LLCC Center for Academic Success 2-5
STUDY HABITS CHECKLIST
Answer each of the following questions on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being almost never and 5 being almost
always.
1. Almost Never
2. Less than Half the Time
3. About Half the Time
4. More than Half the Time
5. Almost Always
Time Management
1. Do you keep up to date in your text reading and other assignments?
2. Do you have a study schedule plan in which you set aside time each day for studying and reviewing?
3. Do you schedule manageable study periods and frequent periods for review, interspersing 50-minutes of
studying with 10-minute breaks?
Previewing
4. Do you read over the Table of Contents of a book before you being studying the book?
5. Before studying the book, do you take 10 minutes to thumb through the whole book to check for the
presence of study aids such as glossaries, summaries, outlines, italicized or bold-faced words, and charts?
6. Before each reading assignment, do you take 10-15 minutes to preview the chapter (familiarizing
yourself with charts, illustrations, key words, summaries, etc.)?
7. Do you write down questions based on the preview so that you approach your reading and class with an
active inquiring mind?
Reading
8. Do you look up or find the meaning of important new words and key terms?
9. As you read an assignment, do you turn section headings into questions that you are actually trying to
answer?
10. Do you find the main idea of each paragraph or section and repeat is aloud to yourself?
11. Do you read one section of a chapter at a time rather than reading straight through the entire chapter?
12. Do you seek out other reading materials in addition to assigned textbook sections if you need to
strengthen your understanding?
Reading Review
13. Do you utilize review questions or summaries at the end of a chapter to test your recall of what you’ve
read?
14. Do you write key terms and definitions on 3x5 notecards or notebook paper?
1. Almost Never
2. Less than Half the Time
3. About Half the Time
4. More than Half the Time
5. Almost Always
Remembering
15. Do you display an interest or enthusiasm for a course to people around you (fellow students, instructor,
etc.)?
16. If you do not understand a concept, do you ask the instructor?
17. When studying material to be remembered, do you try to summarize it or put it into your own words?
18. Do you distribute the study of a lengthy assignment over several study sessions (less than an hour
each)?
19. Do you deliberately relate new or unfamiliar material to things that you already know?
20. When studying information to be memorized, do you practice or review over many short sessions?
In Class
21. Do you always take class notes?
22. Do you ask questions or initiate comments in each class?
23. During class, do you try to compare or relate ideas being presented in class to ideas from the textbook?
24. Do you approach each class with questions from your readings or preview?
25. Do you review and edit your class notes within 24 hours?
26. Do you write down possible test questions while reviewing your class notes?
27. Do you review all your notes weekly?
Writing Papers
28. Before starting to write a paper, do you collect information and ideas from other people or outside
readings?
29. Before writing a paper, do you make an outline OR list ideas and then organize them into a meaningful
order?
30. In writing a paper, do you clearly indicate the main ideas of the paper as well as each paragraph?
31. In writing a paper, do you write a first draft, edit and rewrite the paper at least once?
Preparing for Examinations
32. In studying for an examination, do you distribute your studying over at least 3 or 4 one-hour sessions?
33. As you review, do you relate class notes to textbook notes to reinforce the main ideas?
34. Do you create memory devices, such as acronyms, to help you remember lists of terms, etc.?
1. Almost Never
2. Less than Half the Time
3. About Half the Time
4. More than Half the Time
5. Almost Always
35. Do you make up examination questions that you think will be asked and then find the answers?
36. Do you get a normal amount of sleep the night before an exam so that you are well-rested and alert?
Taking Examinations
37. When taking an exam, do you first carefully read each section’s directions and look through the entire
test?
38. Before beginning the test, do you make plans for distributing your time among the questions?
39. In taking an essay examination, do you quickly outline your answer before you start to write?
40. At the end of an examination, do you proofread or check your answers?
41. In taking multiple-choice, matching, and true-false tests, are you aware of good strategies in finding
answers?
Physical Setting
42. Do you study in a quiet place – one that is free from noisy disturbances?
43. Do you study by yourself before studying with others?
44. Do you have a special chair and location to study – separate from relaxation or sleeping furniture?
Scoring
Number of times “5” was checked x5 =
Number of times “4” was checked x4 =
Number of times “3” was checked x3 =
Number of times “2” was checked x2 =
Number of times “1” was checked x1 =
Total
After adding your ratings from each question, if your total sore is:
120 or less Learning efficiency appointments with an Academic Success Professional is highly recommended.
120 to 150 Learning efficiency appointments with an Academic Success Professional could be helpful.
151 to 175 Study habits are okay.
Over 175 Study habits are superior
Adapted from checklist developed by:
Kenneth Doody, Basic Skills Tutor, Learning Lab, Oakton Community College
Revised August 2021 - IS