Pulling all-nighters, drinking coffee just to keep you awake for a little while longer… Oh, why does studying have to be so difficult? We try to do everything to cram all of that knowledge inside our brains only to forget it the very next day! There must be a better way… and there actually is; with these study tips you’re guaranteed to retain a whole lot more information.
Studying when it’s really late might be convenient for you if you’ve had a busy day, but it’s not actually the best time to study. When it’s getting close to your bedtime and you try to study, you are much more likely to just go to bed. Studying when you’re sleepy, though, is very efficient. Your brain is a wonderful thing; very complex, yes, but so clever. New memories are strengthened when your energy is low, which means you’re absolutely going to remember what you’re studying if you studied when you were sleepy.
Sure, we understand you’ve been putting off this project for weeks. We’re not going to lecture you, you know that wasn’t a smart move on your part, but know this for the future: If you break your study material into smaller parts and keep repeatedly studying those parts, you will retain that information better. Learn a small bit of information and when you’re ready to move on to the next bit, review what you have previously learnt. It’s all about repetition!
Stories make everything more fun; don’t you agree? Try using your study information to make a crazy story. The crazier, the better! This helps you remember the information better, because it will make it more meaningful. The periodic table won’t just be the periodic table anymore, it’ll be the crazy story you’ve made up in your head.
Studying at a desk is great. You can have all the material in front of you and you have room to move around, however, moving around is actually a lot better when studying. Go to the library, the coffee shop or even a friends’ house if you want your memory of the study material become much stronger. Don’t bore your brain, move around!
Studying one topic is important when it’s the only thing you have to study, but that’s often not the case. You might have a bunch of different subjects to study, and you want to tackle them one by one. That’s not the right approach! Instead, try switching up the topics you’re studying every now and then. This method of studying forces the brain to look at different things in a new light; giving you fresh solutions for problems and helping you retain information.
Maybe the most important tip of them all is to not put off your homework or studying. It’s always best to do it right after a class or a lecture, so the information is still fresh in your head. Review the material if it was a lecture, organize your notes (maybe type them out), and get all of that homework out of the way right off the bat.
This is a digital age and time, and that’s all fine and dandy, but it’s not going to help you study. In fact, when you write your notes by hand, you are more likely to remember the study material later on. It might seem futile, but try copying your handwritten notes onto a clean sheet of paper. You’ll find that you will understand the material better.
Our daily lives involve a lot of talking (unless you’re an introvert, of course.) Talking helps us communicate, but did you know that talking is also good for your brain? When you read your study notes out loud it helps you remember the material in two ways; you’re seeing it, and you’re hearing yourself read them out loud. Just don’t do it in a public place, because people will give you funny looks.
You can’t be all work and no play, as much as it’d be really efficient… No, the best way to keep on studying is to take breaks and most importantly: reward yourself. It can be really small; a cookie, walk around the block, or five minutes on Facebook. This helps you beat procrastination and will help you continue studying for a longer period of time.
Some music could definitely help you through a particularly rough study session. Classical music, for instance, has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety as well as help you focus on your difficult study material. Personally we like putting on some sweet tunes to help lighten the mood a bit, as well. It’ll help fight boredom!
