One of the study systems that an individual may consider using in order to study for a particular exam, interview, or other similar purpose is known as the MURDER Study system. To many individuals, it may seem odd that a study system would be referred to as MURDER, but MURDER is actually an acronym for each step of the process that the MURDER Study System uses. The "M" in MURDER stands for "mood", which is the first step of the system in which the individual should attempt to find a time and place that sets a positive mood. This will allow the individual to study more effectively, because an individual will usually not be able to study effectively if he or she is in an environment that is distracting or just generally irritating. The "U" in MURDER stands for "understand," which is the second step of the system in which the individual marks any information that he or she does not understand by circling it, highlighting it, or simply drawing a question mark next to it. The "R" in MURDER stands for "recall," which refers to the third step of the system, in which the individual should attempt to paraphrase and note everything that he or she learned from the section that he or she just went over.
The "D" in MURDER stands for "digest," which is the fourth step of the system and suggests that the individual should go back over each topic that he or she marked earlier and reread that material in an attempt to understand that material better. The "E" in MURDER stands for "expand," which is the fifth step of the system; it suggests that the individual should go back and start asking and attempting to answer questions about the specific topics that he or she still does not understand even after completing the digest step. The "R" in MURDER stands for "review," which is the final step of the system, in which the individual should go back and review all of the material that the individual actually does understand in order to try to refresh that material in the individual's mind. Ultimately, the combination of all of these steps makes the MURDER Study System a very effective system for taking, organizing, and reviewing notes.