Study Techniques
- Jomar Graza
- Feb 26, 2017
- 5 min read
Whether you’re a student in primary, high school or college, we’ve all wanted to find the most efficient way to study, or at least tips, tricks or even hacks to help us improve studying or find ways to make it fun or easier. Teachers and lecturers give us the resources to learn, but we must find our own ways in studying them. So here are some hacks to help you ace that test.
Study Smart, Not Hard
There's a variety of ways to study smartly, use less time or save time. One way for this, is to ask your teacher/professor what is going to be on the test/exam, however, if you have received a test information page telling you what you are being assessed on, ask them anything you don’t understand or know. This is so you can study the right things and only the things that are needed. For example, instead of studying the entire History book, you can study chapters 1-4, 6,9 and 12. There is no use studying things you won’t be assessed on if you want that A. You can work hard for that grade and some people won’t try and still pass, but you know how hard you worked for it, and having that mindset will keep you motivated to do better in life.
“I failed in some subjects in my exam, but my friend passed in all. Now he is an engineer in Microsoft and I’m the owner of Microsoft.” - Bill Gates
Studying In Tech
We all have different ways to study or help us study, however, if you base your studies in technology and use it instead of handwritten notes, well this is for you. There are a number of applications you can use to help you study.
Quizlet is a free application and online website, used to make flashcards and study games. You can put your own notes and answers, as well as being able to customise it and put it on your phone to study on the go, wherever you are. In my opinion, I would use this application for definitions, terms and some questions I know would be on the test, for any subject.
Another great tool for studying is Google Drive. People don’t often think of this as a studying tool but it’s just as useful. You’re able to take notes, draw diagrams, create spreadsheets, build presentations and keep them all in the cloud accessible from a PC or mobile device. This website is best used for studying, helping you create multiple ways in studying. Not only can you do terms, definitions, etc, but you can draw diagrams and helpful mindmaps to expand your knowledge on a certain area. You can also use Google Drive to write up assignments, especially helpful when in a group, where you can collaborate in one document all at the same time. Google docs, presentation, spreadsheet and many more are available.
Study Environment
The area and environment you study in can affect how you study. A way to study smart is to study in a quiet place, studying in a loud environment often changes your mood or how you concentrate. It is much easier to focus in a quiet area, such as a library or an empty classroom. Take your focus away from friends, social media and video games, and study alone or with someone who will actually help you.
Preparations
We’ve all had that moment, procrastinating until the night before a test or assignment is due. However, DON’T DO IT. Leaving all that studying to that last few hours before an exam makes you suffer even more. Think of it like this. Is playing one round of a game you love for 40 minutes more important that 40 minutes of studying? It’s worth in the long run not having to regret wasting so much time on a game.
“Study while others are sleeping, Work while others are loafing, Prepare while others are playing and Dream while others are wishing" - William Arthur Ward
Plus, studying the night before would most of the time, get you stressed, increase your anxiety levels and eventually become too overwhelming for you. Another way to prepare is to monitor your understanding of new material and often review your notes and test yourself.
Keep Focused
If you have trouble keeping focus on your task, find that problem. If it’s your phone put it away and make it your reward after studying, if it’s certain apps or websites, you can use an app that prevents your use of other applications that are likely to distract you. If reading over a book is hard for you, put treats on your book, like after each paragraph, to keep you motivated and awake. But if you’re having trouble memorising things in your head, try saying those words out loud and simply re-reading it, however, be cautious of your surroundings. Whatever it is that is making you lose focus, find a way to prevent it and create a good solution for yourself.
Manage Your Time
Make a schedule for yourself that you must abide by. This helps organize yourself and spreads your studying so you won’t have to cram. Recorded a lecture but don’t have the time to listen to the whole thing? Instead of listening to the whole 1 hour lecture, you can speed up the lecture to double the speed, finishing the lecture at half the time keeping yourself awake. If you’re likely to forget any formulas you will need for a test, write down all formulas once the test has started. That way you can just refer to the page you put the formulas on when stuck.
Remember: “The secret to getting ahead is getting started” - Anonymous
Creative Ways To Study
Using creative ways to study can boost your efficiency and motivation by a significant amount. For example, writing using different coloured pens attracts your eyes to different notes, or use different colors for different categories, since it is easy for your brain to categorise things through color. Or maybe even trying flashcards to help memorize definitions and terms. So you won’t forget, stop every 20 minutes to review everything you’ve studied. Taking frequent breaks often helps as well, for example, using a break every 25 minutes helps refresh yourself so you don’t tire yourself out and stay motivated.
Interesting Hacks
When typing study notes, using 'New Times Roman' is the fastest font to read, however, if you are dyslexic you can gain access to a special font called 'Dylexie' that could help you read more easily. But to make sure this information is kept, it is best to use hard to read and unfamiliar text fonts. LifeHacker.com says, "When learning difficult concepts, we learn more if forced to go through some mental hurdles."
Another fascinating thing is, if you chew a weird flavor of gum or spray an unfamiliar scent just before and while you are studying and do the something right before you take the test, the familiar scent/flavor will jog your memory and it can help you remember what you studied during that time.
The last fascinating and amazing hack, is to… GO TO CLASS. Whether you’re in high school, college or university, go to class. Even if you take a short nap in between the class, while doing the test one of those days you went to class will be remembered and you can try to figure out what your teacher said, jogging your memory helping you remember what was learnt. Also, teachers and professors often give extra notes or tips to the students that go to class, and you may be able to get a little more help or advice.
If you want to learn more information on study tips and tricks, head over to goconqr.com.
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