S
ince attending college, I have found myself
appreciating the opportunity to attend lectures
and deepen the understanding I have attained
from reading the textbook.
I remember when I was homeschooled, I did not always
utilize the resources, such as audio lectures and reaching
out to contact the teachers/counselors that were available
to me. Instead, I sat in my room with my textbook, trying
to memorize everything with sheer willpower.
Now, I realize that that was not a good approach. What
I do now and should have done then was to study the
material in ways that helped me truly understand,
which lowers the amount of time spent studying, while
increasing the quality of the studying.
There is a plethora of ways that you as a Seton student
can add in study methods that fit your learning style.
1. TALK IT OUT.
I was recently talking to one of my classmates who said that
he has a hard time studying on his own because he needs
to talk about the material with someone. Homeschoolers
usually have a lot of opportunities to do this.
Discussing challenging material with your parents or
explaining the concept to a willing younger sibling are
great ways for auditory learners to enhance their home
education. When I was talking Latin in high school, I
remember recording myself reciting declensions and
saving them to my phone. Then, I could go back and listen
to them several times throughout the day.
2. OUTLINING.
Seton has instilled a love of outlining in me. For some
classes, I take notes in class in the form of an outline. I
always bring a pencil with me to class so I can erase and
correct the outline if needed.
I do this not because I am a neurotic organization freak
(or so I tell myself), but because I haven’t found a better
way to see how all the different parts of a concept are
connected. I recommend outlining after reading subjects
like science and history.
I can guarantee you that few people can sit down, read
a section of a textbook, and just understand everything
without needing to work with the material a bit. Outlining
really helps me and I wish I had discovered it when I was
beginning high school.
3. VIDEOS/AUDIO LECTURES.
I have to put a disclaimer in here that it’s not a good idea
to google a concept and watch whatever video pops up
about it, because there is no way to know what the person
is going to say. It’s better to not understand the material
than to understand it incorrectly.
However, I have found the science videos from Crash
Course and Khan Academy to be helpful. And of course,
it is a good idea to listen to the audio lectures that Seton
provides.
4. QUIZLET.
Quizlet is a great website that allows you to make online
practice tests and flashcards for whatever you are learning
about. You can quiz yourself in a variety of different ways,
which enables you to study the material in many forms.
Quizlet is great for students who get distracted or
frustrated by sitting and studying their notes for
prolonged periods of time. I use this website all the time
now and I wish I had known about it in high school.
5. DRAW IT!
This is really important for subjects such as biology — it’s
very hard to sit down with a book, read it, and understand
how cells and such work. However, I could also see that
this can help for subjects such as history, in which you
have to understand the logistics of a battle.
Last semester, my Anatomy and Physiology professor
made the class turn in labeled drawings for almost every
chapter. Some of us hated it and some of us found it really
helpful. Do what works for you and don’t be afraid to
try drawing if you are not artistic. I can barely draw, but
I sometimes sketch things next to my notes to help me
visualize the content.
Seton students, how do you study best?
Anna Eileen
is a member of the Seton Home Study School
Class of 2014. She is currently a freshman nursing major at
Aquinas College in Nashville, TN. When she is not studying,
you can usually find her cycling, listening to music, or
spending time with family and friends.
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BAYLEY BULLETIN, DEC 2016-FEB 2017
