{"id":51,"date":"2014-08-25T03:19:35","date_gmt":"2014-08-25T03:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/collegesuccess1x1\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=51"},"modified":"2015-06-19T13:17:08","modified_gmt":"2015-06-19T13:17:08","slug":"1-3-how-you-learn","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/chapter\/1-3-how-you-learn\/","title":{"raw":"How You Learn","rendered":"How You Learn"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"im_section\">\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_n01\" class=\"im_learning_objectives im_editable im_block\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3>LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h3>\r\nBy the end of this section, you will be able to:\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Understand and make effective use of the four steps of the learning process.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Describe the different learning styles of different college students and recognize your own learning preferences.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Know how to benefit from your own learning style and how to expand your learning skills with the techniques of other styles.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Take action to learn effectively when your learning style differs from your instructor\u2019s teaching style.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"im_section\"><\/div>\r\nOne of the first steps for becoming a successful student is to understand the learning process itself. Certain characteristics of effective learning, including the four-step learning cycle, are true of all people. At the same time, people have different learning styles. Understanding these processes is important for maximizing your own learning while in college.\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">The Learning Cycle: Four Steps to Learning<\/h2>\r\nAdult learning is different from learning in primary and secondary school. In high school, teachers often take much of the responsibility for how students learn\u2014encouraging learning with class discussions, repeating key material, creating study guides, and looking over students\u2019 shoulders to make sure no one falls behind. In college, most of the responsibility for learning falls on the student. You\u2019re free to fail\u2014or succeed\u2014as you choose. This applies as well to how well you learn.\r\n\r\nLearning an academic subject means really understanding it, being able to think about it in meaningful ways and to apply that understanding in new situations. This is very different from simply memorizing something and repeating it back on a test. Academic learning occurs most effectively in a cycle of four steps:\r\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>Preparing<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Absorbing<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Capturing<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Reviewing<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThink first about the different situations in which you learn. Obviously you learn during class, whether by listening to the instructor speak or in class discussions in which you participate. But you also learn while reading your textbooks and other materials outside of class. You learn when you talk with an instructor during office hours. You learn by talking with other students informally in study groups. You learn when you study your class notes before an exam. All of these different learning situations involve the same four-step process.\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_f01\" class=\"im_figure im_large im_medium-height im_editable im_block\">\r\n\r\n<span class=\"im_title-prefix\">Figure 1.4<\/span> The Learning Cycle\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/textimgs.s3.amazonaws.com\/colsuc\/section_04\/d6b64a3fd4754c982c26b5c2b20143ea.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2014\/08\/sm_d6b64a3fd4754c982c26b5c2b20143ea.jpg\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Prepare<\/h2>\r\nOne student rolls out of bed a few minutes before class and dashes across campus and grabs the last seat in the hall just as the instructor begins a lecture; it takes him a few minutes to find the right notebook in his backpack, and then he can\u2019t find a pencil. He\u2019s thinking about how he should\u2019ve set his alarm a little earlier so he\u2019d have had time to grab a cup of coffee, since he\u2019s having trouble waking up. Finally he settles in his seat and starts listening, but now he can\u2019t figure out what the instructor is talking about. He starts jotting down phrases in his notes anyway, thinking he\u2019ll figure it out later.\r\n\r\nAnother student looks over his notes from the previous class and quickly glances back at passages he\u2019d highlighted in the textbook reading. He arrives at class a few minutes early, sits up front where he can hear well, and has his notebook open and pencil out. While waiting for the instructor to arrive, he talks to another student about her ideas for the paper due next week in this class.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s obvious which of these students will learn more during today\u2019s class lecture. One has prepared and the other has not, and they will experience a huge difference in their understanding of today\u2019s topic. Preparing to learn is the first step for learning. The same is true when you sit down to read your textbook, to study for an exam, or to work on an out-of-class project. Partly you are putting yourself in the right mind-set to learn. But when you review yesterday\u2019s notes to prepare for today\u2019s class, you are also solidifying yesterday\u2019s learning.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Absorb<\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/sponge.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-493\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/sponge.jpg\" alt=\"blue sponge close-up\" width=\"216\" height=\"144\" \/><\/a>\u201cAbsorbing\u201d refers to the actual taking in of new ideas, information, or experience. This is what happens at the moment a student listens to a class lecture or reads a textbook. In high school, this is sometimes the only learning step taken by some students. They listened to what the instructor said and \u201cregurgitated\u201d it back on the test. But this won\u2019t work in college because learning now requires <em class=\"im_emphasis\">understanding<\/em> the topic, not just repeating facts or information. In coming chapters you\u2019ll get tips for improving in this step.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Capture<\/h2>\r\n\u201cCapturing\u201d refers to taking notes. No matter how good your memory, you need to take good notes in college simply because there is so much to learn. Just hearing something once is seldom enough. You have to go back over the material again, sometimes several times again, thinking about it and seeing how it all fits together.\r\n\r\nThe more effective your note-taking skills, the better your learning abilities. Take notes also when reading your textbooks. You\u2019ll learn methods for taking good notes in later chapters.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Review<\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/notecards.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-494\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/notecards.jpg\" alt=\"Notecards\" width=\"182\" height=\"136\" \/><\/a>The step of reviewing\u2014your class notes, your textbook reading and notes, and any other course materials possibly including recordings, online media, <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">podcasts<\/span><\/span>, and so on\u2014is the next step for solidifying your learning and reaching a real understanding of the topic. Reviewing is also a way to prepare for new information and ideas. That\u2019s why this is a learning cycle: the end of the process loops back to the beginning as you prepare for additional learning.\r\n\r\nReviewing is also the step in which you discover whether you really understand the material. If you do not understand something fully, you may need to reread a section of the book, talk it over with a friend in the class, or go see your instructor.