How to study

I. Discussion:

1. What problems do you face in your studies?

2. Do you plan your work?

3. What is the best way to learn a foreign language?

4. How do you memorize dates, names, complicated facts, rules, unstructured information?

5. When do you prefer to do your homework (in the morning, in the evening, at night, all day long)?

6. Do you do your homework at weekends?

7. Do you prefer to get ready for the whole week at weekends? Why? Why not?

8. What are the best ways to study if there are any?

II. Read the text:

1. Learning can be interesting and enjoyable. It all depends on you. This text points out some basic steps towards good learning.

You should start with positive thinking. Don’t tell yourself you can’t do it.

Next you should know your goal. Thus you won’t waste time doing unnecessary work.

5. Finally, know yourself. Find out which methods of learning are best for you and use them.

A schedule can save you time and energy. It can keep you from forgetting important things. With a schedule you won’t constantly have to decide what to do next. Make out a chart for a full week. Try to estimate how much time you’ll need for each subject and schedule your time. Weekends are good for working on longer projects and recreation.

10. When studying foreign languages, it is important to read more for ideas than for the meaning of isolated words. Try to guess at unfamiliar words. When you need to look up a word in the dictionary, put up a mark beside it in your vocabulary. Use the list of marked words as a study list.

Spelling is one subject where mechanical copying can be a good thing. Keep a list or stack of cards of the words you have misspelled and want to learn.

15. The temptation to overload yourself with facts is strong. But resist it! What you want is important ideas, not every scrap of information. While taking notes during a lecture or in class or from a book, keep these rules in mind: 1) make notes in your own words; 2) condense your information; 3) always record where your notes come from. This last rule is particularly important if you are writing a paper.

Study regularly and stay fit. Staying fit means proper diet, recreation each day, regular exercise and plenty of

20. sleep.

You have some guidelines to follow, but the final results are up to you. Self-knowledge and self-direction are the real keys to learning. Knowing how to study will help you in many ways and not only in college.

III. Find the English equivalents of the following words and expressions in the text:

1. приятный, доставляющий удовольствие (l.1)

2. терять даром, тратить впустую (l.4)

3. график, программа, план (работы) (l.6)

4. постоянно (l.7)

5. оценивать; приблизительно подсчитывать, прикидывать (l.7)

6. отдых, развлечение; хобби, приятное времяпровождение (l.9)

7. значение; смысл (l.10)

8. незнакомый, неизвестный (l.11)

9. орфография, правописание (l.13)

10. делать орфографические ошибки; писать с орфографическими ошибками (l.14)

11. искушение, соблазн (l.15)

12. перегружать(ся), отягощать(ся) (l.15)

13. клочок, кусочек, обрывок, обрезок (l.16)

14. уменьшать объем, сжимать; собирать воедино, сводить вместе (l.17)

15. очень, чрезвычайно, особенно (l.18)

16. директива, руководящее указание (l.21)

IV. Match the beginning of the phrase with its possible ending:

waste save isolated mechanical resist important take stay regular follow

exercise notes guidelines energy fit temptation words ideas time copying