To really learn the material it's not always about how much time you put in, it’s about how you use that time.
Research shows that certain strategies can make learning stick longer and help you perform better on exams and assignments. The techniques below are all proven ways to move information into long-term memory and deepen your understanding. Try them out, combine them, and see which ones work best for you.
Pause & Reflect
Are your study strategies active or passive? Did you know highlighting is not an effective strategy for retention?
It is actually more effective to practicing recalling something you don't fully know than just re-reading the material.
Tips
- Make flashcards to drill yourself on key terms, vocabulary, and formulas.
- Take quizzes or practice tests whenever you can.
- Work problems at the end of textbook chapters as you study.
Pause & Reflect
- How much do you really remember from what you studied the night before?
- How much time do you spend focusing on a single topic or subject?
Tips
- It is better to learn in increments over time rather than attempt to cram content into your brain a few days or the night before a test.
- Take the time to review notes after each class or on the weekend. This is studying that goes above and beyond homework and it requires discipline.
- Study for exams in chunks as opposed to covering all topics in one session.
Read the full guide
Pause & Reflect
- Do you really understand what you are reading, or are you just going through the motions?
- Can you explain how this assignment or lecture connects to the bigger course?
- How well do you remember what you learned last week?
Tips
- Ask “Why?” of everything you learn. Why does it happen the way it does? Why was it introduced by the professor in the order it was with regards to other content?
- For some courses, this interrogative approach may extend to “Who?” and “When?”
- Be thorough. Imagine you have to teach this content to a curious child.
Pause & Reflect
- Do you work on one topic at a time when you study, or switch it up?
- How do you practice identifying what tools or concepts you need to solve a problem?
- How are your assessments organized? Are they grouped with like problems or mixed up?
Tips
- Alternate information or topics being studied through your day.
- Avoid focusing on one topic without taking breaks. It is better to work over several brief sessions on multiple topics than to slog through content for one class over many hours.
- Plan to study in a manner that allows you to see how some topics inform one another
Pause & Reflect
Are your notes only text? Are there concepts you are learning that could be enhanced by visuals?
By engaging both the verbal and visual processing channels, you create two memory pathways for the same concept.
Tips
- Turn text notes into visuals
- Cover text and explain visuals out loud, or recreate visuals from memory
- Pair text with visuals (ake sure visuals and text are closely connected, not random or redundant)
Pause & Reflect
How do you know when you know the material? Can you explain it using your own words, especially to someone who doesn't yet understand the concept?
Explaining something in your own words forces you to slow down and check your own understanding.
Tips
- Ask yourself "What is new about this? How does it relate to what I already know?
- After reading a section, stop and explain what it means in your own words.
- Try teaching it to someone who isn't in your class.
