Psychology 110: Study Skills

By Yuya Shinozaki & Ryoji Hanakaata

Study Skills is a class at PLU where we learned how to study in college from a psychological perspective. First, we learned how to increase and keep our motivation, and how to set our goals. Then we studied the consequences if we don’t manage our time. We learned how to read textbooks and increase comprehension. We learned what good notes are and how to take good notes. The professor also taught us about how to use critical to increase our memory. We learned how to learn, how to prepare for tests, and how to take tests.

In the Study Skills class there are three different assignments that are due bi-weekly. One type of assignment is Internet-based research about the particular facilities in PLU. For example, where each facility is located, what their function is, and how we can locate or find their office. The other assignment is to meet a tutor and ask the tutor questions such as, how tutors prepare for examinations and what tutors usually do for a day-off from PLU classes. The third assignment requires students to meet the professors who teach them and ask the professors what the professors expect from students, what pitfalls the professors see students most consistently fall into when the students take classes, how the professors feel about the progress of the students, and what the interests or research of the professors are.

The students have to give a presentation about what they learned. In addition, they are required to use official speaking skills in their presentation, and the contents and purposes of their presentations should be very logical. I recommend taking this class to students who are not confident about study methods or do not know how to study. This class will help you be successful in all your future PLU classes.