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New Mexico State University

Learning and Study Skills

Choose the response that most closely matches your feeling about the statement:

SD - Strongly Disagree
D - Disagree
A - Agree
SA - Strongly Agree)

    SD D A SA
1. I take rest periods when I study.
2. Roommates, family, or friends distract me while I study.
3. I study for at least an hour without being distracted.
4. Listening and staying focused on lectures in my classes is a problem for me.
5. I find it difficult to pay attention in lectures.
6. During a lecture, I doodle in my notebook or sketch pictures unrelated to the course.
7. I review my notes before the next class.
8. My notes are useful in preparing for tests.
9. I don't know if I am getting the right information in my notes when I listen to a lecture.
10. I usually take clear and complete notes in my math class that I an use to study for tests.
11. I spend time each day working out math problems.
12. If a math concept is difficult for me, I tend to put off practicing the problems or doing homework.
13. I enjoy learning math and the steps to problem solving.
14. I am unable to remember what I have just heard in a lecture or read in a textbook.
15. I memorize definitions, statements, or formulas without really understanding them.
16. I have a system for organizing information that helps me remember.
17. When studying and memorizing material for exams, I take frequent breaks.
18. I think I read slower than most other students.
19. I read all types of material at about the same rate.
20. I often find that my eyes drift back to previous lines of text I have read.
21. I enjoy reading and spend some time each week reading for enjoyment.
22. I have problems learning and understanding technical terminology in science textbooks.
23. I use an effective method to prepare for tests in the sciences.
24. I usually believe that I can do well in science courses.
25. I memorize scientific formulas without understanding them.
26. I try to organize lecture notes, reading notes, and chapter outlines into a system when studying for exams.
27. I am unable to complete my examinations within the period scheduled for them.
28. I put off studying for exams until the last moment.
29. Test anxiety affects my ability to give a good test performance.
30. Other people often interfere with my test preparation by distracting me from my studies.
31. When I come to a question on a test that I cannot answer I get very frustrated and my mind sometimes goes blank.
32. I study differently for essay exams than I do for objective exams.
33. During tests I find myself thinking of the consequences of failing.
34. Even when I'm well prepared for a test, I feel very anxious about it.
35. I panic when people finish the test and leave long before I do.
36. During exams or tests, I experience memory blocks on questions to which I know the answers and find I remember them as soon as the exam is over.
37. I read textbooks at a different speed than I read fiction and light magazine articles.
38. When studying, I read a long chapter by summarizing each part of it as I go along.
39. I read textbook chapters over several times as a way of learning the material.
40. When I read my textbook, I don't understand a lot of the terminology and vocabulary that are used.
41. I have a regular written study schedule that I attempt to follow.
42. Each week I assign specific periods of time to study for each course.
43. I cram for tests and final examinations.
44. My friends distract me from following my time management schedule.
45. I am dissatisfied with the results of my studying in relation to the time I spend at it.
46. I plan specifically what and how to study before I begin an assignment.
47. Procrastination is a problem for me.
48. I feel my vocabulary is at the right level to accomplish college level reading and writing tasks.
49. I often lose the train of thought of a lecture because there are so many words I don't understand.
50. I can figure out a word in a sentence by using the context of the sentence.
51. I know the meanings of most common prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
52. I have trouble understanding my textbook because of the words I don't know.

  • NMSU Division of Student Success: Center for Academic Success
  • (575) 646-3136 | Fax: (575) 646-8082
  • Hardman Hall 210
  • MSC 5278, PO Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003
  • Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM—5:00 PM