The ASPIRE Study System

If you are looking for an inspirational way to revamp your study skills, the acronym  A. S.P.I.R.E. speaks for itself!  Each letter of the acronym stands for the following:

        A- Keep your attitude positive while studying to remain energized and focused.

Arrange your study time in such a way where distractions are minimized.

S-  Select a specific set of concepts to study and limit it to what is reasonable to complete.

Survey the important information that stands out in the form of headings, graphs, summaries and study questions.

P – Piece together the critical sections of information and summarize the concepts to reinforce them without the aid of your books and notes.

I – Investigate alternate sources of information such as references that the author lists in the back of your textbook, relevant websites, tutors and resources that your professor recommends.

Inquire about additional resources by asking your professor, tutors and mentors.  The more resources you can find to support the concepts you are studying, the more foundation you will have to recall the information when it comes to test time!

Finally, inspect areas that were unclear, write them down and seek clarification from your instructor.

R- Re-examine by surveying which questions you still have and need further understanding on.  Take notes on any missing information that you need to fill in the gaps needed to clarify the concepts.

Reflect on how you can apply the concepts to your life.

Relay – look for ways that you can effectively communicate the concepts to your classmates or someone whom you are explaining for the first time.

E- Evaluate, examine, explore

Assess your grades to see what areas need improvement based on your current study patterns

Examine your goals and check to see where you are with respect to how your study habits and grades that result are improving

Explore additional options and resources if you need further support such as extra tutoring, a meeting with your professor to get suggestions for improvement or create a study group to help to reinforce the concepts.

If you are looking for new ways to organize your study skills, this guide can give you some direction when you are faced with multiple deadlines and academic demands.  For more information on this topic, visit the following link.