<p>Hello!</p>
<p>I have questions about the study guide books. I have tons of study guides like Schaums (bought during high school but I feel like I should read them but I do not read them. Are they useful in college courses? Do you have time to read them?</p>
<p>Ehh…I’ve gotten some of them in the past, and I’ve found that I rarely have time to read them. I have some of the “review” card things for my physics classes, but those are really just full of common equations and whatnot. I got the official study guide that accompanies my physics text book for this semester, and I’m yet to even use it. We’re at midterm already at my school, so I probably won’t end up even using it. </p>
<p>Some people do use them a lot though. Personally, I’ve found that taking good notes serves as a better study guide. That’s basically what a lot of the official study guides really are. They’re just a summary of the crucial points, which are all things that should be in your notes anyway.</p>
<p>I do have one for my chemistry class, but it’s one of the short 3 page laminated type “study guides.” I use it more as a reference for polyatomic ions and oxidation numbers, weird naming rules and things like that. It’s more of a reference sheet though, and not really a “study guide.”</p>
<p>I’ve never used this type of thing. They cover the material and priorities that the book has, which probably don’t match what the professor has in mind (unless they wrote the textbook…). I’ve always gone with what is covered in class and what the professors say to focus on. That keeps me plenty busy.</p>
<p>^exactly. You’ll have to ask older students who took the various classes you’re taking at your school if these types of books are worth using because at many schools/in many courses they will be a total waste of your time.</p>
<p>nano is spot on. And I’d modify that further by saying that you start with your professor’s priorities and then rank those topics by which ones you are having the most difficulty with. </p>
<p>If it’s a topic you grasp easily, no point in studying it more than just enough to keep it fresh in your mind…focus on the things your professor says will matter AND your brain says “Um…how does that work again?”</p>
<p>No book is going to do that for you…it requires paying attention to yourself and assessing yourself honestly. One of the best skills you can cultivate is knowing how well you are doing at something <em>before</em> you are tested on it. Then you have time to make up the deficiency.</p>