How to Study: A Systematic Approach for Improving Your GPA

by Philip Keith

College can be a challenge for any student. For many of us it's about finding a balance and being able to juggle all of the responsibilities that come with being a student. Each class you take will be different. You'll experience different teachers. You'll make friends. You'll go to parties. You'll take exams. In the end, though, you will have acquired a lifetime of memories, many of which will include the awesome learning experiences you had in all of the amazing courses you will take. How to Study provides readers with a new perspective on studying, and guides the prospective college graduate through the process of becoming systematic when thinking about learning. This book is useful for the aspiring college student or the seasoned veteran. Written by Dr. Philip M. Keith, How to Study combines insight from both his professional experiences as an educator as well as his personal experiences as a first-generation, nontraditional college graduate. Congratulations on deciding to pursue your college degree! As a college graduate myself, I can relate to how amazing and overwhelming the first steps can be when you are first starting out. There's a lot to get done. Maybe you're a freshman and this is your first year in the dorms. Or maybe you are an older, nontraditional student who is balancing family life while pursuing your dream. Maybe you're the first person in your family to attend college. Whatever the case may be, we both know that attending college is a major life challenge . . . and a lot of work. But one thing is for sure, by the time you are finished you will have achieved a major accomplishment in your life, something you can treasure forever. That's why I have written this book, because I recognize that the college experience can add a lot to your life . . . not just because it's a degree, but because it is an EXPERIENCE! And because it's an amazing challenge. This book is designed to change the way you think about studying in college. It focuses on the things that you can do to improve your own learning experience. It provides you with insight about your role as a student. And it helps you develop a good plan for completing the college courses ahead of you. The one thing this book is not is a quick fix. There are no shortcuts to being successful in school, and I make no claims that this book will provide you with any easy answers. Studying is work. Learning is work. Getting good grades is work. Those things you have to understand. What I can say is that by the time you finish this book, you will have a lot of good direction on what you need to do to face the challenge of being successful in your college courses. This book uses a systematic approach to learning. If you spend time reading, studying, and thinking about the information I've provided, you will undoubtedly have a new perspective on how to tackle the learning challenges you're going to face. With that, there are four goals I want to achieve with this book. The obvious goal is to help improve the way you study by providing you with a new focus on the concept of studying in general. What I hope is that by reading this book you will walk away with a new perspective on what it means to study. For too long, students have been practicing old time rituals that involve hiding away in the deepest and darkest regions of some tenth-floor cubicle, where they work hard to commit to memory certain facts, figures, and concepts associated with a particular subject. This time-honored tradition of gathering information and then trying your best to cram it into your brain in last-minute fashion, so you might pass a midterm or final exam, has sadly been the standard-practice for many college students for many years. My goal for this guide on studying is to change the way you think about—or perceive—the notion of studying, and, that by doing so, hopefully you will then be able to abandon the torturous practice of cra

68 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2014

About the author

Phil Keith earned a bachelor's degree in history from Harvard and has done master’s work at Long Island University and the Naval War College. After graduating from Harvard, Phil went directly into the Navy and became an aviator. During three tours in Vietnam, he served with distinction and was awarded, among other decorations, the Purple Heart, Air Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, and Navy Commendation Medal.
After his wartime service, Phil rose to the rank of Commander in the Naval Reserve and is also a licensed US Coast Guard Captain and Master’s Mate. As a business executive, he worked for two Fortune 500 firms and is a former assistant professor of business at Long Island University. Since 2007 Phil has been an adjunct instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design, teaching marketing and writing courses.
Phil has authored novels and nonfiction books. His Vietnam book, Blackhorse Riders, from St. Martin’s Press, won the 2012 award from USA Book News for Best Military Non-Fiction, was a finalist for the 2013 Colby Award, and earned a 2013 silver medal from Military Writers Society of America. His second Vietnam book, Fire Base Illingworth, released by St. Martin’s Press in 2013, was a Gold Medal winner from MWSA. His latest book (Zenith Press) is “Stay the Rising Sun,” an account of the crucial WW II Battle of the Coral Sea and the loss of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington in May, 1942. Phil is currently working on two more non-fiction books: one on the Civil War and another about Eugene Bullard, the first African-American fighter pilot. He has also completed fictional novel about Vietnam to be released in summer, 2017.
Phil serves on the planning board for the Town of Southampton, New York, and is a member of VFW Post 5350, American Legion Post 924, the Disabled American Veterans, and Vietnam Veterans of America. He writes an opinion column for the Press newspapers called "Mostly Right," and lives in Southampton with his partner Laura Lyons and son Pierce.