For some students, if there is no pain, there is no gain, but it need not be so.

Your success in high school and college is dependent on your ability to study effectively and efficiently.

The results of poor study skills are wasted time, frustration, and low or failing grades. It?s your life, your time, and your future.

All I can say, upon reflection of many years as a teacher, is that time is precious and not to be squandered, no matter what you believe right now.

This guide is designed to help you develop effective study skills. It is not a magic formula for success in preparing for tests, written or oral assignments.

Studying any material requires work!

However, by using the techniques described in this guide, and by applying yourself, you can gain a valuable edge in understanding material, preparing for tests, and, ultimately, learning.

This guide contains some of the best and most effective techniques of successful students ? students who typically have high grades in high school and college regardless of the courses they take.

So read on, think about what you read, and prepare to become a successful student!

Before you even begin to think about the process of studying, you must develop a schedule.

If you don?t have a schedule or plan for studying, then you will not have any way of allocating your valuable time when the unexpected comes up.

A good, well thought out schedule can be a lifesaver.

It?s up to you to learn how develop a schedule that meets your needs, revise it if necessary, and most important, follow it.

All schedules should be made with the idea that they can be revised.

A good schedule keeps you from wandering off course.

A good schedule, if properly managed, assigns time where time is needed, but you?ve got to want to do it!

A schedule should take into account every class, laboratory, lecture, social event, and other work in which you engage.

There are givens such as classes and so on that have to be incorporated.

You must focus on the other ?free time? available and how you will use it. Make a weekly schedule and block off the 24 hour day in one hour increments.

Indicate times for classes, labs, lectures, social, and work time.

Also block off a period for sleeping each day. With what is left over, plan time for study.

This gives you a rough road map of the time available. Of course, you can revise your schedule as circumstances warrant.