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">What\u2019s Your Learning Style?<\/h2>\r\nDifferent people have different <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">learning styles<\/span><\/span>. Style refers to a student\u2019s specific learning preferences and actions. One student may learn more effectively from listening to the instructor. Another learns more effectively from reading the textbook, while another student benefits most from charts, graphs, and images the instructor presents during a lecture.\r\n\r\nLearning style is important in college. Each different style, described later in more detail, has certain advantages and disadvantages compared with other styles. None is \u201cright\u201d or \u201cwrong.\u201d You can learn to use your own style more effectively.\r\n\r\nCollege instructors also have different <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">teaching styles<\/span><\/span>, which may or may not match up well with your learning style. Although you may personally learn best from a certain style of teaching, you cannot expect that your instructors will use exactly the style that is best for you. Therefore it is important to know how to adapt to teaching styles used in college.\r\n\r\nDifferent systems have been used to describe the different ways in which people learn. Some describe the differences between how extroverts (outgoing, gregarious, social people) and introverts (quiet, private, contemplative people) learn. Some divide people into \u201cthinkers\u201d and \u201cfeelers.\u201d A popular theory of different learning styles is Howard Gardner\u2019s \u201cmultiple intelligences,\u201d based on eight different types of intelligence:\r\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>Verbal (prefers words)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Logical (prefers math and logical problem solving)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Visual (prefers images and spatial relationships)<\/li>\r\n\t<li><span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">Kinesthetic<\/span><\/span> (prefers body movements and doing)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Rhythmic (prefers music, rhymes)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Interpersonal (prefers group work)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Intrapersonal (prefers introspection and independence)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Naturalist (prefers nature, natural categories)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThe multiple intelligences approach recognizes that different people have different ways, or combinations of ways, of relating to the world.\r\n\r\nAnother approach to learning styles is called the VARK approach, which focuses on learning through different senses (<strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">V<\/strong>isual, <strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">A<\/strong>ural, <strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">R<\/strong>eading\/Writing, and <strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">K<\/strong>inesthetic):\r\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_l02\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>Visual learners prefer images, charts, and the like.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Aural learners learn better by listening.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Reading\/writing learners learn better through written language.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Kinesthetic learners learn through doing, practicing, and acting.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nYou can take a free, self-scored online assessment of your VARK learning style at <a class=\"im_link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.businessballs.com\/freepdfmaterials\/vak_learning_styles_questionnaire.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.businessballs.com\/freepdfmaterials\/vak_learning_styles_questionnaire.pdf<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThere are still more systems used by educators to describe the various ways in which people learn. All of these systems can help you learn more about how <strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">you as an individual person and college student learn best.<\/strong> You can use the online assessment in the \u201cOutside the Book\u201d section at the end of this chapter to learn more about your style.\r\n\r\nJust knowing your style, however, doesn\u2019t automatically provide a solution for how to do your best in your college courses. For example, although you may be a kinesthetic learner, you\u2019ll likely still have textbook reading assignments (verbal learning) as well as lecture classes (listening). All students need to adapt to other ways of learning.\r\n\r\nThe following sections look at the key ways in which learning occurs in college classes and offer some suggestions about how to adapt your strengths for success.\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Reading<\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/02\/file0001800255465.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-474\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/02\/file0001800255465-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"file0001800255465\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" \/><\/a>Reading skills are critically important in college. Most classes involve reading assignments. Although many instructors may cover some of the textbook\u2019s content in lectures or class discussions, students cannot skip the reading assignments and expect to do well.\r\n\r\nIf your personal learning style is verbal and independent\u2014that is, if you learn well by sitting alone and reading\u2014then you will likely not have difficulty with your college reading. Here are some tips to help maximize your learning:\r\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s01_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>Underline and highlight key ideas when reading.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Take good notes on your reading, using your own words.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Write descriptions that summarize information presented in nonverbal modes, such as through charts and graphs.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Do all optional and supplemental readings.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Take good notes in class, as you may remember more from your written words than from the instructor\u2019s spoken words.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>If a class involves significant nonreading learning, such as learning hands-on physical processes, study with other students who are kinesthetic or \u201cdoing\u201d learners.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIf you have a different learning style, then you may need to give more attention to your reading skills. Always allow plenty of time for reading assignments\u2014rushing makes it harder to understand what you are reading. Do your reading at times of the day when you are most alert. Find a quiet, comfortable place conducive to reading.\r\n\r\nTry also to maximize your learning through your personal style. If you learn better by listening, for example, sit up front in lecture classes where you can see and hear the instructor better. If needed, ask if you can tape-record an instructor\u2019s lectures and then listen again at a convenient time, such as when commuting to class or work. If you are more of a visual learner, sit in class where you can see <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">PowerPoint<\/span><\/span> slides and other visual presentations most clearly. Use a visual approach in your class notes, as described in Chapter 4 \"Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering\". Check out whether video podcasts may be available for reviewing lectures. Try to relate all of these visual images to the textbook\u2019s content when you\u2019re reading an assignment. In addition, pay special attention to illustrations and diagrams in the book, which will further help you understand the written ideas and information. If you are more of an interpersonal learner, form a study group with other students and talk with others about the course topics. Take advantage of your instructors\u2019 office hours to help clarify your understanding after reading assignments.