improper eating and exercising:
       Exercise:
       Diet and regular meals:
       General techniques for students to reduce stress:
       Other forms of relaxation:
Goals & Motivation
       Why is motivation important?
       Becoming motivated
       Elements of motivation
       Finding your motivation
       Setting goals for life
       Setting study goals
       Using to-do lists
       Motivating your study goals
       Maintaining motivation
       Now is the time to set your goals
Managing Your Time
       Simple solution to managing your study time
   Managing your time management
       Setting your study goals
       Making use of study schedules
       Making use of to-do lists
   Improving your time management
       Preventing procrastination
       Making use of fractions of time
       Being aware of your study cycles
       The divide and conquer philosophy
       Dealing with delays and setbacks
       Vanishing time – the importance of elapsed time:
Study Reading
   Different types of reading
       The importance of study reading
       Speed reading
       Commercial reading systems and programs
       Study reading techniques
   Improving your study reading
       Mapping out your route
       Flexibility
       Do it right the first time
       Practice active study reading
       Make the material part of you
       Use the correct reading speed
       Appropriate study environment
       Study time
       Review, review & review
Class Lectures
   Before class lectures
       Preparing your mind
       Preparing your body
   During class lectures
       Class attendance
       Choosing your seat in class
       Actively listening in class
       Note taking
   After class
       After class review
       One week after class review
       One month after class review
   Learning from audio and video tapes
Study Review
   What is study review?
       Best approach for study review
       Where to review
   Review notes
       When to create review notes
       Types of review notes
       How to create review notes
   Intensive review objectives
       Understanding the exam
       Past exam papers
   Intensive review planning
       Intensive review methods
       Intensive review approach
       Creating your intensive review plan
   Starting your intensive review
       Balancing act
       Using diagrams
       Benefits of creating review notes
Brain Food
   What is brain food?
       Glucose
   Brain food
       B-Complex vitamins
       Ginseng
       Lecithin
       Ginkgo Biloba
       Omega-3
Writing Essays & Assignments
   What is an essay
   3 Steps to success with your essay
       Start early
       Divide and conquer
       Allocate time for rewriting
   Essay construction
       Understand the assignment
       Create your thesis statement
       Brainstorm
       Research your topic
       Create you thesis outline
       Write 1st draft
       Write 2nd draft
       Write final copy
       Day of rest
       Review
   Improving your essay
       Structure
       Introduction
       Body
       Conclusion
       Writing style
       Using signpost words
       Second copy checklist
       Most common essay mistakes
   Writing assignments
   Final comments
       Using quotations
       Reference lists
Examinations
   Examination preparation
   Before exam day
       Weeks before the exam
       Dealing with pre-exam anxiety and worry
   Night before the exam
   The day of the exam
       Before you write the exam
       During the exam
   After the exam
       Post exam review
       After exam day
Multiple Choice Questions
   Understanding the question
       Key words
   Technique for answering multiple choice questions
   Objective questions tips & techniques
   Comments on answering MC & true and false questions
Improving Your Grade
       Answer the question
       Demonstrate your understanding
       Be relevant
       Be clear
       Ensure neatness and legibility
       Understand the value of the question
       Make outlines
       Answer everything
       Qualify your answer
       Don’t leave before the exam is over
Lifetime Learning
   Lifetime learning: continue learning
   Commit to improvement:
   Take aim, take action & achieve (AAA)
       Take aim:
       Take action:
       Achieve:
   Personal resolution to lifetime learning
Appendix 1: Emergency Cramming Guide
           Decide to succeed:
           Assess your situation:
           Focus on an attainable goal:
           Create your plan of action:
           Work hard:
           5 Day emergency cramming schedule:
           Day 5: Schedule and review:
           Day 4: Learn new material, review and practice output activities:
           Day 3: Learn new material, review and practice output activities:
           Day 2: Review and practice output activities:
           Day 1: Review and practice output activities:
           Day 0: Exam day:
           After the exam:
Appendix 2: Quick Start to Effective Studying
           Day 1: Goals & motivation
           Day 2: Managing your time
           Day 3: Preparation
           Day 4: Concentration & stress
           Day 5: Information consolidation
           Day 6: Study review
           Day 7: Study tools
Appendix 3: Exam Day Checklist

Appendix 4: Study Tool Inventory
Appendix 5: Exam Preparation Guidelines
Appendix 6: Student Lifestyle
           Exercise
           Relax the mind
           Relax the body
           Sleep
Appendix 7: Further Reading