It’s getting towards crunch time for those of you who are still studying, we all need to know that different things work for different people and it’s the same goes for studying. Your learning style definitely comes into play, different people retain information differently. Some understand information visually, others auditory (hearing) and others Kinesthetic a learning in which a student carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or watching a demonstration.
However other factors are important too, so whatever your studying preferences, here are some tips and tricks that work every time, below are tips to help you.
Schedule for your studying
You need to plan for your studying time. It doesn’t have to be as strict as the exact times and duration if you prefer a little more freedom, but at least plan what days you plan to study and the general time frame. It will help you stay on target. If you don’t have a study plan you’re studying will become a massive mess.
Don’t focus on one thing
Reading your books and notes over and over is never going to work. You need to mix it in with other techniques to prevent boredom and make sure the information stays firmly stuck in your head. You can also try using posters to read and once you’ve done that go back to highlighting your notes. Using just one study method just won’t cut it, so mix and match to keep everything fresh.
Don’t be afraid to take a break
If you find yourself that you have been reading for a long time and you can’t even understand your notes anymore, stop and take a break. Even if you’re scheduled for a full study day, but after an hour it’s just not working, you don’t have to study that day. It’s just a waste of time and will only stress you out. Try for a while, if it doesn’t work, stop and come back to it later.
A healthy body equals a healthy mind
Eat properly, get enough sleep, and have breaks from studying. I know a lot of people get really intense and say that the best way is just intense work 24/7, but believe me, that’s not true. When you tired and hungry you will not do your best work, so your body first have to be a priority above your time studying.
Analyse Your Study Style
Start noting down the times of the day you study best, and adapt your schedule to fit that. There is no point studying in the evening if you know you can never focus past 5pm.
For Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic leaners can have a tough time studying. Actually understanding the stuff you’re learning is essential, kinesthetic learners find it hard to learn things by rote if they don’t fully understand it. They also work best in short bursts of revision, and by making sure they move around as they study – try walking around as you recite your notes. However, most kinesthetic learners have aspects of visual or auditory learning, so work out which you identify more with and adapt your studying to fit
For Auditory Learners
They retain information the best through talking and listening. A good tip for those auditory learners is to record yourself reading out notes and then listen back to them. Here are some techniques that have always worked for auditory learners: 1. Talk to yourself, as in read your notes to yourself and explain them. Sounds crazy but it works. 2. Record lectures its useful to have these on your iPod. 3. Get a group together, and discuss the work – explaining things to each other will help you learn, and auditory learners tend to study the best when they’re conversing.
For Visual Learners
Invest in coloured pens and pretty paper and start making posters and diagrams. Write out your notes and colour-code uniting themes, ideas, or categories. Basically, visual learners work well if they keep their studying in a very pretty, organized way, and make sure that their materials are displayed for them to see. Posters are a great way for visual learners to study because not only does the making of them involve organization and prettiness, but once they’re finished they can pin on the wall as a constant reminder of what you need to learn.
You can do small things to remember your notes like sticking them in all places you know you have to look at during the day. It can be next to the mirror, on the wall beside your bed, they are small things but are a good way to study without really doing anything. After all is said everything is up to you now, learn all the tricks and do what works best for you.
