The following is adapted from "How to Master a Foreign Language" by William G. Moulton.

The traditional rule-of -thumb is that a college student needs to spend 2 hours of study for every hour of classroom time. That means that you should have an organized plan for your study time. In language learning, discipline and organization are the most important factors for success.

Aristotle told his student Alexander that there was no "Royal Road" to mathematics. Even a future king had to do it himself through hard work. Here are some guidelines:

• Listen and imitate. Try to reproduce the instructor's pronunciation. Even though Ancient Greek is not a spoken language today, learning to pronounce the words correctly is very helpful in learning to recognize and spell them.
• Memorize. As children we enjoyed committing stories to memory or playing memory games. As adults, we don't enjoy memorization and we are not accustomed to it-we rely on calculators, palm pilots and grocery lists. But memorization is key to success in any language class. When you come to a list of vocabulary words in the book, you must memorize them from Greek to English and back. Quizzes will provide the English word and you will be asked to give the Greek. Many students ask "how should I study? I studied for this test for HOURS and I still didn't learn the material." My response is usually to ask how that student actually sits down to study. Is it a quiet place or is music and tv playing? And is the study active or passive? Looking at a list of words for 3 hours is not going to help you. You must find ways to make your study active, like the following:
• Make flashcards. As you use them, remove the words you know so that you concentrate on the harder ones.
• Write out the vocabulary or paradigm several times. Go to a different activity for 10 minutes, then try to write it from memory.
• Make a set of "cheatsheets" with all the grammar information you have learned. You won't be able to use this on the test, but you will have it for easy reference when you read your assignments. Also, writing tables of endings in a format that you prefer (instead of just looking at the table in the book) can be very helpful in learning. Many people are "spatial learners" and they remember the endings when they visualize the table they made themselves.
• Give yourself practice quizzes. Write out the vocabulary with the answers and fold the paper over so you can't see the answers.
• Study out loud. This is embarrassing for some people, especially if they have a roommate! But it is an excellent way to fix the words in your mind. You should practice speaking and reading aloud every time you study.
• Read actively. When you read a story, note each place where a word ending corresponds to the day's lesson. Greek is an inflected language, which means it uses word endings to determine meaning in many instances where English uses word order. That means you should train yourself to observe the word endings.
• Write down a reference list of the words that you have looked up more than twice, and another reference list of confusing words that look similar to one another. Don't look up a word until you have attempted to guess its meaning from the context.
• Do not write translations in your book. This makes the instructor think that you are reading off the English instead of translating. It also prevents you from reviewing properly since you can see the English on the page.
• Divide study time into small units. Learning is easier if you don't try to do it in huge chunks. All learners become fatigued at a certain point, and the quality of their learning starts to fall. So if you feel yourself fading, take a break and come back to the material refreshed. Notice, however, that this means you must organize your time well so that you do get that chance to come back! Never plan to "cram" for a test. First, it is a very inefficient method of learning. Second, it's like playing Russian roulette. What if something important comes up and you are unable to study? Unless it is a family emergency or illness, I will not excuse you from the test.
• Make full use of class hours. Smart students pack 50 minutes of practice into every class. Try not to sit passively in class, but to stay alert and actively follow what the instructor and other students are saying. Also, be sure to ask if you have a question about anything. I don't mind repeating a concept to make sure that it is fully understood. If you feel that your questions might take up too much class time, please make an appointment with me.
• Don't agonize for an hour over passages you can't understand. Save it for class and say that you had trouble with that part.