Pop T.A.R.T !!!

For my upcoming midterms, I decided to use the T.A.R.T technique in two of my courses. T.A.R.T stands for Terms, Attend Lecture, Read, and Test Questions. The courses I chose to use the technique in were PHY 212 and CHE 106. I chose these courses because the book is the Major Source of Information and my reading for both classes is to be done comprehensively rather than skeletal. As a kinesthetic leaner and somewhat of a visual learner I chose T.A.R.T because it broke down the reading process into 4 simple steps.

T.A.R.T CHE 106

The T.A.R.T technique (shown above) allowed me to break down the way I process material into 4 steps. As my chemistry professor told me in my interview that the book should be read BEFORE and AFTER lecture, I found that this technique was a perfect way to go about doing that reading. My reading prior to the lecture was done to find and list the key terms within the section. When I attended the lecture, my goal was to listen for the terms I had listed beforehand and try to make connections between them. Because the main objective while attending lecture was to listen, I took skeletal notes so that more of my focus was directed into hearing the professor explain the material. The reading after the lecture was the most important as I knew what I needed to focus on due to attending lecture and listening for key terms. I found that the reading was EASIER to do because I was reading with a PURPOSE. It was then easy for me to anticipate upcoming test questions for my midterm because I knew what the most important material was.

T.A.R.T PHY 212

Physics wasn't any different from my Chemistry T.A.R.T technique because within both of the classes the book is the major source of information. I did however find that it was harder for me to breakdown the material in Physics than it was for Chemistry. This is because the books have different formats so I had to put in a little more effort in deciphering the physics material. To do this I looked at the chapter summaries and focused my attention on the sections it had described. I then went to each of those sections directly to find the key terms. The process after that was the same as the one I did for Chemistry.

The T.A.R.T technique was really effective for me because I have classes which required me to read before and after the lecture. I found that the most important part of this technique was that it required me to read with a purpose. As a kinesthetic learner, having something to relate my reading to and finding connections with the material served to be very helpful. The technique made the reading more informational as it allowed me to separate the important from the irrelevant. I would recommend this technique to anyone who has an aversion to reading the book because it doesn't seem to help. It allows you to get involved with your reading and lecture to better help your understanding of the material.