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Listening<\/h2>\r\nListening skills are as important in college as reading skills. College students are expected to listen to their instructors in class and remember and understand what is said. In discussion classes, listening is important also for participating well in discussions.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/listener.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright wp-image-495\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/listener.jpg\" alt=\"Man holding jar on string to his ear\" width=\"125\" height=\"125\" \/><\/a>If your personal learning style favors listening, then you may already be good at understanding class lectures. Chapter 4 \"Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering\" provides tips to help you pay close attention, take good notes, and recall the information and ideas you have heard. Here are some more tips:\r\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s02_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>Sit where you can best hear the instructor, away from other distractions.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Study with other students and listen to what they say about the course material. Hearing them talk from their class notes may be more helpful than reviewing your own written notes.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Record lectures and listen to them again later when reviewing material before a test.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>When studying, read your notes aloud. Review previous tests by reading the questions aloud and speaking your answers. If a section in your textbook seems confusing, read it aloud.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Talk with your instructor if you feel you are not understanding course readings.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Use rhymes or <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">acronyms<\/span><\/span> to recall verbal information. For more information, see Chapter 4 \"Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering\".<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Explore supplemental learning aids, such as audio and video podcasts (even from other colleges and universities) on the course\u2019s subject matter.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Seeing<\/h2>\r\nA \u201cseeing\u201d learner learns more effectively through seeing than through reading or listening. Some college courses include demonstrations and physical processes that can be observed. If you are a visual learner, work on developing your reading and listening skills, too, because you will need to learn in these ways as well. Here are some tips to improve learning <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/eyes.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-496\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/eyes.jpg\" alt=\"close-up of woman's eyes\" width=\"189\" height=\"132\" \/><\/a>related to seeing:\r\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s03_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>Pay special attention in class to visual presentations, such as charts, diagrams, and images.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Take lecture notes using a visual approach. Do the same when taking notes on class readings. Use diagrams, different colors, lists, and sketches to help you remember. For more information, see Chapter 4 \"Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering\".<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Use video podcasts or other visual aids for reviewing lectures.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Pay special attention to your textbooks\u2019 illustrations and diagrams.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>If your instructor or textbook uses few visuals to help you understand and recall information and ideas, try to imagine how you would present this information visually to others if you were giving a class presentation. In your notes, create sketches for a PowerPoint slideshow capturing the highlights of the material.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Study with other students who may learn better by reading or listening, and watch how they explain the material.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Doing<\/h2>\r\nPeople who learn best by doing are often attracted to careers with a strong physical or hands-on component, which can vary from athletics to engineering. But these students may need to use other learning skills as well. Here are some tips to <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/microscope.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-497\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/microscope.jpg\" alt=\"Woman looking through microscope\" width=\"160\" height=\"240\" \/><\/a>help maximize your learning related to doing:\r\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s04_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>Try to engage all your senses when learning. Even when reading about something, try to imagine what it would feel like if you touched it, how it might smell, how you could physically manipulate it, and so forth.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Think about how you yourself would teach the topic you are presently learning. What visuals could you make to demonstrate the idea or information? Imagine a class lecture as a train of boxcars and think about what things you would put in those cars to represent the lecture topics.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>When it becomes difficult to concentrate when reading while sitting in a quiet place, get up and move around while studying; make gestures as you read aloud.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Use your hands to create a range of study aids rather than just taking notes: make charts, posters, flash cards, and so on.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>When taking notes, sketch familiar shapes around words and phrases to help you remember them. Try to associate abstract ideas with concrete examples.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The act of writing\u2014handwriting more than typing at a keyboard\u2014may increase retention; write key things several times.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Study with other students who may learn better by reading or listening.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s05\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Feeling<\/h2>\r\nFeeling learners focus on the emotional side of information and learn through personal connections. Too often they may feel that a college textbook or a class is \u201cdry\u201d or \u201cboring\u201d if it focuses exclusively on written information. In addition to improving their reading and listening skills, students with this style can enrich their learning by focusing on what they and <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/basket.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-498\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/basket.jpg\" alt=\"Woman in period dress holding basket\" width=\"179\" height=\"134\" \/><\/a>others feel about the information and ideas being learned. Here are some tips to help maximize your learning related to feeling:\r\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s05_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>Try to establish an emotional connection with the topic you are learning. In a history class, for example, imagine yourself as someone living in the period you are studying: what would you feel about the forces at work in your life? In a science class, think about what the implications of a particular scientific principle or discovery might mean for you as a person or how you yourself might have felt if you had been the scientist making that discovery.