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““Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving””
— Albert Einstein
Optimize Your Studying: Best Study Methods And Tips That Really Work

Optimize Your Studying: Best Study Methods And Tips That Really Work

Taya Bregant
Self Development

As a student, you spend a lot of your time behind books, in classes, or just in general learning things and studying, which is exactly why it can be incredibly useful to look into how you can make your studying more efficient in order to get the most out of the time you spend studying.

Below I have compiled a couple of ideas, some advice on how to set up your study environment to ensure an organized and focused space, then going into the best study techniques as backed up by science and lastly finishing up with some additional practical advice on how to approach your studies in the best way.

I hope that for those of you who are still in school or studying something, this will be useful because who doesn't want to make sure that their time spent studying is being used effectively?

My intention: Present you with the best advice on how to set up your study environment, on how to approach your studies, and which study methods are actually scientifically proven to work best.

SETTING UP YOUR ENVIRONMENT

How successful your studiying will turn out to be, is largely dependant on the desing of your environment in which you study.

Here are some things to consider in terms of how to best arrnage your study space and also to ensure you will be well rested and be able to focus well:

  • Sleeping well: It goes without saying, but making the time to sleep well is absolutely essential for your studies. Try to aim for a good 8 hours of sleep each night and to try and get up at a decently early time to ensure that you are able to make proper use out of your day and better handle with whatever schedule changes may occur.

  • Removing all distractions: Distractions nowadays come in many forms, raging from digital notifications and sounds to distracting objects or activities within our field of view. So make sure that before you start studying or tackling a piece of work, to remove such objects or digital temptations o ensure that your focus can be at its peak.

  • Changing your study environment: For some people it works well to always be studying or working in the same envirment, but sometimes when you find yourself loosing focus or motivation to study, one of the best things can be to change your study scenry. Consider perhaps working in someplace new, like a library, a coworking space, a local cafe. Experiment what works for you and see in what environment, wether it be busy, noise or quiet, you work best in.

  • Stick with what environment works for you: Similarly, if you know that you always focus well in a certain environment, it makes a lot of sense to continue studying there and make the best use of it. Often why this happens is that through habitation, our brains become used to associating a certain environment with a specific function, such as studying., which means that as soon as we enter that environment, we automatically transition into a productive work mindset.

  • Noise environment: Some people study best when accompanied by music but sometimes, depending on the kind of material you are studying, that may not be the most effecitve approach, where sometimes silence really is the best choice or pehraps even nature based sounds such as waves or the rain could be helpful too. Once again, experimentation is improtant here so that you can figure out what sticks best for you.

  • Healthy snacks: Studying is energetically intensive for your brain, especially since you are asked to think and concentrate, so having some snacks on hand for during your studying or during your study breaks is very useful. Instead of opting for highly processed snacks of foods with a lot of refined sugars, opt for more natural varieties that will still provide you with ample energy but will not come with the unpleasant sugar crashes that are often associated with highly processed foods. Some examples of healthy snacks options include any piece of fruit, trail mix, a yoghurt mixes with your toppings of choice, a smoothie, dipping raw vegetables into dips such as humous or a nut butter paired with jam on a piece of bread

BEST STUDY METHODS

Active Recall and Retrieval Practice

  • Retrieval is the process of recalling information you've previously learned. It's an active process that requires effort and thought to remember specific information. By doing so, you strengthen the neural connections to that memory, making it easier to recall in the future. Retrieval methods are excellent for transferring information into your long-term memory and improving future recall.

  • Here are some ways to practice active recall:

    • Practice tests: Self-designed quizzes or online tests are great for assessing your understanding and recall of a topic.

    • Flashcards: These are physical or digital cards with a question on one side and the answer on the other. Try answering the question before checking the answer to test your recall.

Having A Revision Plan

  • Having a revision plan ensures you'll cover all tested materials in time without rushing. It keeps you on track by outlining what you'll study and when, making the whole process more efficient.

  • Revision plans are also super effective because they enable spaced repetition: reviewing specific content at scheduled intervals, such as every few days or on a set day each week. By revisiting the same material multiple times with gaps between reviews, you enhance retention even more than with active recall alone.

  • As your knowledge strengthens, the intervals between review sessions can gradually increase. This progressive spacing aligns with your improving retention, optimizing your study efficiency over time.

