Study Styles You know whether you're a morning person or a night owl. You know whether you're a picky eater of a human garbage pail. But do you know if you learn better by reading or by hearing?...if you've survived school so far, you already have some sort of study routine—for better or for worse. We asked students all over the country for the lowdown on their methods of operations, and also collected some hard-won advice. See if you can recognize your own personal study method in the list below and learn how to study effectively. The Dreamer You may say you're studying. You may even look like you're studying. But your mind is in the clouds. Your test performance seldom reflects those long hours you spent at your desk, almost studying Kim, from Montreal, says,' When I got to the library, I end up sitting there and people-watching. 'Cindy, from Lafayette, Pennsylvania, says: 'Personally, I tend to write everything down on flash cards so I can quiz myself later. Everyone else thinks that I'll ace(成绩为A) the exam, but sometimes I find myself spending so much time writing down every little detail that I don't have time to actually study.' Warning: ff you spend all day pretend studying, you'll pay all night cramming for real.(What a waste of socializing time!) This year's resolution: Stay on target by setting goals(Like four chapters by Wednesday) and asking your friends to test you. Also, tune in to your interests: If you find yourself drawing elaborate doodles in the margins when you're supposed to be analyzing Shakespeare, take drawing classes and snap out of your day dream. The Grind One look at your sock drawer, meticulously(非常细心地) arranged in rainbow order, suggests control-freak tendencies. You never fail to do a fixed amount of studying each evening—and your good grades show it. You cautiously plot a course to conquer an unruly assignment, and you rarely break your routine. Gretchen, from Chicago, describes her hard-core method: 'I completely organize all of my notes. Then, before I do anything else, I plan out exactly how many hours I'm going to study and how long I am going to take breaks. This way, I always stay on task. I read through my notes and then highlight the things I don't know well, to commit them to memory. 'But she's not done yet] 'Then I read my assignments again and take notes and study these notes the same way I studied my class notes.' Whew, Sarah, from Scarsdale, New York, also considers herself a worker bee. 'I plan my work so that there's something I have to do every night of the week. But when there's a test, I'll do all my assignments before trying to do an overview. Studying comes last because I'll wait until the last minute to even try to concentrating on something with so little structure.' Warning: While your self-discipline will serve you well in college (or the military), you might want to add more inspiration to your perspiration. No amount of memorization, or colorcoding your notebooks will help you write an original, opinionated essay—and you'll be writing plenty. This year's resolution: Vary your routine and think about your own insights more. After reading an assignment, try closing your eyes and recalling what you found interesting before buckling down with your impeccable notes. And if you've got a half hour to spare in your study schedule, try something messy and creative, like writing a poem. The Social Studier You're the kind who learns out loud. You yak your way to enlightenment, so study buddies are a must. In school, you remember more from hearing the lectures than from doing the reading. Roberta, from Princeton, New Jersey, says: 'I went to a study counselor to find out that I learn best by listening. It's true: Until I hear some- thing out loud, it's not really real to me. When I'm studying and I don't understand something in our textbook, I'll c