Most college vocabulary books lack the sophistication of a complex. Rather, they reflect the characteristics of congeries or disparate objects grouped together without any logical basis. Vocabulary study in college should focus on the process of concept formation in all its complexity, with emphasis on the relationship between the specific and general, concrete and abstract range of meanings. Effective exercises will require the use of synonym guides, dictionaries, and thesauri. A structural analysis of words through the use of templates can assist students in developing precision in word meanings and conceptual clarity. (KS)