Introducing and Evaluating a “Study Smarter, Not Harder” Study Tips Presentation Offered to Incoming Students at a Four-Year University

Abstract

This paper: (1) briefly outlines a study tips presentation that uses both evidence from the cognitive psychology literature as well as demonstrations to teach students how to study more effectively, and (2) provides empirical evidence about whether this study tips presentation affects students’ study habits. We provide an overview of the presentation, a handout that summarizes the tips, and a reference list rich with sources that support the efficacy of these study approaches. We also summarize a study we conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the presentation. Thirty-two students completed a questionnaire about their typical study strategies before and three months following the presentation. Additionally, 102 students who did not attend the presentation (control group) completed the study strategies survey, and their responses were compared to those from 74 students who had attended the presentation sometime between 3 months and 3 years and 3 months earlier. Finally, the 74 presentation attendees rated their memory for, utilization of, and perceived influence of the eight study tips. Results support the efficacy of the “Study Smarter, Not Harder” presentation as a way to improve students’ understanding and utilization of effective study approaches.

Keywords

• study tip instruction
• undergraduate students
• academic success
• cognitive psychology