Take extensive class notes and rewrite them after class. Pay close attention in class lectures, taking detailed notes. Ron Cronovich of the economics department at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas advises students to read and recopy their class notes, filling in any missing information. Preferably, students should do this within eight hours of attending a lecture, when the material is more likely to be fresh in their minds.
Practice active reading of your class textbook. Active reading, says Cronovich, means engaging and processing the material, rather than simply reading one page after another the way you would read a novel. Students should begin by reading the chapter's introduction and, if your textbook contains them, the learning objectives of that chapter. Cronovich says students should then read the headings or titles of sections within the chapter, as well as the chapter's summary or conclusion. Doing this gives students an understanding of the chapter's main issues, which in turn will help their reading of the chapter itself.
Prepare written summaries or outlines of textbook chapters. Writing an outline or summary of the material in your economics textbook is another method of active engagement with the material. One way to do this, according to Cronovich, is to write down the main point of each chapter section, then make a bulleted list of supporting points.
Consider starting a study group with classmates. Your study group can meet on a regular schedule that works best for all participants. Because students differ in their levels of understanding, it is likely that one student will understand some aspect of economics better than others. With a study group, students can explain the content they understand best and learn from others the parts they find more difficult.