The study more, study harder trap

In my first article, Study Skills Secrets, I talk about some of the most common myths about studying. As someone who has been on both sides of the desk--as both student and teacher--I know the challenges that come with learning how to study effectively. The best advice I usually got as a kid was "study harder". Not knowing what that meant, I just studied longer. Well, once you read my article, you'll see that I was sorely mistaken. In my defense, though, I was never really taught how to study with meaning. Until I reached college, studying was all about memorization, not retention. Sometimes, that's ok. But, is that really learning?

Once I started my education and literature classes, I had to learn to juggle a LOT of reading and writing. Most days, I felt swamped and confused. I was a good student all through school; yet ,now, it was harder to maintain the same above average grades I was used to earning. Luckily, a few of the teacher prep classes and literacy classes I took covered some basic study skills and strategies. It left me wondering: why didn't I learn this earlier?

Move forward a few years to the time when I was finally in my own classroom. I'm sure there were more times than I remember falling into the trap of repeating the "study more/study harder" mantra. That was when I'd usually get blank stares from my students, and that was enough of a kick in the pants to get me back on track.

Even when I advocated for study skills classes for students and seminars for teachers, it was a challenge. It's one more subject, one more set of skills on an already deep pile of lessons they must learn.

Without teaching good study skills, we are not providing our students with the tools necessary to be a success. Are we setting them up for failure? Maybe not. But, I do believe that without study skill training, we are not allowing a great many students reach their full potential