Ten years ago, I began to develop an accessible website to support learners, Study Guides and Strategies (SGS) now at www.studygs.net. My educational public service has now grown to include more than 120 topics divided into 15 sections, and is translated into 31 languages. When Military.com approached me about writing a series of study strategies based on the website, I accepted the challenge in part to honor your commitment as well as that of the armed forces extended community. Since I have no experience with military service (I served several years in the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa) I invite you to suggest topics of greater importance to you, and to comment on matters of interest.
About the SGS
The SGS website has evolved to take a learner through his or her journey in learning. In the first section we discuss topics such as time management, self-discipline, stress, procrastination and genius. The second section underscores the numerous ways of learning, and that each of us should not become discouraged when encountering difficult material. Instead, we should look to our strengths to master content. Other sections include learning with others and project management, as well as strategies on reading, writing, test preparation and test taking. Interactive exercises accompany some guides, and are an on-going developmental project.
The site's popularity is reflected in its average increase of 77 percent growth over 10 years to a current 14 million page views per year. In fact mindServegroup says the following about the importance of the SGS site, "If we could have three tools to get us through a formal education, they would be (in order of preference) a computer of sorts, Inspiration Software, and the url to Study Guides and Strategies. Created and maintained by Joe Landsberger, the subject matter of this site is unique, perhaps even one of a kind: how to learn. If Alvin Toffler is right about 'the ability to learn, un-learn and re-learn being a defining skill in the 21st Century,' Joe's site is an essential."
