Focusing on how students study

What is the best advice to give students regarding how to study? We provide preliminary results on the utility of a 35-item Study Behaviors Checklist that is adaptable for any course. We assessed 125 introductory psychology students' use of different study techniques and correlated their responses with their exam scores. Attendance, study guide use, using practice exams, and using class material to explain problems were positively correlated with exam scores. Some often recommended techniques (e.g., highlighting material) were negatively correlated with exam scores. We present study guidelines for students and key areas for future research on this topic.

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