Five Tips to Study More Effectively

March 17, 2021 / Source: The Bizz USA
By Isabelle Sitchon; Edited by Pallavi Vemuri and Haarika Kalahasti

There’s only about three months of school left before we can “meet” summer again, but for many of us, studying is still a part of our daily routine. However, you may have come to the point where studying is just not working out for you. Before, you could easily sit and annotate your readings for hours on end, but now you can’t seem to focus on even a single paragraph. Although the pandemic has eroded our study skills, they remain essential for both acing your exams and  learning and retaining information. Here are a couple tips to all the students out there struggling to keep up with studying:

1. Find your dedicated study space.
   
   1. ​For some, they may find that they study best at a classic white desk, with all of their pens and highlighters in a container next to them. Others may prefer to do their work at the dining table, while a few may even favor the comfiest spot on the couch to do their assignments. Having a dedicated work area to do all of your assignments will allow you to completely focus and get you into that “grind mode”. It should be a flexible space that promotes productivity. However, a study area means nothing if you don’t actually do any work there. There’s a reason why the word “dedicated” is put in the heading--when you’re sitting down in that chair, make sure you get rid of all distractions. You should continually use that study area to do work instead of watching videos on Netflix. When you do this, your brain associates that space with the drive to be productive rather than the urge to relax. In return for having a study space, you should have an area to unwind as well. Having separate areas for working and resting will help increase your overall productivity.
      
2. Try studying in breaks/sessions.
   
   1. ​For me personally, I find I study best when I take short breaks. Studying for hours at a time without breaks may make it harder to retain and remember information. On the other hand, others may have trouble focusing for hours at a time. To do your schoolwork more efficiently and to give your brain mental breaks, try out the Pomodoro Technique while you’re studying! This method calls for a 25-minute work session following a brief five-minute break, and then the process repeats all over again. During your break, you shouldn’t have access to any distractions that could divert your attention--once you know it, taking a rest for five minutes may last for an hour. Of course, the time span within this system isn’t absolute. You can also adjust the time to your liking-- some students, for example, find that a 50-minute period and a ten-minute break is more suitable for them. You can experiment to find a system that works for you.
      
3. Instead of relying on studying your review guide, use active recall.
   
   1. ​Reading over a flurry of words to review for your exam may not always be the best way to study. Instead, try utilizing active recall! Active recall is retrieving information completely from your memory alone. In this method, you are basically testing yourself. Close your textbook, notes, binders, etc., grab a paper or whiteboard, and brain dump everything that you remember on that topic. After you feel like you’ve managed to extract all the information from your memory, take out your studying materials and review what sections that you didn’t quite remember, what areas you missed, and what topics you understand. Make sure to study more on the contents that you didn’t remember. Another method of active recall is flashcards! Several students favor writing out terms/topics physically, but you can also use digital sources, such as Quizlet or Anki.
      
4. Become a teacher!
   
   1. ​This method is a form of active recall as well. Learning or reviewing a topic by teaching it can help you comprehend and apply topics better. Research shows that students who utilize the “learning-by-teaching” effect demonstrate a more precise understanding and better learning retention as opposed to students who mainly re-read studying materials. Find a friend or a family member and teach them about a concept you’re learning! This approach can be as simple as bringing up the subject in casual conversation, or it can be as thorough as delivering a speech/presentation to a group of people. By teaching others, you’ll find yourself more engaged and mentally organized in what you’re learning. 
      
5. Practice, practice, practice!
   
   1. ​Students tend to rely on their notes and guides to study. How about using practice exams/quizzes? While this may be a popular method for standardized tests, such as AP exams or the SAT, it can also work for your midterms or regular tests in general. Taking practice exams can help familiarize you with how the test is structured and get you accustomed to the type of questions/topics you may see on exam day. However, you shouldn’t rely on these tests solely for your studying. Pair these practice exams with effective studying techniques, and you’ll surely ace your exams!

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