2. Mechanics and Techniques of Studying

A methodical approach | The weekly schedule card | Why study? – Material rewards | Why study? – Non-material rewards | The wall calendar | The pocket date book | Sleep | Tools of the trade general | Tools of the trade specific | Go out for sports? | How detailed should class notes be? | Four methods of taking notes | Notebook inspection | Some note-taking hints | What is important? | What is not important? | Study old exams? | Working conditions | A typical study session | “Take ten!” | Retroactive amnesia | The curve of learning | The law of diminishing returns | The curve of forgetting | Hypnosis | Teaching machines | Reading-acceleration machines | Television | Scrambled books | Distractions enemies of retention

The Law of Diminishing Returns

The time arrives when extra repetitions add so little to one's store of knowledge that the effort is no longer worthwhile. If one is a perfectionist, he will try to achieve complete mastery. While this is laudable, it is not to be complimented without reservation. For example, if one has a list of fifty definitions, and practices for several hours to write them perfectly, but always misses one or another each time, the chances are that further work will not bring adequate return. If this process is nibbling away at other things, such as sleep, it is time to call a halt. Fatigue may erase whatever little progress seems to have been made.