Studying as a College Student begins with Metacognitive Learning
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The Transition from Metro to College
Transitioning from high school to college courses is often more difficult than students expect it will be. Many students find that college professors teach and access students differently than how teachers at Metro Early College Highschool. In college classes such as Calculous, General Chemistry, and Biology, it can be difficult to understand concepts only from reading the textbook and attending lectures. At Metro, the smaller class sizes make it easier to reach out to teachers for extra help on assignments, whereas college-level students are often in class with a hundred other students, making it more difficult to get the help which they need.
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Outside Resources
Most colleges have many outside resources that can help students outside of lectures and recitations such as office hours, private tutors, and more. However, many Metro students find that changing the way they study for tests greatly improves their test scores and can cost less time and money.
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Metacognition
In almost any high level college credit course at OSU, the professor is likely to mention using Metacognition to study. Metacognition is studying with an intent of deeper understanding of the material. Students who use Metacognition are more likely to ask questions of “why and how?” Instead of “what and who?” Students who ask questions like these show a better understanding of the material and it is reflected in their test grades with an average grade between a B and an A.
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How do I use it?
Metacognition does not have to be hard for students, it can even shorten how long students spend studying each day. It starts by changing how long a student studies daily. Instead of studying for several hours per session, students should study in short bursts of 15-30 minutes and make sure to take short breaks in between bursts. Studying in shorter bursts with breaks promotes long term memory retention more than longer study sessions do. Focusing on one or two topics in each study session prevents overwhelming the brain with too much information at a time. Consistent daily studying with this method, as early as possible, promotes incredible long term memory retention compared to cram studying.
Once a student has blocked time for studying material already covered in class, another block of time should be set aside for previewing the material for the next lecture. When students preview upcoming lecture material, they spend more time during lectures taking in more of what their professor is lecturing, which may be valuable content outside of the textbook. Many professors teach material application during their lectures, which is commonly seen in exams and less within the textbook.
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A good way to test if these Metacognition strategies are working is to try lecturing to another person, it can be another student, a family member, or even a pet. If a student can lecture about their course content, it is a greater indicator that they have a strong understanding of the material.
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When can I start?
Start now! There is no reason not to begin using metacognitive studying techniques now. Many students start using Metacognition midway through a semester and their overall grade still ends with at least a B. Whether a student is in the start of the semester or the end of their semester, using Metacognitive studying techniques can improve their overall grade. The purpose of using metacognitive studying is to use a student’s time more effectively. Therefore requiring less time than average studying techniques. Trying some of these techniques can both save time and improve your grade.
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By: Elise Henderson
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