拿到美国大学录取通知书、漂洋过海踏进美国校园绝非意味着留学的成功，反而意味着一种新的生活方式刚刚开始。新的开始，新的自己，绝大多数新生都会制定各种计划丰富自己的生活。当你开始了一种新的生活方式，有没有想过你高中的学习方法是否仍适用全新的美国大学吗？你是否制定了全A+的学习计划呢？
Create fixed times for studying.
固定学习时间
Let’s be honest, you probably have lots of things going on in your life. So if you don’t have a schedule for studying, your study time is likely to fall through the cracks. It’s simple to avoid this problem. Before you start your semester, block out your set commitments, particularly your classes and work times. Then mark down, not in pencil, but in indelible ink, specific study times that will become part of your regular schedule. Show up for those study times, just like you’d show up on time for class or for work.The reason fixed study times are so important is that, without them, you’ll have to overcome the resistance each time you think of studying: Should I study now? Wouldn’t some other time be better? Should I study at all? Couldn’t I get by just on my wits? Once you’ve made a firm commitment to a time, such questions and doubts don’t even come up: That’s your study time, and that’s that.
实说实说，远渡重洋跨入大学校园，相信你生命中的很多重要的里程碑和转折都在此时此刻发生着。正因如此，如果你没有一个确定的学习计划，你的学习时间很可能就真的成为指缝间的流水了。其实避免这样的问题发生的方法很简单。在新学期开始之前，对你的学习和工作时间有所安排。在日历或者计划表中标记出你的安排，记得用记号笔而不是铅笔，因为这是你固定下来的规律性计划。按照你的计划，按时学习，如同你按时去上课和工作一样。
计划有了，坚持下去是更为重要的事情。之所以要固定学习时间，正是因为你要克服阻碍你学习的各种想法，诸如“我现在一定要学习吗？”，“晚点再学习也可以的吧？”，“我不学习不行吗？”，“单凭我的聪明才智对付这个学科应该没问题吧？”等等。但是一旦你有了确定的学习时间，诸如上述的这些问题就不会再打扰你了，因为现在就是学习时间，就应该去学习。
Study during prime time.
黄金学习时间
Make sure the times you plan for studying are good times for you to engage in intellectual work. If you’re a night owl, plan evenings; if you’re a morning person, try the early A.M. Nobody can study effectively when they’re so dead tired – or so disinterested – they can’t think straight.
确定你制定的固定学习时间是你的高效学习时间。如果你是个夜猫子，不妨讲学习时间制定在夜晚；如果你是个“早起的鸟儿”，不放早起“吃虫儿”。谁也不能在累的要死的时候安心学习和清楚思考 ，“身在曹营心在汉”也不是学习的好状态。
Customize your studying.
自定义学习法
The most common study error is to study the same way for every course. You might think that the key to success is memorizing flash cards full of facts, but that won’t work in your philosophy class when the professor is expecting you to analyze texts. And you might think that giving the reading a once-over-lightly, noting only the overall shape of the plot, will work in every lit class, but you’ll be behind the eight-ball when your Russian literature professor is eager that you learn precise details of the plot and the characters in the novels you’re reading. Look to the syllabus, any directions given in lecture or on handouts, and the kind of activities done in lecture and in section for what the prof is looking for.
学习方法中最常见错误就是不论是何种课程都按同一个套路去学习。你可能会觉得成功学习的捷径是死记硬背，但实际上你会发现当你遇到哲学课的教授让你分析课文的时候这种方法就失灵不适用了。你也许会认为所有的课都是上课前草草读过课文了解大致意思就万事大吉了，但是你如果用同样的方式去上俄罗斯文学课，恐怕教授就要失望了，因为他可是期望你了解文章中的每个细节和精细的人物刻画。除此之外，记得看看教学大纲或者讲义，课程的方向、课堂上的活动甚至教授教学期望都在其中。
Do your reading before class.
课前预习
It might seem like it’ll work just fine to catch up on the reading after class – or worse, just before the test – but this is never a good idea. Professors give their lectures, or run their discussions, with the idea that you’ve done the assigned readings. You miss out on a lot of stuff – and you might have lots of difficulty taking notes — if you come in without having done the reading.
可能你会觉得课后多多复习，甚至更糟——仅仅在考试前“抱佛脚”，这都不是什么好主意。教授大多会假定你已经做过预习来上课的，那么上课的方式和他主持班内讨论也都会以这个前提进行。这样必然导致你会错过很多东西，而且你会发现连做笔记都变得困难。
Tackle the hard stuff first.
知难而上
Even though it’s tempting to get the easier, or more pleasant, stuff out of the way first, it’s always better to start with the hard stuff. That way, you face up to the dread right away, rather than having it hang over you. Taking on the Delta Epsilon proofs or the medieval German poetry when you’re already worn out from a couple hours of busywork is not a good recipe for studying success.
尽管从简单的或有趣的着手听起来很有诱惑力，但是还是要先从难题入手。直面难题，在难题磨灭你的斗志前消灭它。当你已经学得头昏脑涨、筋疲力尽的时候你绝对没心情花费几个小时去整理兄弟会的证据或者做中世纪德国诗歌的分析。
在下期会有更多学习方法和学习习惯助你一臂之力。
大学学习之道——A+的学习习惯（下） >>>
