Why Study Skills Matter

Studying makes you a student, right?

To me, studying seems like part of what makes a student. I can tell you that most students don’t know how to study, and teaching students how to study doesn’t seem to be a priority in the education system — but it should be.

People often think of studying as just a way to pass a test. Maybe they think students are already good at studying.

After all, many of us have had really bad experiences with studying, where we crammed for a test and forgot everything afterward.

I think it’s time to refresh your study skills. I suggest this, partly because they work, but mostly because teaching athletic training students how to study brings them closer to taking ownership of their learning.

Study Skills Help Students Become Better Learners

When most of us think of “studying,” we think of creating flashcards and reading our notes. But it’s so much more than that. Those techniques only fall under the first, and most basic, category of essential study skills. These are the three categories:

Cognitive skills

Studying techniques in this category include taking and reviewing notes, summarizing information, reviewing vocabulary terms, and annotating a…