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Talk with your instructor during office hours. Express your enthusiasm and share your feelings about the subject. Even instructors who may seem \u201cdry\u201d in a lecture class often share their feelings toward their subject in conversation.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Do supplemental reading about the people involved in a subject you\u2019re studying. For example, reading an online biographical sketch of a historical figure, scientist, or theorist may open your eyes to a side of the subject you hadn\u2019t seen before and increase your learning.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Study with other students who may learn better by reading or listening. Talk with them in a personal way about what the material means to them. Try teaching them about the topic while explaining your feelings about it.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Also try the strategies listed for the \u201cdoing\u201d learning style.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s06\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Your Style, Your Instructor\u2019s Style<\/h2>\r\nMany college classes tend to focus on certain learning styles. Instructors in large lecture classes, for example, generally emphasize listening carefully and reading well. Don\u2019t worry, however, if these are not your particular strengths, for much of this book focuses on learning study skills and other college skills related to these activities. Take responsibility for your own learning, rather than expecting the instructor to help you through the subject in your own personal way. For example, if you are a visual learner but your instructor simply stands at a podium and lectures, then provide your own visual stimulation by sketching concept maps in your notes or by visualizing how information being presented might look in a pie chart or graph. For more information, see Chapter 4 \"Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering\".\r\n\r\nAs you move further into your college curriculum, you will likely have more small classes with class discussions, demonstrations, group presentations, and other learning activities. Once you are in classes closely related to a career path that interests you, you will find your personal style more relevant to the kinds of material you will be learning.\r\n\r\nMuch learning in college also comes from interactions with others, who often have different learning styles. Be open to interacting with other students and instructors who are different from you, and you will find yourself learning in ways that may be new to you.\r\n\r\nFinally, if a genuine mismatch is occurring between your learning style and your instructor\u2019s teaching style to the extent that you may not succeed in a course, talk to your instructor privately during office hours. You can explain how you best learn and ask for suggestions about other resources that may help you.\r\n<div id=\"post-355\" class=\"post-355 chapter type-chapter status-publish hentry type-1\">\r\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\r\n<div class=\"im_section\">\r\n<div class=\"im_section\">\r\n<div id=\"mclean-ch03_s01_s02_n01\" class=\"im_key_takeaways im_editable im_block\">\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\r\n<h3>KEY TAKEAWAYs<\/h3>\r\n<section>\r\n<div data-type=\"note\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>People learn through a four-step process, and you can maximize your learning by conscientiously applying all steps throughout college.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The first step of the learning cycle is to prepare in advance for classes, reading, tests, and other learning.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The second step is to absorb information and ideas effectively during classes, reading, and other learning experiences.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The third step, capturing, typically involves taking notes on the learning experience to increase understanding and retention.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The fourth step is to review your notes, to help solidify the learning and to prepare for repeating the cycle in the next class or reading assignment.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>People have natural learning preferences, affecting how they learn best, such as learning by reading, by listening, by seeing, by doing, and by feeling.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Students should learn how to use their own learning style to their best advantage while also becoming flexible and working to develop other learning styles.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Because your learning style may not match your instructor\u2019s teaching style, you need to be flexible and work to develop new learning strategies essential for college success.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3>Checkpoint EXERCISES<\/h3>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Number each the following actions to put them in the correct order of the four steps of the learning cycle:\r\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s06_l03\" class=\"im_itemizedlist\">\r\n\t<li>___ Review your class notes to make sure you understand.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>___ Listen carefully to what your instructor says.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>___ Prepare for today\u2019s class by looking over your notes on the reading you did for today.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>___ Take effective notes.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li>How would you describe your personal learning style? \u00a0 \u00a0Name an activity from which you generally learn very well. \u00a0Name a type of learning experience you may have difficulty with.For the activity above, list at least two strategies you can use to improve your learning effectiveness when in that situation next time.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>If you experience a situation in which your personal learning style seems to clash hopelessly with an instructor\u2019s teaching style, what is your best course of action?\r\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s06_l04\" class=\"im_orderedlist\">\r\n\t<li>Ask the instructor to teach in a different way.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Drop the class.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Adapt your style or study with other students.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Complain to the dean.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"post-citations sidebar\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"im_section\">\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_n01\" class=\"im_learning_objectives im_editable im_block\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3>LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h3>\n<p>By the end of this section, you will be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Understand and make effective use of the four steps of the learning process.<\/li>\n<li>Describe the different learning styles of different college students and recognize your own learning preferences.<\/li>\n<li>Know how to benefit from your own learning style and how to expand your learning skills with the techniques of other styles.<\/li>\n<li>Take action to learn effectively when your learning style differs from your instructor\u2019s teaching style.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"im_section\"><\/div>\n<p>One of the first steps for becoming a successful student is to understand the learning process itself. Certain characteristics of effective learning, including the four-step learning cycle, are true of all people. At the same time, people have different learning styles. Understanding these processes is important for maximizing your own learning while in college.<\/p>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">The Learning Cycle: Four Steps to Learning<\/h2>\n<p>Adult learning is different from learning in primary and secondary school. In high school, teachers often take much of the responsibility for how students learn\u2014encouraging learning with class discussions, repeating key material, creating study guides, and looking over students\u2019 shoulders to make sure no one falls behind. In college, most of the responsibility for learning falls on the student. You\u2019re free to fail\u2014or succeed\u2014as you choose. This applies as well to how well you learn.