Anne Crossman - Study Smart, Study Less: Earn Better Grades and Higher Test Scores, Learn Study Habits That Get Fast Results, and Discover Your Study Persona

Calling all teenagers (and their exasperated parents)! If youve been putting off calling Procrastinators Anonymous to find study strategies that work for you, this is the book for you. If you spend hours studying without seeing your grades improve, this is the book for you. If you are starting to realize that acting too cool for school isnt cool at all, this is the book for you. In short, if you are a teenager who wants to do better in school while gaining a sense of self (and maybe even a social life) this is the book for you.

Ginger Fay, President, Fay College Counseling, LLC

Anne Crossman demystifies studying, proving that academic success isnt magic. Her book is accessible and helpful for ALL students, particularly those transitioning to high school. Parents, teachers,
and counselors who want to help their kids succeed would also do well to read it.

Brian Cooper, Director of Educational Programs,
Duke University Talent Identification Program

As a school counselor and former college admissions director, I have run across many smart students who were not successful because they didnt know how to study. Study Smart, Study Less is custom made for these kids. What makes this book different is that it helps students identify their study style and teaches them how to maximize their strengths. Anne Crossman has given new hope to students who want to improve their study skills and boost their academic performance.

Gordon E. Stanley, PhD, Director of Counseling, Marist School

Copyright 2011 by Anne Crossman
Illustrations 2011 by Chris Kalb

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Crossman, Anne, author.
Study smart, study less : earn better grades and higher test scores, learn study habits that get fast results, and discover your study persona / Anne Crossman. First edition.
p. cm
1. Study skills. I. Title.
LB1049.C775 2011
371.30281dc22
2010046307

eISBN: 978-1-60774-046-9

v3.1

Josiah, Isaiah, and Evelyn
may you excel in all that your hearts desire

Chances have it that if youre trying to learn how to improve your study habits its because you have studying to do, which means you probably dont have oodles of time to read massive books about how to study which is why were here.

Somewhere between junior high and college, teachers expect that you will have magically learned how to study. I have no idea where they get that idea since few schools actually offer courses in how to take notes, and, to be fair, most teachers have more material to teach than they do time. As a result, study skills rarely work into the lesson plan, leaving you without the skills you need to reach your academic potential which is why were here.

There are some who would swear study is a four-letter word. Just the threat of it calls up nightmares about maelstroms of papers to write, monuments of charts to fill, and galaxies of numbers to crunchall due tomorrow. Its enough to make anyone procrastinate or die a premature, stress-related death which is why were here.

Studying is all about pacing. Its about studying your brains out without losing your mind. Or, to put it differently, its about studying to your brains fullest potential using techniques that are actually easy for you, making you smart while keeping you sane. So, in an effort to make you as smart as possible in a way that is as painless as possible in as little time as possible, I have written this zesty little guide to get you started on what will hopefully become a lifetime of studiousness and success. Which, in the end, is why we are here.

Identifying your study persona

We all wish studying were something we could do in our sleep, or that plugging a computer chip into our brains would do the trick. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but here it goessuccess requires work. I know thats just an awful thing to say, but becoming a successful student requires a lot of sweat, sacrifice, and diligence. No great shocker there. However, that doesnt mean work cant be fun. With the right outlook, tools, and expectations, you might be surprised how enjoyable academic success can be.

Very few people are naturally organized or get good grades without tryingand the few who are true natural geniuses in contrast have to work harder at things that seem normal to the rest of us. Everyone has different talents. As we work through this book, I intend to help you discover your learning strengths so that you will not only know how to make the most of them, but will also feel more confident as you tackle areas where you may not be as strong.

Wanting to do well but not knowing how is enough to drive anyone batty. Like the title of this chapter alludes, if were truly honest with ourselves we will admit that we all have a little bit of slacker in us. I mean, lets be real. Who is genuinely 100 percent thrilled to work? That said, work is one of those unavoidable realities, and when it comes our way it turns some of us into maniacs, some of us into geeks, and a lucky few into pumpkinsI mean, brainiacs. Fortunately for you, you are reading this book and are, therefore, well on your way to the latter.

Before we can begin to maximize your strengths (thats the next chapter), we need to first identify your study persona. The whole reason youre reading this book is because you think you could be doing better in class than you currently are. As a former high school English teacher I can tell you that, when faced with work, students tend to veer toward one of the four following study personas. Understanding which one you resemble most will help you pinpoint your study needs better. So, read on and mark the one that fits you best (were going for the most similarities here).

THE UNPERFECTED PERFECTIONIST: