3 Chapter 1 Developing Study Skills Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Attitude Attitude is how personal thoughts or feelings affect a person’s outward behavior. It is a combination of how a person feels, what he or she thinks, and what he or she does. Attitude is how an individual sees himself or herself, as well as how he or she perceives others. Positive attitudes often play an important role in determining academic per- formance. An individual with a positive attitude is optimistic and looks at the upside of a situation rather than the downside. Optimists learn from experiences, accu- rately identify problems, and try to offer solutions rather than complaints. Having a positive attitude is the first step to learning how to study. A good attitude about studying includes a sense of responsibility for your own learning. You will be a lifelong learner. As a lifelong learner, you will look for oppor- tunities to learn information for personal and professional use. Some of your learn- ing will come from formal schooling. Other learning will come from life experiences and your desire to improve your mind and your well-being. Self-Confidence An important element of an individual’s success is self-confidence. Self-confidence is being certain and secure about one’s own abilities and judgment. People with self- confidence believe in their ability to perform or make something positive happen in a situation. A person’s self-confidence is affected by his or her self-talk. Self-talk is the practice of talking to oneself, either silently or aloud. This is how most individuals sort through information. It often includes reinforcement about one’s appearance, personal qualities, and belief in one’s self. The more you believe in yourself, the more others will believe in you. If you are confident you can develop study skills, you will be able to succeed. Focus Most importantly, developing good study skills requires you to focus. To focus means to pay close attention to something. In order to pay attention, you have to recognize the importance of what you are doing so you fully understand the value of the task. If you are learning how to study, the importance of the task is to help you be more productive as a student and person. When listening to your instructor lecture, the importance is to learn about the topic being discussed. When reading assigned texts or material, the importance is to learn the facts and details that are being pre- sented. Recognizing the importance of the task adds value and clarity. Decision-Making Process As a student, you will be challenged every day to make decisions to solve a situation that arises. These situations can range from deciding which class to take to narrow- ing down a topic for a research paper. It is important not to become overwhelmed especially if time is a factor. Decision-making is the process of solving a problem or situation. The pro- cess includes choosing a course of action after evaluating available information and weighing the costs, benefits, and consequences of alternative actions. Decision-making involves critical-thinking skills. Critical-thinking skills are skills that provide the ability to analyze and interpret a situation and make reason- able judgments and decisions. When you apply critical-thinking skills, you try to eliminate emotions and be open-minded about the possibilities. Then, a solution or process can be applied so that a productive action can be taken.