<\/p>\n<p>Learning an academic subject means really understanding it, being able to think about it in meaningful ways and to apply that understanding in new situations. This is very different from simply memorizing something and repeating it back on a test. Academic learning occurs most effectively in a cycle of four steps:<\/p>\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>Preparing<\/li>\n<li>Absorbing<\/li>\n<li>Capturing<\/li>\n<li>Reviewing<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Think first about the different situations in which you learn. Obviously you learn during class, whether by listening to the instructor speak or in class discussions in which you participate. But you also learn while reading your textbooks and other materials outside of class. You learn when you talk with an instructor during office hours. You learn by talking with other students informally in study groups. You learn when you study your class notes before an exam. All of these different learning situations involve the same four-step process.<\/p>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_f01\" class=\"im_figure im_large im_medium-height im_editable im_block\">\n<p><span class=\"im_title-prefix\">Figure 1.4<\/span> The Learning Cycle<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/textimgs.s3.amazonaws.com\/colsuc\/section_04\/d6b64a3fd4754c982c26b5c2b20143ea.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2014\/08\/sm_d6b64a3fd4754c982c26b5c2b20143ea.jpg\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Prepare<\/h2>\n<p>One student rolls out of bed a few minutes before class and dashes across campus and grabs the last seat in the hall just as the instructor begins a lecture; it takes him a few minutes to find the right notebook in his backpack, and then he can\u2019t find a pencil. He\u2019s thinking about how he should\u2019ve set his alarm a little earlier so he\u2019d have had time to grab a cup of coffee, since he\u2019s having trouble waking up. Finally he settles in his seat and starts listening, but now he can\u2019t figure out what the instructor is talking about. He starts jotting down phrases in his notes anyway, thinking he\u2019ll figure it out later.<\/p>\n<p>Another student looks over his notes from the previous class and quickly glances back at passages he\u2019d highlighted in the textbook reading. He arrives at class a few minutes early, sits up front where he can hear well, and has his notebook open and pencil out. While waiting for the instructor to arrive, he talks to another student about her ideas for the paper due next week in this class.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s obvious which of these students will learn more during today\u2019s class lecture. One has prepared and the other has not, and they will experience a huge difference in their understanding of today\u2019s topic. Preparing to learn is the first step for learning. The same is true when you sit down to read your textbook, to study for an exam, or to work on an out-of-class project. Partly you are putting yourself in the right mind-set to learn. But when you review yesterday\u2019s notes to prepare for today\u2019s class, you are also solidifying yesterday\u2019s learning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Absorb<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/sponge.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-493\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/sponge.jpg\" alt=\"blue sponge close-up\" width=\"216\" height=\"144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/sponge.jpg 240w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/sponge-65x43.jpg 65w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/sponge-225x150.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px\" \/><\/a>\u201cAbsorbing\u201d refers to the actual taking in of new ideas, information, or experience. This is what happens at the moment a student listens to a class lecture or reads a textbook. In high school, this is sometimes the only learning step taken by some students. They listened to what the instructor said and \u201cregurgitated\u201d it back on the test. But this won\u2019t work in college because learning now requires <em class=\"im_emphasis\">understanding<\/em> the topic, not just repeating facts or information. In coming chapters you\u2019ll get tips for improving in this step.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Capture<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cCapturing\u201d refers to taking notes. No matter how good your memory, you need to take good notes in college simply because there is so much to learn. Just hearing something once is seldom enough. You have to go back over the material again, sometimes several times again, thinking about it and seeing how it all fits together.<\/p>\n<p>The more effective your note-taking skills, the better your learning abilities. Take notes also when reading your textbooks. You\u2019ll learn methods for taking good notes in later chapters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s01_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Review<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/notecards.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-494\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/notecards.jpg\" alt=\"Notecards\" width=\"182\" height=\"136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/notecards.jpg 240w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/notecards-65x48.jpg 65w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/notecards-225x168.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 182px) 100vw, 182px\" \/><\/a>The step of reviewing\u2014your class notes, your textbook reading and notes, and any other course materials possibly including recordings, online media, <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">podcasts<\/span><\/span>, and so on\u2014is the next step for solidifying your learning and reaching a real understanding of the topic. Reviewing is also a way to prepare for new information and ideas. That\u2019s why this is a learning cycle: the end of the process loops back to the beginning as you prepare for additional learning.<\/p>\n<p>Reviewing is also the step in which you discover whether you really understand the material. If you do not understand something fully, you may need to reread a section of the book, talk it over with a friend in the class, or go see your instructor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">What\u2019s Your Learning Style?<\/h2>\n<p>Different people have different <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">learning styles<\/span><\/span>. Style refers to a student\u2019s specific learning preferences and actions. One student may learn more effectively from listening to the instructor. Another learns more effectively from reading the textbook, while another student benefits most from charts, graphs, and images the instructor presents during a lecture.<\/p>\n<p>Learning style is important in college. Each different style, described later in more detail, has certain advantages and disadvantages compared with other styles. None is \u201cright\u201d or \u201cwrong.\u201d You can learn to use your own style more effectively.<\/p>\n<p>College instructors also have different <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">teaching styles<\/span><\/span>, which may or may not match up well with your learning style. Although you may personally learn best from a certain style of teaching, you cannot expect that your instructors will use exactly the style that is best for you. Therefore it is important to know how to adapt to teaching styles used in college.<\/p>\n<p>Different systems have been used to describe the different ways in which people learn. Some describe the differences between how extroverts (outgoing, gregarious, social people) and introverts (quiet, private, contemplative people) learn. Some divide people into \u201cthinkers\u201d and \u201cfeelers.