As virtual students start a new semester of online classes, it's a good time to discuss the development of effective study habits.

When I was new college student, I spent hours memorizing pages of Chaucer poetry...only to forget everything after the big exam. Fortunately, my study skills have since improved.

This week Zen Habits posted a particularly helpful article about maximizing study efficiency. Here's a blurb:

"Smart people don't just learn better. They learn differently. While many students get caught up in memorizing facts, intelligent learners know to seek the bigger picture and connect the facts together. This form of learning I call holistic learning.

Holistic learning is basically the opposite of rote memorization. Instead of reciting lists of facts, rules or formulas, you seek to connect ideas together. Instead of having separate boxes in your head for geometry, algebra or ancient India, you deliberately link facts together, so they form a bigger picture."

Studying smart will not only help you pass your next exam, it will cut down on the amount of time you need to spend sorting through your notes. Sounds like a good deal to me!