Studying

Is your current study method reading a textbook repeatedly, hoping something will stick? If so, do you find yourself stressed out because you can’t memorize such a vast quantity of information in such a short time?

This is a difficult time of the year – students, teachers and parents are all stressed out.

But, the good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. With effective study techniques you can ace your exams and be top of the class. As a student, it’s imperative to develop effective time management and study techniques that help you retain the most information.

We covered 3 tips yesterday and today hopefully we will run through a few more.

Discover your learning style

Most of us have a preferred way of learning. Get to know the learning style you’re most comfortable with and study in the ways you learn best.

Note that these styles are just a way to think about different studying techniques – they’re not hard and fast rules that say you should only study in one way. Try each of these out and see which ways you prefer.

Auditory learners prefer to learn by listening. Try reading your notes aloud and discussing them with other people. You might like to record key points and play them back.

Visual learners prefer to learn by seeing. Try using colours in your notes and draw diagrams to help represent key points. You could try to remember some ideas as images.

Tactile/kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing. Try using techniques like role-playing or building models to revise key points.

Review and revise

At least once a week you should go back over the things you’ve studied in class. Thinking things over can help you to understand the concepts and help you remember when you need them the most.

Quiz – Get a friend or family member to quiz you on key concepts. Offer to help your friends with their work too. Quizzes are great ways to get confident about what you know and find out what you still need to learn.

Make your own study materials – Think up some practice exam questions or create your own flash cards to help you study. This way you learn it all twice: once when you make the study materials and once when you use them to revise.

Take breaks

It’s important to take breaks while you’re studying, especially if you’re feeling tired or frustrated. Working too long on a task can actually decrease your performance.

When you take a break, make sure you get away from your desk or study space. A bit of physical – even just a walk around the block – can sometimes help you to look at a problem in a different way and could even help you to solve it.

Ask for help

If you’re stuck on something, or something just doesn’t seem to make sense, you can always ask for help. Talk to your teachers about the things you don’t understand. Talk to your friends and fellow students too.

Stay motivated

When you’re studying it helps to keep in mind your reasons for doing all this hard work, like a course or career you’re working towards. It can help to have something in your study space to remind you of your goals.

App it up

There are heaps of apps out there for helping students with all aspects of study. Have a chat with your friends and teachers to see which apps they recommend.

Look after yourself

You’ll study better if you take care of yourself. Make sure you eat well and get enough sleep and physical exercise. Don’t reward yourself with too many sugary or fatty snacks or push yourself to study late into the night. It’s also a good idea to make sure you drink lots of water when you’re studying.

Now come up with your own strategies

These tips are only some of the things you can do to get the most out of your studying. You might already have other things that work better for you. Find out what your friends do when they’re studying. Maybe your teachers have some good recommendations too.

Whatever it is, whatever strategy you come up with, when you find something that works for you, put it into practice and go for it!