\u201d A popular theory of different learning styles is Howard Gardner\u2019s \u201cmultiple intelligences,\u201d based on eight different types of intelligence:<\/p>\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>Verbal (prefers words)<\/li>\n<li>Logical (prefers math and logical problem solving)<\/li>\n<li>Visual (prefers images and spatial relationships)<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">Kinesthetic<\/span><\/span> (prefers body movements and doing)<\/li>\n<li>Rhythmic (prefers music, rhymes)<\/li>\n<li>Interpersonal (prefers group work)<\/li>\n<li>Intrapersonal (prefers introspection and independence)<\/li>\n<li>Naturalist (prefers nature, natural categories)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The multiple intelligences approach recognizes that different people have different ways, or combinations of ways, of relating to the world.<\/p>\n<p>Another approach to learning styles is called the VARK approach, which focuses on learning through different senses (<strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">V<\/strong>isual, <strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">A<\/strong>ural, <strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">R<\/strong>eading\/Writing, and <strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">K<\/strong>inesthetic):<\/p>\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_l02\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>Visual learners prefer images, charts, and the like.<\/li>\n<li>Aural learners learn better by listening.<\/li>\n<li>Reading\/writing learners learn better through written language.<\/li>\n<li>Kinesthetic learners learn through doing, practicing, and acting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can take a free, self-scored online assessment of your VARK learning style at <a class=\"im_link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.businessballs.com\/freepdfmaterials\/vak_learning_styles_questionnaire.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.businessballs.com\/freepdfmaterials\/vak_learning_styles_questionnaire.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There are still more systems used by educators to describe the various ways in which people learn. All of these systems can help you learn more about how <strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">you as an individual person and college student learn best.<\/strong> You can use the online assessment in the \u201cOutside the Book\u201d section at the end of this chapter to learn more about your style.<\/p>\n<p>Just knowing your style, however, doesn\u2019t automatically provide a solution for how to do your best in your college courses. For example, although you may be a kinesthetic learner, you\u2019ll likely still have textbook reading assignments (verbal learning) as well as lecture classes (listening). All students need to adapt to other ways of learning.<\/p>\n<p>The following sections look at the key ways in which learning occurs in college classes and offer some suggestions about how to adapt your strengths for success.<\/p>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Reading<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/02\/file0001800255465.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-474\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/02\/file0001800255465-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"file0001800255465\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/02\/file0001800255465-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/02\/file0001800255465-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/02\/file0001800255465-65x48.jpg 65w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/02\/file0001800255465-225x168.jpg 225w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/02\/file0001800255465-350x262.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Reading skills are critically important in college. Most classes involve reading assignments. Although many instructors may cover some of the textbook\u2019s content in lectures or class discussions, students cannot skip the reading assignments and expect to do well.<\/p>\n<p>If your personal learning style is verbal and independent\u2014that is, if you learn well by sitting alone and reading\u2014then you will likely not have difficulty with your college reading. Here are some tips to help maximize your learning:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s01_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>Underline and highlight key ideas when reading.<\/li>\n<li>Take good notes on your reading, using your own words.<\/li>\n<li>Write descriptions that summarize information presented in nonverbal modes, such as through charts and graphs.<\/li>\n<li>Do all optional and supplemental readings.<\/li>\n<li>Take good notes in class, as you may remember more from your written words than from the instructor\u2019s spoken words.<\/li>\n<li>If a class involves significant nonreading learning, such as learning hands-on physical processes, study with other students who are kinesthetic or \u201cdoing\u201d learners.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you have a different learning style, then you may need to give more attention to your reading skills. Always allow plenty of time for reading assignments\u2014rushing makes it harder to understand what you are reading. Do your reading at times of the day when you are most alert. Find a quiet, comfortable place conducive to reading.<\/p>\n<p>Try also to maximize your learning through your personal style. If you learn better by listening, for example, sit up front in lecture classes where you can see and hear the instructor better. If needed, ask if you can tape-record an instructor\u2019s lectures and then listen again at a convenient time, such as when commuting to class or work. If you are more of a visual learner, sit in class where you can see <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">PowerPoint<\/span><\/span> slides and other visual presentations most clearly. Use a visual approach in your class notes, as described in Chapter 4 &#8220;Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering&#8221;. Check out whether video podcasts may be available for reviewing lectures. Try to relate all of these visual images to the textbook\u2019s content when you\u2019re reading an assignment. In addition, pay special attention to illustrations and diagrams in the book, which will further help you understand the written ideas and information. If you are more of an interpersonal learner, form a study group with other students and talk with others about the course topics. Take advantage of your instructors\u2019 office hours to help clarify your understanding after reading assignments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Listening<\/h2>\n<p>Listening skills are as important in college as reading skills. College students are expected to listen to their instructors in class and remember and understand what is said. In discussion classes, listening is important also for participating well in discussions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/listener.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-495\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/listener.jpg\" alt=\"Man holding jar on string to his ear\" width=\"125\" height=\"125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/listener.jpg 240w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/listener-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/listener-65x65.jpg 65w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/listener-225x225.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 125px) 100vw, 125px\" \/><\/a>If your personal learning style favors listening, then you may already be good at understanding class lectures. Chapter 4 &#8220;Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering&#8221; provides tips to help you pay close attention, take good notes, and recall the information and ideas you have heard. Here are some more tips:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s02_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>Sit where you can best hear the instructor, away from other distractions.