Study Time
It’s the week before finals and you have to study extra hard for the hardest history exam you have ever taken. You spend every night studying chapter after chapter from your textbook and reading all of your notes. How do you know if your studying is effective or if you are going to even remember the information you are studying?
Some effective ways to study are to color-code your notes, teaching the information to a friend, and creating written flashcards. Color-coded notes can improve your visual memory and allow easier access to information in your brain during exam time. This easy access to information keeps you from spending too much time on one question. Reading notes and textbook chapters is one thing, but being able to explain what you learned to others shows a true understanding of the material. Explaining and teaching the material to parents or friends is a very beneficial way to study because it shows what you have a good understanding of from the chapter. Finally, hand-written flashcards are extremely helpful because of the amount of repetition. Physically writing out the information creates muscle memory. When you are writing the information down, you are subconsciously saying the information in your head. Then when you go through the flashcards, you are physically saying the words out loud making them more likely to stick.
In addition to these good study tips, some people work in better environments. Some students like study groups while others prefer studying alone. Some need a silent room while others work better with background noise/music. Personally, I study best with an oral sensory input which could be eating crunchy snacks or chewing gum. This personally helps me stay focused.
Overall, it is very important to figure out what environments you study and learn best in, so you can make your studying as effective as possible. Once you learn what works best for you, you should try some of these effective study techniques to see which helps you the most.
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| An example of how to color-code notes for effective studying. |
It took me a while to figure out my personal preference while studying. I have found that color-coding really helps me too. Having the ability to visually separate different parts of the material makes studying more effective. Also, I have to speak out-loud when I study. I can process the information a lot better if I can hear myself saying it. I also do this when I am reading an article or a book. It is the best way for me to retain information.
ReplyDeleteI have always preferred writing my own flashcards, rather than just reading through notes. It definitely makes it easier to retain information when you are actively recalling it, rather than just reading through things. I have never tried color-coding my notes, but it sounds like something I might want to do in the future.
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