Summarizing Key Concepts And Ideas

  • This method, often referred to as "brain dumping," involves writing down everything you can remember about a specific topic after studying a set of materials.

  • It's helpful to formulate several subtopics within your larger topic to aid in the recall process. You'll likely be surprised by how much you can remember. Often, recalling one specific process, fact, or concept triggers the memory of related concepts, creating a domino effect. This technique is another example of active recall. First, you study the information, then close all your books or materials and use only your memory to recite the information you've learned.

Practice Teaching What You Learn

  • Once you feel confident with a piece of content and have a solid understanding of it, one of the best ways to further strengthen your grasp is to adopt the role of a teacher.

  • Try explaining what you've learned to someone else, whether they're familiar with the subject or completely new to it. In the latter case, it might be even more beneficial, as they'll likely ask additional questions. This process helps you expand your own understanding and adds depth to your knowledge.

  • Teaching what you know is highly beneficial because it encourages you to present the material in your own words and simplify complex concepts. This approach makes it easier for you to understand and grasp the essential elements of what you're studying and explaining.

The SQ3R Technique

The SQ3R technique is a revision method that enhances your reading comprehension and maximizes retention of the material you're studying. The name is an acronym for the five-step revision process:

  • Survey: Before diving into a larger text from a book, article, or textbook, skim through the sections to identify main headings, subheadings, images, and other standout features. This provides a structured framework for your study.

  • Question: For each identified section, formulate questions that relate to the chapter's content. Consider what you already know about the topic and what information you expect the section to provide or clarify.

  • Read: Go through each section while keeping your formulated questions in mind. Actively seek answers to these questions as you read the material.

  • Recite: After reading a section, recall the main points in your own words. Identify the key content and the questions you were able to answer.

  • Review: Once you've completed all sections of a chapter or longer piece of text, review the material you've gathered. Connect ideas between different sections and quiz yourself with short questions to test your understanding and recall of the content.

The Feyman technique

  • The Feynman technique revolves around explaining a study concept in the simplest way possible to someone else, particularly using your own words.

  • After explaining a concept, reflect on which parts you could have clarified or simplified further. Identify areas for improvement in your explanation. Avoid complex jargon and instead break down what you're studying into the simplest possible language. This approach enhances both your understanding and that of the person you're explaining it to.

The Leitner System

  • The Leitner system uses flashcards and spaced repetition to enhance your studies.

  • To begin, create a stack of flashcards and place them all in a box labeled "Box 1." Review the flashcards, moving correct ones to "Box 2" and keeping incorrect ones in Box 1. Repeat this process with Box 2, moving the correct cards to the next box.

  • Eventually, you'll have several boxes of flashcards. The box number determines your review frequency:

    • Box 1: Daily (least understood material)

    • Box 2: Every other day

    • Box 3: Every 4 days

    • Box 4: Every 9 days

    • Box 5: Every 2 weeks (best-understood material)

Mind Mapping

  • Mind mapping is practiced by many students as a revision technique since it allows you to connect many different concepts and pieces of information and to see how they overlap or link together. Essentially, it allows you to form a bigger picture of what you are learning and to summarize what you have learned in a concise manner.

  • Additionally, you can add further visual aids like diagrams or graphs to help with your retention and use color-coding or various written symbols to represent different things during your study process.

Exercising Before Studying

  • Getting in some movement before your studying helps with fighting fatigue and keeping your brain alert. Additionally, by reoxygenating your brain and blood, exercise is able to help with cognition and memory retention as well as reducing stress levels which makes it easier for you to remain calm and properly be able to process information and thus benefit more from your studying.

  • Additionally, exercise helps with enhancing your sleep quality which again helps with your memory retention and making you feel more rested and energized for the upcoming day.

Studying Before Bed

  • Some new research is coming out to show that it is more beneficial to study before going to sleep as opposed to studying in the morning. In some cases, this may be true because at night when you are sleeping, your brain is still going through the information you have taken in and processing it to make sense out of it. This makes it easier to recall this information at a later time and helps with consolidating the information into your long-term memory.

  • However, if you find that in the evenings you get too tired to properly study and be able to read and understand information, then studying in the morning will likely be more beneficial for you. Try both approaches and see which one works best for you.

