One of the ways that many young Chinese study is to memorize large amounts of material or to learn page after page of subject matter or definitions in a dictionary. Is that a good set of study habits? I' m not sure. It seems to work fairly well for some of the young Chinese whom I have met. It has been a long time since I have studied that way, and when I did study that way, it was usually to memorize lines that I had to know in a play or to pass a specific test as a university student. So, it has been many years since I developed study habits of that sort. Personally, it has been a very long time since I have studied information by memorizing it. One problem with this kind of learning is that the information may be lost immediately after the task is finished and that students may learn much material that is not useful. For example, if we work through a dictionary memorizing definitions, some of the information is unlikely ever to be used.
American students often study while having music blaring in their ears from a radio, TV, or set of ear phones, or all three of these media. Or, they may study while they are carrying on conversations with roommates or friends. I am not so sure how helpful such studying is. Unless they are preparing for a test or exam, or are in highly technical fields, American students may be less likely to memorize information, as the Chinese students seem to do. If they are procrastinators, and are always late in starting to do their studying, this puts a lot of pressure on them.
I haven't needed to pass tests for a very long time, so my study habits may not be useful to students. I try to read a lot. I watch news programs regularly, and in China, I listen as often as possible to Dialogue or other useful programs on CCTV Channel 9 -- the international channel. If am at a conference, or the information l am reading or watching is important for my teaching, I may take notes, or create notes in the margins of books. I absorb lots of knowledge, and may only use a small amount of it in my classes. When I want information that I will use, for example, in an essay, I check available resources, and often ask people who are likely to know the information, including my students, to help me. Then I check with still others to verify that my information is accurate. I also involve myself in group discussions on topics of interest.
What are the best methods to develop good study habits? Each of us must use the techniques that best suit our culture and our own individual study patterns. One thing is certain; everyone needs to develop the best possible study habits for our own success in learning.