We are here primarily to obtain the best education of which we are capable.  The Fraternity has defined the four cornerstones of membership as Fellowship, Leadership, Scholarship, and Service.  Though Scholarship is listed third, Brothers and Pledges should understand that, of the four cornerstones, it is first among equals.  Our members are required to maintain a 2.5 GPA.  Brothers who fall behind in their studies can get help from our weekly study tables. 

Study Skills For The Fraternity Man

As you begin reading this, ask yourself if there really is a “right way” to study? Is the brother who
seems to get good grades effortlessly just smarter than the rest of the chapter or does he have a
method to get those good grades?

Study skills are the road to good grades. It’s as simple as that. Having a defined plan of attack with
an end goal is the same strategy you’ll use for chapter recruitment, event planning, and after graduation,
success on the job.

First, consider your state of mind. Remember that you are here because you want to learn and that
no one is forcing you to go to college. Many students think of their classes as obstacles that they have
to get past. Don’t create barriers to learning by thinking of your class work as an obstacle. Make an
effort to remind yourself that you want to understand the material being presented! Look for the
positive - the more you learn the more you will understand the world around you and the more self
reliant you will be.

Next, consider your ideal setting for getting work done. If you’re one of those students that say, “I
work better with the TV on”, try telling that to your new boss on your first professional job!

Eliminate all possible distractions and create a positive work environment. To do so, you should:

• Evaluate your ability to study in your own room. If it’s a weekend and your roommate is gone, your
room may indeed be a great place for some quiet time. However, most times the distractions of
friends, TV, XBox, and the telephone make it tough to find more than 10 minutes of uninterrupted
study time.

• Turn off the cell phone! Unless you are waiting for an emergency call, each time your cell phone rings,
you’ll need to refocus and recap what you were studying. After studying, reward yourself by turning
on the phone and returning phone calls.

• Find places on campus that are good for uninterrupted study. These must include adequate table
space, good lighting, and a minimum of distractions. These include:
   

    a) Campus Library: Stay away from the general open area and find a nook in the “stacks” where
    study carrels are provided to avoid distractions by familiar faces.
   

    b) Classroom buildings: Many classrooms are not used in later afternoon or evenings.

    c) Student Center: Union Buildings or student centers often have small study rooms or tucked away
    areas that are free of distractions, while still having access to campus services. Commuters often
    use these spots during the day, and residential students take over at night.

    d) Fraternity House or Dorm Study Rooms: The effectiveness of these rooms often depends upon
    placement in the house or dorm and furniture provided.

Realize also, that you’ve entered a new league for studying. Regular worksheets are replaced by vast
midterms and exams requiring knowledge about concepts rather than simple memorization of facts.

Here are some quick tips for getting your overall game plan started:

• Study in chunks: 20-50 minute time periods followed by a brief break of 5-10 minutes

• Use daylight hours: an hour of studying during the day is worth two at night. Do the work that requires
the most concentration (typically reading) earliest in the day.

• Use three days a week as “work days”: leave your room at 8:00 a.m. and whenever not in class, go
to the library or favorite study places to keep working. Then, go home at 5:00 p.m. and meet your
brothers for dinner. Lost time between classes is the biggest way to waste valuable study
opportunities.

• Rank your three classes; spend time on your most challenging class everyday and early in the day.
Not all class workloads are created equal and you shouldn’t consider your approach to each class the
same.

Follow these steps for a standard method of preparing and recapping classes:

1) Preview material to be presented prior to attending lecture or lab.
    • Read and highlight important sections of the reading (note: highlighting is like note taking;
    highlight only enough to remind yourself of the key information presented).
    • If time is short - preview the material briefly to identify key terms and concepts.
        o Read the chapter summary.
        o Read section headings and bold type.
        o Inspect figures and read figure headings.

2) Take good lecture notes.
    • Don’t try to write everything that is said, just note enough to remind yourself what was discussed
    (your notes should be clear to you but not necessarily to anyone else).

3) Read through your notes and fill in the gaps in your lecture notes.
    • Convert your notes from tougher or more complex courses into flash cards for review (simply
    making them is a learning process).
    • Create questions from your notes - this may help you to predict what kinds of questions are
    on the test.

As you plan your attack for academic success, remember that there is no single “best” way to study.
Each individual must find the best method for himself. Three components are common to all:
                                                            • repetition
                                                            • effort
                                                            • time