Study effectively with proper training
Do you have trouble finding
time to study?
Are your class notes a total
disaster?
Can you remember today
what was said in yesterday’s
lecture?
Do you get an anxiety attack
every time you take an exam?
If you answered yes to any of
these questions, you need
S.E.T.
S.E.T. is the abbreviation for
Study Effectiveness Training.
It’s offered twice a school year
at the Counseling Center here.
This school years first
workshop sessions, held
throughout October, were con
ducted by the Coordinator of
Counseling Services, Dr.
Marian Krieger and Center
Counselor, Edward Beck.
Study Effectiveness Training
first began at Capitol Campus
in 1976 “to help students cope
with the transition from
semesters to terms,” says
Krieger. At that time the
workshops were only offered
once a school year, but due to
positive response S.E.T. ses
sions have been expanded to
twice a school year.
Krieger and Beck try to help
as many students as they can
during the two S.E.T. sessions.
This is done in part through a
Preliminary Assessment Form
that all participants must fill
out prior to attending the
workshops. The form basically
asks you to indicate what you .
feel are your strengths ana
weaknesses in studying and
comprehending course work.
The Preliminary Assessment
Form also tells what major or
option you’re taking. The par
ticipants are then divided into
two groups according to their
field of study. Krieger handles
students in majors that require
a large amount of reading or
literary analysis such as
behavioral science or the
humanities. Beck conducts ses
sions with majors who deal with
quantitative problem solving
such as engineering and
business math.
Although the groups are
separated they learn the same
S.E.T. techniques, but they are
specifically geared toward what
the student is learning in his or
her actual course work. Both
groups are taught effective
time management skills, techni
ques to improve redding and
retention, efficient ways of
note-taking and strategies for
test-taking.
When Krieger first began con
ducting S.E.T. workshops she
found that time management
seemed to be the biggest pro
blem among students trying to
adjust to terms.
“We try to stress the impor-
tance of balancing the
academic and personal lives of
the students, especially those
who are married or work full or
part-time,” says Krieger. In
essence, what Krieger and Beck
teach is how to effectively use
the study time you’ve got, no
matter how little you nave.
One 7th term behavioral
science major said of this
aspect of S.E.T., “I finally
realized that if I would use my
study time more wisely and ef
ficiently I would have more
“We try to stress the importance of balancing the academic
and personal lives of the students.”
time left over to do other
things.”
Students are also taught
several techniques of improving
their reading and retention
skills. One of which is the SQ3R
method. SQ3R stands for
Survey or Skim, Question,
Read, Recite and Review.
Krieger says, ‘‘lt is a new ap
proach to understanding and re
taining textbook material as op
posed to using speed reading
machines such as those used in
Evelyn Wood speed-reading
courses.”
Another topic discussed in
S.E.T. sessions is efficient note
taking techniques. Participants
are taught a method of taxing
class notes in a summary style
which eliminates pages and
pages of impertinent notes and
makes studying for tests much
easier.
Also covered in the Study Ef-
Dr. Marian Krieger
Coordinator of Counseling
Services
fectiveness Training workshops
are strategies for test-taking.
Krieger says, “This is taught to
give students confidence in test
taking and to reduce test anxie
ty.” Do the easy questions first
is a pointer g;iven to par
ticipants, which should
psychologically give the test
taker an extra dose of
confidence.
S.E.T. participants praised
the workshops for teaching
.them how to develop good study
habits, how to increase their
reading and comprehension
skills and how to alleviate test
anxiety. Still others were
somewhat disappointed in the
number of participants. A 7th
term humanities major said she
thinks that more students don’t
come because “They think they
already know how to study,
especially if they’re getting
good grades. But that isn’t
always true, I’ve always had
good grades but I’ve learned
some things at S.E.T. that I
didn’t know before.” Another
participant from Krieger’s
group said he thinks “students
might also think the sessions
are too time consuming. They
are, but it’s worth the time in
vestment.”
The next Study Effectiveness
Training workshops won’t be of
fered until the spring term but
Krieger and Beck will be happy
to conduct S.E.T. sessions with
individuals or groups.
Study Effectiveness Training
sessions for Spring Term 1983
will be conducted from 1:30-3
pm. April 6,13, 20, and 27.