Corrections_Today_November_December_2019

Professional Development

certification Spotlight

Effective study applications

By Cindy Gomez

R eady to take the journey to become ACA certified? It all starts with creating an effective study plan that will help you stay organized and on track. It is important to understand that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to make a study plan. Your study plan will be personalized based on your specific needs and learning style. Follow the guidelines below to get started on creating your study plan. Identify key points and ideas When reading through the study material, do not try to memorize every word or sentence. There is simply no way to retain all the information presented. Instead, try to identify the main point of every paragraph, as it may be helpful to narrow down the subject or point of the paragraph into one or two words. Pay special attention to the first and last sentences of each paragraph. The first sentence will identify the main point and purpose of the paragraph. The last sentence will wrap up the

the most important points and how they relate to the overall theme of the book or work. Your notes should be short and to the point, as they are meant to be a summary of the mate- rial for you to review later. Write simple, bulleted notes that will be easy for you to remember and help you recall what the material was about.

idea and bring all the information in the paragraph together while linking it to the next idea in the following paragraph.

Take good notes

Taking good notes is essential for an effective study plan. As you read the study material, write down

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84 — November/December 2019 Corrections Today