Joodoo wrote:ty everyone! your help is appreciated...
and nagerous, I cannot get out of CC because I'm involved in a build-up game with oggiss (since April). I think he'll be pretty disappointed if the game ends so fast (it's only up to about the 200th round right now)
For memorization, put facts on note cards and keep them with you. Make a habit of going through them whenever you get the chance (waiting in lines, eating a quick bite, etc.)
For longer type "understanding" questions, read the book/tesxt through once.
Ask yourself if you understood it. If not, go back and write down EVERY term you did not understand. For science, in particular, you may find lots and lots of words you have just never seen. I am so used to just understanding what I read from context, that it never occured to me I was not really understanding my specialized biology text. (had a LOT of specific names for animal body parts, etc.) A tutor made me write down word I had not seen before. Suddenly I saw that I had almost every other word on one page circled. AND, I realized there was a good reason why I wasn't "getting" the material ... I had not taken the time to understand the words!
In Science, just understanding and remembering are "enough".
For English, social sciences and History, you need to not just be able to understand the words, but the why and wherefore behind them.
English -- read through. DON'T try to "pick it apart" until you understand what is written. In many cases that will be once ... in other cases, it might take a few go-throughs. THEN, look at the types of things your instructor asks and discusses. Analyze the text using his questions, classroom discussions as a guide. It can definitely help to have a study group, if you can get together with some students who are a bit better than you (hopefully). In this definitely do not discount foreign students who might not seem to speak all that well, but who might well grasp the points pretty well ... perhaps better than you.
History -- memorize dates and names, just like science vocabulary (cards help). Read the material more like English the first time or two ... that is, try to just "enjoy", understand what is being said. THEN criticize/question/debate. Again, use the things your instructor says in class as a guide whenever possible.
Other types of classes tend to fall into the above categories, with the exception of lab/activity type classes. Those its "do what is required" ... period.