Chapter 2 also introduces some of the “intangibles” in the study
equation: your home environment, attitude, motivation, and so forth.
If you are dedicated to studying and motivated to achieve certain
goals, all the other factors that affect your study habits will fall more
naturally into place. A belief in the study ethic is one of the keys to
success.
Finally, mastering some other key components of the study process—
learning to “read” teachers, developing mentors, dealing with perfec-
tionism, the importance of flexibility—will help you get off to the
right start.
Reading and Comprehension
Chapter 3 introduces the skills basic to any study process: reading
and comprehension. No matter how well you learn to take notes,
how familiar you become with your library, how deftly you surf
the Internet, how doggedly you study for tests, if you are reading
poorly (or not enough) and not understanding what you read, life will
be difficult.
Becoming a good reader is a skill, one usually acquired early in life. If
it’s a skill you haven’t acquired yet, now is the time! Chapter 3 also
points out how your ability to recall ideas, facts, and figures can be
significantly increased (quantitatively and qualitatively) with practice.
Making Up for Lost Time
To see a significant change in your life, most of you will not need to
study harder, just smarter. This means making better use of your study
time—spending the same two, three, or four hours, but accomplishing
twice, thrice, or four times what you do now. Chapter 4 introduces the
simplest and easiest-to-use organizational and time-management tools
you’ll ever find—powerful ways to make sure you are always on
track, including guidelines to develop both short-term and long-term
calendars.
How to Use This Book vii