EXTRA TIPS ON HOW TO APPROACH YOUR STUDIES

Now that you have your environment properly set up and are familiar with what are the best techniques for studying, I wanted to add in a couple of other important tips to help you make your studies both more enjoyable and more effective overall.

  • Prioritize your tasks: All of us have different things to do of varying difficulties and importance, so take a moment to consider everything you have to do in a day or week and rank it based on its difficulty, how long it will take you and how urgent it is to get done. Tasks that are both highest in priority, most difficult, and will take the longest to finish, are the ones that you should realistically tackle first and everything else can wait for after. Additionally, don’t try to aim to get a million different things done in one day, but even if you just get one or two really important things done in a day that is already a successful day.

  • Keeping organized: By keeping your study space organized both physically and digitally you will be able to focus much better as you will be distracted less in general and you will find it much easier to find exactly what you need for a given task and thus keep a clearer head during your work.

  • Taking regular breaks: To expect yourself to study for hours on end and to do so with a good degree of focus and productivity is very unrealistic. Instead, aim to take a break every 30-60 minutes of work in order to recharge and move your body or to talk to a colleague or friend. This will help you step back from your work and with that, gain a new perspective on it helping you to solve some issues which you had previously encountered. On this note, also take the opportunity to reward yourself when after finishing a successful unit of work or time spent focusing, such as calling up a friend, grabbing a snack, going out on a walk for some fresh air or just relaxing with some music or entertainment.

  • Studying with others: For some people it can work great, both as a source of motivation and accountability, to study together with other people. For others, this is not the best approach since it can often be too distracting or you just end up talking and not doing anything really productive with your time. So identify whether this is something that would work for your studies and see with what kinds of people you are able to work best with. In group scenarios, aim to help each other with your work and content, to quiz each other and go through areas of difficulty, along side keeping each other accountable with your time and intentions of the study session.

  • Pomodoro technique: This is a focus tool that is commonly used by people today where the purpose is to set yourself a timer for which you will focus, as for example 30 minutes, and then to afterward set a time for a 5-10 minute break. This method of working and focusing you then repeat over however many sessions you need or are able to focus on. During the time which your focus timer is running, really make an effort to commit to the content and to put away all potential distractions and obstacles to your focus to really make the best of the time you choose to spend studying

  • Ask for help and ask questions: During your studies and academic journey, you will inevitably encounter topics or concepts that perhaps are not directly clear or understandable to you, so in those instances, one of the best, albeit not easiest, things you can do is to make an effort to ask for help about whatever you are struggling with. This is not easy to do as it is not easiest to admit that you need help with something or that you don’t understand something fully, but it is 100x better than not asking and in the end still being confused about a piece of content.

  • Attending class when possible: On a similar note to the previous one, try to attend as many in-person classes and lectures as possible which will give you opportunities to ask any questions you may have or to discuss during class hours your findings or areas of concern with the material. Even if you find that you understand everything with the content and don’t really have anything urgent to ask, it is still helpful to come as someone else in the room might raise a question you didn't know you were also unfamiliar with or even better, you might be in the position to be able to help explain a concept to someone who perhaps struggles with a topic you understand well.

  • Avoid multitasking: This is another common piece of advice concerning any type of work really, where a lot of research has shown that by alternating between different kinds of work, we use up a lot more of our mental capacities since it takes us some time to get into a flow state once we switch tasks. Multitasking is not only energy-draining but inevitably also worsens our focus since we are scatting our attention over several different pieces of work which overall worsens the quality of our work. A better approach is to instead either approach each task one by one or to group your tasks in terms of how similar the kind of work is (batching) and to then do each task category one by one, again helping to keep your attention more concentrated.

  • Effective note taking: Taking effective notes is not an easy task since the best kind of note taking is when you intake a certain piece of information and rephrase it in your own way of understanding it and to then make a note of that. The point of note-taking isn't to copy-paste large chunks of text, all of which you may not even understand in the end, but to paraphrase a certain idea in terms of how it makes the most sense for you. Focus on making your notes concise and also draw out structures or ideas since pictures a great way for telling something in an efficient manner.

REFERENCES

The social guide to university: making friends and keeping them for long term

The social guide to university: making friends and keeping them for long term
Your Guide To Setting Academic Goals As A Student

Your Guide To Setting Academic Goals As A Student

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