<\/li>\n<li>Study with other students and listen to what they say about the course material. Hearing them talk from their class notes may be more helpful than reviewing your own written notes.<\/li>\n<li>Record lectures and listen to them again later when reviewing material before a test.<\/li>\n<li>When studying, read your notes aloud. Review previous tests by reading the questions aloud and speaking your answers. If a section in your textbook seems confusing, read it aloud.<\/li>\n<li>Talk with your instructor if you feel you are not understanding course readings.<\/li>\n<li>Use rhymes or <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">acronyms<\/span><\/span> to recall verbal information. For more information, see Chapter 4 &#8220;Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>Explore supplemental learning aids, such as audio and video podcasts (even from other colleges and universities) on the course\u2019s subject matter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Seeing<\/h2>\n<p>A \u201cseeing\u201d learner learns more effectively through seeing than through reading or listening. Some college courses include demonstrations and physical processes that can be observed. If you are a visual learner, work on developing your reading and listening skills, too, because you will need to learn in these ways as well. Here are some tips to improve learning <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/eyes.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-496\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/eyes.jpg\" alt=\"close-up of woman's eyes\" width=\"189\" height=\"132\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/eyes.jpg 240w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/eyes-65x45.jpg 65w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/eyes-225x157.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 189px) 100vw, 189px\" \/><\/a>related to seeing:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s03_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>Pay special attention in class to visual presentations, such as charts, diagrams, and images.<\/li>\n<li>Take lecture notes using a visual approach. Do the same when taking notes on class readings. Use diagrams, different colors, lists, and sketches to help you remember. For more information, see Chapter 4 &#8220;Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>Use video podcasts or other visual aids for reviewing lectures.<\/li>\n<li>Pay special attention to your textbooks\u2019 illustrations and diagrams.<\/li>\n<li>If your instructor or textbook uses few visuals to help you understand and recall information and ideas, try to imagine how you would present this information visually to others if you were giving a class presentation. In your notes, create sketches for a PowerPoint slideshow capturing the highlights of the material.<\/li>\n<li>Study with other students who may learn better by reading or listening, and watch how they explain the material.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Doing<\/h2>\n<p>People who learn best by doing are often attracted to careers with a strong physical or hands-on component, which can vary from athletics to engineering. But these students may need to use other learning skills as well. Here are some tips to <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/microscope.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-497\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/microscope.jpg\" alt=\"Woman looking through microscope\" width=\"160\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/microscope.jpg 160w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/microscope-65x97.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\" \/><\/a>help maximize your learning related to doing:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s04_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>Try to engage all your senses when learning. Even when reading about something, try to imagine what it would feel like if you touched it, how it might smell, how you could physically manipulate it, and so forth.<\/li>\n<li>Think about how you yourself would teach the topic you are presently learning. What visuals could you make to demonstrate the idea or information? Imagine a class lecture as a train of boxcars and think about what things you would put in those cars to represent the lecture topics.<\/li>\n<li>When it becomes difficult to concentrate when reading while sitting in a quiet place, get up and move around while studying; make gestures as you read aloud.<\/li>\n<li>Use your hands to create a range of study aids rather than just taking notes: make charts, posters, flash cards, and so on.<\/li>\n<li>When taking notes, sketch familiar shapes around words and phrases to help you remember them. Try to associate abstract ideas with concrete examples.<\/li>\n<li>The act of writing\u2014handwriting more than typing at a keyboard\u2014may increase retention; write key things several times.<\/li>\n<li>Study with other students who may learn better by reading or listening.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s05\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Feeling<\/h2>\n<p>Feeling learners focus on the emotional side of information and learn through personal connections. Too often they may feel that a college textbook or a class is \u201cdry\u201d or \u201cboring\u201d if it focuses exclusively on written information. In addition to improving their reading and listening skills, students with this style can enrich their learning by focusing on what they and <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/basket.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-498\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/basket.jpg\" alt=\"Woman in period dress holding basket\" width=\"179\" height=\"134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/basket.jpg 240w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/basket-65x48.jpg 65w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/basket-225x168.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 179px) 100vw, 179px\" \/><\/a>others feel about the information and ideas being learned. Here are some tips to help maximize your learning related to feeling:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s05_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>Try to establish an emotional connection with the topic you are learning. In a history class, for example, imagine yourself as someone living in the period you are studying: what would you feel about the forces at work in your life? In a science class, think about what the implications of a particular scientific principle or discovery might mean for you as a person or how you yourself might have felt if you had been the scientist making that discovery.<\/li>\n<li>Talk with your instructor during office hours. Express your enthusiasm and share your feelings about the subject. Even instructors who may seem \u201cdry\u201d in a lecture class often share their feelings toward their subject in conversation.<\/li>\n<li>Do supplemental reading about the people involved in a subject you\u2019re studying. For example, reading an online biographical sketch of a historical figure, scientist, or theorist may open your eyes to a side of the subject you hadn\u2019t seen before and increase your learning.<\/li>\n<li>Study with other students who may learn better by reading or listening. Talk with them in a personal way about what the material means to them. Try teaching them about the topic while explaining your feelings about it.<\/li>\n<li>Also try the strategies listed for the \u201cdoing\u201d learning style.