Take the Sting Out of Study

Emily Walters Gregor is a graduate student in 20th-century American
literature and an ESL writing tutor at the University of Minnesota.

This study manual for middle- and secondary-school students begins with
the premise that the most important factor in doing well in school is
doing away with any sense of your own limitations, whether imposed on
you by yourself or by others. The chapters that follow provide ways to
do away with those limitations, from the outside in.

McGinty starts his tips with ways to stay physically alert while in
class and studying. He then suggests studying techniques for different
learning styles, how to overcome setbacks and loss of motivation, how to
manage your time, and effective reading and writing techniques. He
concludes the book with a step-by-step guide to successful studying and
tips for tackling the test or exam itself.

The primary strength of this book is the engaging and varied writing.
In an effort to make the text interesting, McGinty has included many
charts, outlines, and subsections that keep the pace moving quickly. A
particularly compelling feature is the case studies that appear
throughout the book to illustrate a particular problem or the
effectiveness of a suggested solution.

McGinty’s tips are directed toward the student who wants to do well,
is prepared to devote time and energy to studying, but has run into
problems with staying focused or retaining knowledge. As a result, Take
the Sting Out of Study is not a book that will convince students of the
merits of studying or desiring to do well in school. However, for
teenagers and young adults who are looking for ways to improve their
study skills, this book is an entertaining and accessible resource.