“Everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” -Robert Louis Stevenson, author-

Back in the 13^th century—one story goes—baker’s faced the possibility of severe punishment if they shorted an order. That is, if someone ordered a dozen donuts but only got eleven, the baker could find himself in some pretty deep yogurt (if you get my drift). So, in order to protect against an inadvertent mistake, bakers over-compensated by putting thirteen donuts in a dozen of donuts.  Hence the expression was born: a baker’s dozen.

Well, today, I want to give you a baker’s dozen of study skill tips. For the past twelve weeks this blog has focused on one study skill per week. This week’s blog will quickly review those 12—and throw in a one for good measure.  Remember, while these are “study skills” each one has applicability to life and career as well.  For your convenience, I have also linked each study skill to the appropriate blog post. Just click on the title by each number.

Video recommendation for the week:

1.       Do I Really Need This Stuff? *Do a realistic assessment of your skills and challenges. We all have things to learn, things to tweak, and progress to make. *Video link for an introduction to study skills.

2.       Critical Thinking.*Critical thinking is an “across-the-board” skill. It is a life skill.  Remember the simple yet eloquent acronym: R.E.D.  Recognize Assumptions. Evaluate Information. Draw Conclusions. *Video link for the R.E.D Model

3.       Priority Management.  *You cannot manage your time…but you sure can manage your priorities.  Know how to recognize the negotiable and non-negotiables in your life. Focus by making time for your most valuable priorities each day. *Video link for priority management.

4.       Information Literacy. *Know how to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information.  Also, understand how to use social media for your academic, career, and personal benefit. *Video link for information literacy.

5.       Motivation and Goal Setting. *When you think of goals, think of the acronym S.O.A.R.: Specific, Organize, Action, Reason. *Video link for goals.

6.       Learning Styles. *This is one style that NEVER goes out of style! Understand how you best receive and use information. *Video link for learning styles and preferences.

7.       Class-Time Listening and Note-Taking. *Here are eight strategies that pertain to the business world as much as they do to the classroom. *Video link for classroom success.

8.       Notes Review. *Research tells us that as students build connections (relationships) between what they learn in class, read in their books, and experience in their lives, they will improve their learning. *Video link for making connections with class notes.

9.       Reading. *Reading remains a crucial skill. In fact, being able to read well is perhaps even more important today than it was in the past. *Video link for reading.

10.   Memory. *If I had to give just one tip for improving memory it would be to find connections—make the material (whatever it might be) relevant to your life. *Video link for memory.

11.   Test-preparation and Test-Performance. *When you effectively use test-preparation strategies, you are not only getting ready for the exam at hand, you are building life-long skills. Relevant and connected. *Video link for test-prep and performance.

12.   Civility. *Civility does not mean we all agree. It does mean, though, that we accept each other’s humanity and dignity as a person. *Video link for civility.

And this week’s additional item—the baker’s dozen—is:

13.   The Choices You Make.

*While ambition and potential are important characteristics, they are useless without initiative.  Our life is the sum of the many small choices we make and do each day. Make each day count. 

For more on the above topics, see my book Study Skills: Do I Really Need This Stuff? 3rd edition (Pearson Education). Please visit my website (www.stevepiscitelli.com), contact me at steve@stevepiscitelli.com, or visit Pearson Education,  Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Enjoy your week—and H.T.R.B. as needed!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. Please pass it (and any of the archived posts on this site) along to friends and colleagues. You can also follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. If you get a chance, visit my Facebook page and join in–or start–a conversation (www.facebook.com/stevepiscitelli). Also, if you have suggestions for future posts, leave a comment. Have a wonderful week!

© 2012. Steve Piscitelli and Steve Piscitelli’s Blog.