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How do I study with a textbook/ what are the assignments like in college

I’m a dual enrollment student but my study skills aren’t the best. I’m going into college next year and in one of my recent classes in high school I actually, learned that I like to review and answer questions or practice questions. In dual enrollment we don’t get much practice questions, instead we get test or papers no smaller assignments, but I think it’s because it’s online at a community college. Anyways, I’m wondering what are the assignments/ class is like. For example, is the professor giving like only lectures and you study them for the test next week or are their smaller assignments in between like check in questions or something. Also if there are no smaller assignments other than doing the questions at the end of each chapter how should I study? I don’t mind flash cards, but I find that to be not good when I know nothing about the material. I’m a psychology major if it helps.

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Jerome’s Answer

A lot of college will be lectures from professors who are covering specific material. I struggled with studying as well. I found the best thing to do was to block time on my calendar and to read through things. The first time I would just read through. I would then read through the material second time and highlight things that felt important. On my third review, I would type out a quick summary of what I thought I read.

It was a pretty major time investment, but I did find that studying and got a little easier. Typically each class will have a syllabus, and they will highlight what it is important for you to know. More times than not they are somewhat giving you the answers to the test :-)
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Wong’s Answer

Hi Beniah. While every professor and school is different, there are some common patterns you can expect. Many introductory classes combine lectures, readings from a textbook, quizzes, discussion posts, and at least a few major assessments like exams or research papers.

When it comes to studying with a textbook, the key is not to read passively. Instead of starting with flashcards before you understand anything, try learning the big picture first. You can preview the chapter, like skim headings, bold terms, charts, and summary sections. This gives your brain a mental map of what's coming.

Practice questions are one of the best study strategies, and the textbooks typically include end-of-chapter questions to reinforce learning. You can make your own practice questions too: turn headings into questions and quiz yourself.

In the college, you need to attend lectures actively by writing down what the professor emphasizes, then match those notes to your textbook. If your course offers practice quizzes, chapter tutorials, or study guides, use them consistently rather than waiting until the week of the test. All the best.
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Yoav’s Answer

It is wonderful that you are already figuring out your preferred learning style—liking to review and answer practice questions is an excellent, proactive approach that will serve you well in college, especially as a Psychology major, which focuses heavily on concepts and application. While your dual enrollment experience might be limited to major tests and papers, most college classes, particularly in a university setting, incorporate a variety of assignments, including smaller "check-in" quizzes, regular low-stakes homework, and weekly discussion posts to ensure you are keeping up with the material; professors rarely rely on only one final lecture and test. To turn your textbook into the practice you crave, the most effective strategy is to proactively create your own questions: as you read, turn every heading and bolded term into a question—for example, change "Theories of Conditioning" into "What are the major theories of conditioning and how do they differ?"—and then close the book to answer these questions aloud or in a notebook, using the end-of-chapter review questions as a further practice test to actively recall the material, which builds your understanding far better than simply re-reading or relying on flashcards before you know the basics.
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