There are many ways to study … and the more you do it, the better you will get at recognising what works for you and how you should do it. But, here are a few points that will help you no matter what kind of learner you are!
The key is to remember that the more you test your memory, the better you will get at it.
- Index Cards
It isn’t only for your Grandmother’s favourite casserole recipe! Index cards are one of the best ways you can study to learn and memorise something. Write out the question on one side and the answer on the other side. Bam - your very own test!! And, if you are up and up with the scientific research, you will know that testing yourself was, is and will be the foremost way to memorising anything! (Yeah, yeah, yeah - and you shouldn’t start a sentence with the word “and” but, again, the research is showing otherwise! C’mon, don’t you trust me by now?)
- YouTube Videos
It is all about the stop and start - YouTube isn’t only for watching the Chatty GRWM videos of your favourite influencer! It is a remarkable tool for all types of topics that you cover in and out of class. Just type out whatever it is you are looking for in the Search bar and presto … now, don’t just watch it! Engage! Make sure you have ample paper and a pencil … and that trusty calculator (my fav is the TI-84 … I know a little old school but some habits die hard!). Now press play! Listen and the minute there is a question, press pause. Work it out on paper - nope, in your head alone won’t cut it!! (I mean, if you wanted some chocolate would you just go look at a picture of it??? Never!!) So get your hands dirty and dive right in, get busy, show your working/thought process and answer the problem. Once you are done, watch the video and see if you got the same answer!
- Video/Voice Recording
Only crazy people talk to themselves! You know what they say? There is a fine line between brilliance and insanity so, talk away baby! Read those notes out loud to yourself! Video or voice record yourself teaching the concept. Not only will you have to think about the preparation of the video/voice recording but, you will have to think about execution which will require you to speak in the right jargon! The video/voice recording is done, now you will get the two fold benefit of having taught the concept (I’ve been known to say that repetition is the mother of learning … testing is the father and their first born child? Teaching!) and then the ability to listen to it in the future. Best time to listen or watch? Right before bed - research has shown that doing something right before bed helps the brain process that information while sleeping … and processing that information leads to increased memory of said material.
- Note Taking
Doing it once may not help you as much as you think! So, you have taken copious amounts of notes and you have read them out loud … now what? Retake them!! Huh?? Yes, you read (lol) me right!! Retake your notes by sitting down and writing them out again. That’s right - another old-school concept, write it out! Research has shown that writing engages the brain much more than typing so, if you are going to use that iPad - don’t forget to use a stylus and actually write! Rewriting your notes has benefits in helping you explore them in a more concrete way than just reading! So, think about all those Insta pictures you can create with some lovely #lettering!!
OK - give it a try and don’t forget to let me know how it is all going! Drop me a line … it is at the top right corner of this page!! :)
