The New York Times posted a fascinating write-up a short while ago: “Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits.” (Click on the link to check out the original post.)
Get up and move
Based on the article, various studies support the premise that changing our physical study setting will help us to keep in material much better. Our minds are seemingly making links according to what we observe and listen to when we study, even if the sights and sounds are not connected to the area of study and observed just subconsciously. The more links the brain can make regarding a certain bit of information, the easier it will be for you to recover that data in the future.
What this indicates for you: don’t study in only a single location. Get 2 or 3 places that differ to some degree. Do continue to take note of which surroundings are the most effective in your case. For instance, I do not study well if music is being played or many people are chatting, therefore I stay with quieter study surroundings.
Train like an athlete: mix it up
The New York Times post also discusses changing your routines while studying new information. Various scientific studies have proven the advantage of this kind of strategy. When you’re studying new content, it’s alright to dedicate today’s study session to, for example, geometry, although we should do mixed review (like, geometry, algebra, and number properties). The further down the line you get in your study, the more “mixed up” your question sets and quizzes need to be.
Absorb. Begin by reading through or watching a specific lesson. If you have the chance, make inquiries.
Do. Attempt some practice questions right after to test your comprehension of the new content. If the content is fact-based (like, math formulas or sentence structure rules), begin with problems which are a bit more academic in nature and just check you on those guidelines. After that go to GMAT-format questions and be sure to time yourself; this gives many layers of complexity.
Analyze. Once you’re done attempting a question, evaluate it. (Make use of this article to learn how to analyze GMAT-format problems). Exploit any available resources to carry out your evaluation: go back to your textbooks or lessons, ask your instructor relevant questions, consult study partners or discussion board advisors, create flash cards to review in future.
Quiz and Review. After a couple of study sessions (a minimum of once weekly), quiz yourself. Come up with a blended group of questions pulled from areas that you’ve studied for the past a number of weeks (not only the past week!). Perform the set (timed!) and evaluate your outcomes. Depending on those outcomes, determine what to review for the remainder of that period and, once again, make use of any available resources to carry out that review.
Test. Once you think you’ve made considerable improvement since your previous practice exam, evaluate yourself yet again. Be sure to do the exam under full official situations (this includes essays!). Use this article to analyze your results and use those outcomes to enable you to determine what to include in your “I have to review or go over this lesson” list. In case you still have items to learn for the first time (such as, if you’re just halfway through a course), then complete new content on certain days and review content on others. Once you have completed your initial pass through your content, then use your quiz and practice results to generate the framework and content material of your review sessions moving forward.
Here’s your ultimate goal: if your brain creates any type of link, go along with it! Does this question remind you of one you spotted last week? Check out that other problem immediately and do a comparison of the two. Remind yourself of the most effective strategy of the previous one and notice if the new one is best completed in that same way or if some other strategy works better, and the reason why. If you are a bit uncertain on a guideline or theory, don’t simply look at the explanation to the problem; go back to the textbook or resource in which you initially learned it and re-read or re-watch the appropriate section of the course. Create a flash card and include this item to your review checklist for later on this week. Go over it with your study buddy. Ask a question at school or on the discussion boards. Create more connections and make those connections more powerful!
Know what works for you (and what doesn’t)
The New York Times post is a bit more unclear on the matter of learning styles; it claims that the latest review of research “found virtually zero support” for the idea of distinct learning styles. This is simply not the same as stating that research disproved these suggestions (in fact, “almost zero” indicates a bit of support was in fact discovered). Perhaps part of the scientific studies was not created in the ideal manner or was not analyzing the appropriate concerns. Maybe the “right” scientific studies haven’t been carried out so far.
I do acknowledge that the general concept of learning styles has frequently been overly simplified. I’ve never dealt with a student that is consistently stronger at, for example, visual learning (and I’ve dealt with 1,000s of students). In spite of this, it is often my working experience, personally and professionally, that individuals are inclined to understand some things much better in specific ways; the essential thing is to find out exactly what those other ways are for you personally.
I’ll provide you with an anecdotal scenario to illustrate (although I’ve interacted with 1,000s of students and the general theory often holds true). I just took a French language immersion study course. Once we reviewed vocabulary orally, I didn’t keep in nearly as much as I did once the instructor provided us a hand-out or I researched the expression on my own. This was primarily brand new info and I personally made a lot better links once I see new info down on paper. Once I’m attempting to come up with the expression once more later on, I’m far more prone to recall it if I can pull out the visual memory. In a pleasant overlap with our “physical location” conversation above, I’ll actually recall where I had been when I initially saw it and exactly how I first observed it – in the dictionary, in my personal handwriting, on a printed hand-out with a specific font or coloring, etc. (Oddly enough, I’m studying with somebody that is able to grasp new phrases quite easily simply by listening to them; he doesn’t need to worry about writing them down, which makes me a little envious!)
Then again, since I understand English sentence structure so well, I am able to build my French grammar links on things in common and variations between the two languages. At this point, I benefit way more from an oral communication since I am able to ask instant questions to clarify my comprehension and take notes using my own words. The main point in these two cases is the fact I know exactly how I will need to make the best links, while taking part in various kinds of learning.
Understand how you are likely to learn best and do what you should do to make the most effective links. If this means writing points down in your own words, do it. If you have to record yourself pointing out particular sentence structure principles after which you can listen daily while traveling to work, do it. If you gain from actively talking about ideas, guidelines, and solving strategies, find a study group of like-minded individuals.
Take-Aways
- Change your study spots; however be sure you aren’t too sidetracked in any specific environment.
- Mix up your routines in a study period: attempt problems, evaluate those problems, make links to other problems, read or look at some tutorials that discuss the same sections, make or review flashcards, quiz or test yourself, etc. When your mind creates any link, stay with it and solidify it!
- Recognize how you usually make the best (or worst) links and do what you have to do to get the best possible links.