How to Study

The Secret to Success

Contact: Mrs. Elise Finkner, Director of Integrated Studies, at 434-432-2584.

One of the outstanding features of Hargrave Military Academy is the unique How to Study Program required of all Cadets, which includes fall and winter semesters and summer school. Developed and continually revised by the Hargrave faculty, the How to Study Program can make a difference between academic success or continued academic frustration.

Each semester ten to twelve one-hour seminars cover eight basic topics, which Hargrave has designated as vital to academic success. These topics include:

1. Getting Organized
Cadets are taught proper room and desk arrangement, clearing away the clutter, time management and eliminating procrastination.

2. Attitudes Make the Difference
Success or failure, the power of positive thinking, teacher relationships, getting along with others, seeking and accepting help are areas addressed concerning a Cadet's attitude.

3. The Student Planner
Every Hargrave Cadet receives a daily planning book and is required to write all assignments, test schedules and other pertinent academic information in the planner. Cadets are instructed in its use as an organizational and planning aid and expected to utilize it daily. Periodic checks are made by classroom faculty and by evening study hall supervisors to ensure compliance.

4. Memory Skills
Techniques for remembering lists, key facts, names and places, are taught. The utilization of mnemonics, sentencing and other memorization techniques result in improved performance on major tests.

5. Note-Taking Skills
Most entering students know little about how to take notes, organize and expand their notes or how to review daily class notes. Hargrave teaches specific ways to improve note taking and review of classroom notes for quizzes, tests and exams.

6. Textbook Reading Skills
Through the use of the SQ3R technique Cadets are shown the best method of attacking various reading assignments for each subject. The SQ3R method has been used successfully for over 20 years at Hargrave and should result in higher achievement in all academic areas.

7. Test Taking Skills
Students learn to understand preparation for the various kinds of test: matching, true/false, fill-in-the-blank and essay.

8. Listening Skills
Cadets are made to realize the importance of proper listening skills. They learn to recognize teacher cues and begin to improve note-taking and test preparation through increased awareness.

Sometimes, completion of How to Study brings immediate and dramatic results. Normally, however, with continued emphasis by the academic staff, bad study habits are broken and new ones formed in the length of one semester. Those Cadets who do not successfully complete the How to Study Program are required to retake the course until satisfactory progress is achieved.

No school can guarantee success. However, we know from feedback that those who apply the lessons learned from the Hargrave How to Study Program are proud or their academic improvement.