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s06\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Your Style, Your Instructor\u2019s Style<\/h2>\n<p>Many college classes tend to focus on certain learning styles. Instructors in large lecture classes, for example, generally emphasize listening carefully and reading well. Don\u2019t worry, however, if these are not your particular strengths, for much of this book focuses on learning study skills and other college skills related to these activities. Take responsibility for your own learning, rather than expecting the instructor to help you through the subject in your own personal way. For example, if you are a visual learner but your instructor simply stands at a podium and lectures, then provide your own visual stimulation by sketching concept maps in your notes or by visualizing how information being presented might look in a pie chart or graph. For more information, see Chapter 4 &#8220;Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>As you move further into your college curriculum, you will likely have more small classes with class discussions, demonstrations, group presentations, and other learning activities. Once you are in classes closely related to a career path that interests you, you will find your personal style more relevant to the kinds of material you will be learning.<\/p>\n<p>Much learning in college also comes from interactions with others, who often have different learning styles. Be open to interacting with other students and instructors who are different from you, and you will find yourself learning in ways that may be new to you.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, if a genuine mismatch is occurring between your learning style and your instructor\u2019s teaching style to the extent that you may not succeed in a course, talk to your instructor privately during office hours. You can explain how you best learn and ask for suggestions about other resources that may help you.<\/p>\n<div id=\"post-355\" class=\"post-355 chapter type-chapter status-publish hentry type-1\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"im_section\">\n<div class=\"im_section\">\n<div id=\"mclean-ch03_s01_s02_n01\" class=\"im_key_takeaways im_editable im_block\">\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\n<h3>KEY TAKEAWAYs<\/h3>\n<section>\n<div data-type=\"note\">\n<ul>\n<li>People learn through a four-step process, and you can maximize your learning by conscientiously applying all steps throughout college.<\/li>\n<li>The first step of the learning cycle is to prepare in advance for classes, reading, tests, and other learning.<\/li>\n<li>The second step is to absorb information and ideas effectively during classes, reading, and other learning experiences.<\/li>\n<li>The third step, capturing, typically involves taking notes on the learning experience to increase understanding and retention.<\/li>\n<li>The fourth step is to review your notes, to help solidify the learning and to prepare for repeating the cycle in the next class or reading assignment.<\/li>\n<li>People have natural learning preferences, affecting how they learn best, such as learning by reading, by listening, by seeing, by doing, and by feeling.<\/li>\n<li>Students should learn how to use their own learning style to their best advantage while also becoming flexible and working to develop other learning styles.<\/li>\n<li>Because your learning style may not match your instructor\u2019s teaching style, you need to be flexible and work to develop new learning strategies essential for college success.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3>Checkpoint EXERCISES<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Number each the following actions to put them in the correct order of the four steps of the learning cycle:\n<ul id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s06_l03\" class=\"im_itemizedlist\">\n<li>___ Review your class notes to make sure you understand.<\/li>\n<li>___ Listen carefully to what your instructor says.<\/li>\n<li>___ Prepare for today\u2019s class by looking over your notes on the reading you did for today.<\/li>\n<li>___ Take effective notes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>How would you describe your personal learning style? \u00a0 \u00a0Name an activity from which you generally learn very well. \u00a0Name a type of learning experience you may have difficulty with.For the activity above, list at least two strategies you can use to improve your learning effectiveness when in that situation next time.<\/li>\n<li>If you experience a situation in which your personal learning style seems to clash hopelessly with an instructor\u2019s teaching style, what is your best course of action?\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch01_s03_s02_s06_l04\" class=\"im_orderedlist\">\n<li>Ask the instructor to teach in a different way.<\/li>\n<li>Drop the class.<\/li>\n<li>Adapt your style or study with other students.<\/li>\n<li>Complain to the dean.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-citations sidebar\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-51\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li> cohdra100_1414.JPG. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: cohdra. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: morgueFile. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.morguefile.com\/archive\/display\/141414\">http:\/\/www.morguefile.com\/archive\/display\/141414<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Success in College. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: anonymous. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/\">http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of sponge. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: gosheshe. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/5VKjqL\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/5VKjqL<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of notecards. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Ben+Sam. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/5r8GFc\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/5r8GFc<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of listener. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Melvin Gaal. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/8jUGmf\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/8jUGmf<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of eyes. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Ahmed Sinan. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/9FzyW3\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/9FzyW3<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of woman with microscope. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: US Army Africa. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/7d4s3R\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/7d4s3R<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of woman with basket. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: zeesenboot. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/gQXVfV\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/gQXVfV<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Specific attribution<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Success in College. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: anonymous. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/\">http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":9,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc-attribution\",\"description\":\"Success in College\",\"author\":\"anonymous\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\" cohdra100_1414.JPG\",\"author\":\"cohdra\",\"organization\":\"morgueFile\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.morguefile.com\/archive\/display\/141414\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Success in 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Sinan\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/9FzyW3\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of woman with microscope\",\"author\":\"US Army Africa\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/7d4s3R\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of woman with basket\",\"author\":\"zeesenboot\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/gQXVfV\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-51","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":959,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/51","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/51\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":492,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/51\/revisions\/492"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/959"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/51\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=51"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}