How To Study Smart?

How To Study Smart?

Most of the people are not studying anywhere nearly as effectively as they could be. If you study more effectively, you can learn more and retain more in less time. This translates to less time studying, better grades, and more time doing the things you actually enjoy. In this article, we will cover all of the study hacks. By following the tips in this article, you will be studying less and earning better grades immediately.

Active vs Passive learning

The default studying pattern we all employ is passive learning. It's easier, requires less effort, and overall is just more comfortable. Active learning is more challenging, it's less comfortable, but it is ultimately much more effective.

Steps for Active Learning

There are four steps we must address to actually use active learning. Steps 1 and 2 are about obtaining the information and steps 3 and 4 are about reviewing and reinforcing the information.

Step 1 : Identify

The first step is to identify what is important. Not all important is created equal. To employ Active learning, you must constantly be sorting information and assessing its relative importance.

Step 2 : Organize

Organize the information in a way that you understand. Again, as an Active process, this is not going to be just copying information, instead you are going to be doing difficult task of synthesizing the information in your own words, in diagrams or in other study aids. By doing this, you will improve your understanding of the concepts and you also have an excellent study tool to review at a later date.

Step 3 : Memorize

You need to Memorize the information in an active way. Memorization is arguably the toughest part of studying, at least for most students. There are a few different methods you can use to memorize information much faster and much more effectively.

1. Summary Sheets

First, summary sheets which some people like to call condensed notes. One of the best ways to memorize is to summarize the information. Let's say you have three pages of notes for one lecture. Condense them into one page by organizing and restructuring the information into smaller chunks by actually going through and reading your notes carefully and extracting the highest yield points and rephrasing them again into your own words. This process of condensing alone is a form of active learning and it will reinforce the material.

2. Spaced repetition

One of the most powerful ways to memorize information is spaced repetition. As we know that repetition is key to memorization. The idea here is that after each review, you can increase the interval between reviews. For example, you are exposed to the information on day zero, then you see it again after 24 hours, then after that another 72 hours, etc. Instead of reviewing it everyday, you only review it right before you are about to forget. To perform spaced repetition on your own, requires a lot of scheduling and it is not feasible.

Step 4 : Apply

Lastly, Apply the information. You can do practice questions from the textbook or online services. Old practice quizzes from your professor are also fantastic resources.

Environment

Let's talk about your studying environment. This is an area requiring more personalization, so it's key that you figure out what works best for you.

1. Location

Do you prefer coffee shops and libraries, or studying at home?. Many people do however get easily distracted at home and that is why they prefer the coffee shop or library since it helps them focus on the work at hand.

2. Group vs Solo studying

Are you studying by yourself or with other people?. In group study, the rate of reviewing material is slower but the main benefit is working through and reinforcing difficult concepts while also keeping you motivated and sane. Groups need to be small. Study with only one or two other people. Groups larger than this have severely diminishing returns because you are going to get distracted and your productivity also decreases. One of the biggest advantages to group study is the ability to teach what you have learned. This teaching reinforces the material for yourself and you also help out your friends and classmates.

3. Routine vs Novel Stimuli

Novel stimuli such as varying your study location has been demonstrated to improve recall and retention. However, for some this works directly against the benefits of a routine. The routine of waking up at the same time, studying in the same place, may facilitate productivity and fight off procrastination. The Novel stimuli of studying in new locations and with new people may impede your ability to get into the groove and maintain productivity long term.

4. Timing

Now, in terms of timing and pacing, one of the strong study hack is the Pomodoro Technique. Essentially, you focus on one task, studying in these 25 minute blocks, take five minute breaks and it sounds very simple but it actually is super effective at fighting procrastination, improving your focus and maintaining endurance.

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Obtaining Information

Generally, you are going to be obtaining information in one of two ways, either lecture or textbooks. During lecture, most of us follow along with our copy and we just take notes. This is a very passive way of learning. Some other options to improve your methods of obtaining information.

1. Writing vs Typing notes

First, consider writing vs typing your notes. Typing is faster which sounds great initially, but if you type faster, you are able to transcribe what the professor is saying verbatim. This is very passive way of taking notes. By writing, you generally write much slower and therefore you have to emphasize the important information and rephrase and organize it into your own words. Writing in comparison to typing has also been demonstrated to improve recall possibly due to the increased motor coordination required for writing.

2. Lecture vs Podcast

Let's talk about Lecture vs Podcast. Your school may offer audio or video recordings of your lectures. However, there are course distinct advantages to attending lectures in person. For lecture, you have this set routine and you are surrounded by other people who are doing the exact same thing. It helps reduce distraction and encourages you to be engaged in the lecture at least more so than if you were listening to a podcast at home. You are also able to ask questions in real time. But the Podcast on the other hand, gives you the flexibility to watch whenever you want, meaning you can watch the lecture on your own schedule when you are well rested and feeling fresh. You can also watch it at increased speeds. That being said, be careful of the temptation of podcasting because it requires a great deal of discipline to stay on track and not fall behind. If you are a type of student who would procrastinate with podcasting, do yourself a favor and stick to attending lectures instead.

3. Rewatching Lectures

Now, Let's talk about rewatching lectures. This is a total waste of time. The thought process behind it is, you want to make sure you didn't miss anything important and you want to reinforce the content repetition. The problem is that rewatching lectures is extremely passive, even more so than attending it the first time. Your time is better spent reviewing the information, synthesizing it and doing active learning, questions etc. Do not rewatch the lectures or re-listen to recordings. Use your textbook, other resources, your classmates or your professor's office hours if you need clarification.

4. Textbooks

Highlight the textbooks and read highlights several times to review prior to exams, but that obviously a terribly passive way to study. Instead make the process as active as you can, even at the time of initial exposure. Using either your computer or notepad, summarize what you read into your own words. By doing this, you are identifying the important and organizing it in a way that you will understand. This whole process will ultimately drastically improve your recall during test time.

CLICK HERE! to checkout our other post in which we have discussed the 3 powerful techniques to study more effectively