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Learning your study style
We all know that one person that knows EXACTLY how and what to study for a test.
I had a friend like this, and all throughout college, I envied this friend that was a genius when it came to studying.
To begin with, he was a super involved and busy guy. He was captain of one of the intramural soccer teams. Like me, he was pre-med and shadowing at least 10 hours a week. He volunteered at a hospital every weekend. He had a busy social life and spent at least one night every weekend partying. He was taking the maximum hours of classes. And still, he managed to get straight A’s every semester.
While I did well in my classes throughout my undergrad years, I struggled when it came to preparing for tests, and had a difficult time learning how to maximize my time when it came to studying. It wasn’t really until I got to my second to last year of college, and then in my master’s program, that I figured out how to study better, faster, and overall more effectively.
So how did I learn to study more effectively? A lot of it was through trial and error, and figuring out what worked best for me. Ultimately though, it was this study whiz friend of mine that taught me how to study better for exams. Additionally, this friend also helped me to pinpoint a lot of the mistakes I was making when it came to studying, some of which included:
- Setting aside too much time to study
- Not taking adequate breaks
- And letting my nerves get the best of me
Since college, a lot of those same study tricks I learned still come in handy to this day. For example, when I need to drink in a lot of information before I make a presentation for work, or when I’m learning a new concept that I need to teach others, or whenever my workload increases and I’m juggling a lot of varying projects on differing topics, I can still use these effective study tips to help me out.
So whether you’re in school trying to figure out the best way to prepare for a test, or if you’ve been out of school for a while now and you’re trying to absorb a lot of information for work, knowing how to study more effectively will save you a lot of time, energy, and of course, stress.
The 13 best study tips
1. Plan your study time out in blocks of no more than 90 minutes. Most people can’t focus past 90 minutes before their brain needs a break, primarily because of the ultradian rhythm: the basic rest-activity cycle that our bodies run on. Past this 90 minute mark, your brain needs to rest and absorb the information you’ve just crammed in. Plan your breaks to last at least 20 minutes at this point.
2. Choose a study-friendly environment. Not all of us can study well in our dorm, apartment, or wherever we live. We may have roommates or other distractions. Even the mere presence of a TV can be a distracting temptation! For my friend and I, what worked best was removing ourselves from our normal home environment, and selecting a “focus-friendly” environment. My go-to was the library. It was always guaranteed to be quiet, and seeing other people study never failed to motivate me to work harder. Quiet coffee shops are another alternative. Essentially, picking an environment where there will be other people working or studying is usually a safe bet for creating that necessary, distraction-free environment.
3. Make the most of your breaks between study blocks. If you plan to do a couple study blocks back-to-back with the minimum amount of break time in between, be sure to completely disconnect from your studies at this point. Get outside and go on a walk. Run an errand. Or call a friend and sit outside. Breaks are just as important as study time, and if you really want to effectively absorb all the information you just took in, you have to give your brain a rest.
4. Change your environment. If you’ve planned more than one study block for your day, change your scenery from block to block. Simply moving to another room to study, or even studying outside can boost your focus and retention levels.
5. Stay busy with your life beyond your studies. The biggest mistake I made in my first couple years of college was setting aside too much time to study all the time. I would turn down get-togethers, parties, dinner dates, extra volunteer hours, etc. – all with the excuse of studying! While sometimes you may need a little extra time to study for a more difficult test, I would encourage you to stay as busy as you can in your social life beyond school or work. Why? People that are busy to begin with are more likely to get more things done and be more productive than people that aren’t as busy to begin with. When you’re busy, you become excellent at time management and you think like a project manager. You figure out how to be the most efficient with your time, and how to make the most of the time you have between activities and planned events.
6. Drink more water. You’ve probably heard this one, but it shouldn’t be neglected when discussing the most effective study tips. When you skimp on water, your body becomes dehydrated, and what happens when you get dehydrated? You get sleepy. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, and you’ll find yourself yawning less.
7. Take practice tests. Every teacher differs in how they teach and ask questions, so it’s in your best interests to find some old exams and see what kind of questions your teacher likes to ask. Plus, studies have shown that students who test themselves with a practice test once they’ve learned the material are likely to retain 50% more of the information a week later than their peers who didn’t use a practice test.
8. Choose your snacks wisely. When you study, you want to make sure that the foods you eat are ones that will give you momentum and not slow you down. Steer clear of carbs and over-processed food (e.g., fries, chips, etc.). Opt instead for protein rich foods that will keep your brain sharp, like fish, jerky, yogurt, or hard boiled-eggs. Also, fruit and veggies are always a great go-to.
9. Stick with old-fashioned print study materials. While e-books, tablets, and laptops are all undeniably more convenient, traditional learning materials are still the best choice when it comes to learning and retaining information. Research has found that when you learn through a screen, you actually require more repetition to effectively learn the material in comparison to printed materials.
10. Listen to music. Listening to music is a great way to get yourself in the study zone, while also completely minimizing any external distractions. While musical tastes vary from person to person, certain types of music (e.g., classical) have been proven to engage the parts of the brain that are responsible for focusing and learning. Plus, listening to music can instantly lift your mood and improve your outlook.
11. Don’t multitask. You may think that you’re maximizing your time when you watch the news and study simultaneously, but ultimately you’re just compromising your ability to learn as well. Several studies have confirmed time and again that multitasking only extends the amount of time you spend studying, while also negatively affecting your grades.
12. Talk to yourself when you study. Ok, so you may think that this is a silly idea. After all, won’t you look crazy if you’re talking to yourself? Maybe, but studies show that people who talk to themselves are actually smarter than non self-talkers. Talking aloud, especially when studying, improves your memory and sharpens your thinking patterns. Plus, when you can explain your answers aloud, you’re able to understand concepts better.
13. Exercise. The best way to break up your study blocks is to exercise in between. Or alternatively, work out before you even study. When you exercise, your body delivers even more oxygen and nutrients to the brain, sharpening your focus and priming you to study.
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