Effective study techniques are essential for anyone seeking to enhance their learning and retention abilities. If you approach this crucial prep period the right way, you can get much better results than otherwise.
Today, we’ll go over the best study tips our experts can offer. You’ll learn various strategies and methods that answer how to study effectively and retain information better – especially before critical assessments.
Effective study techniques are essential for anyone seeking to enhance their learning and retention abilities. If you approach this crucial prep period the right way, you can get much better results than otherwise.
Today, we’ll go over the best study tips our experts can offer. You’ll learn various strategies and methods that answer how to study effectively and retain information better – especially before critical assessments.
Mnemonics are also called memory devices and are easily among the most popular of all study methods. The goal of all mnemonics is to make keeping as well as recalling information easier.
Now, mnemonics come in all forms. They can be acronyms, rhymes, songs, and so on – anything goes as long as it helps you remember data such as lists, formulae, or even complex concepts.
The best way to understand what a mnemonic does is to see one at work. Here’s a common example: King Philip came over for good spaghetti.
Sounds funny enough that you’d be likely to remember it, right? Why would a king come over just for good spaghetti, after all?
As it happens, this simple sentence also serves as a mnemonic for the levels of biological classification. Take the first letter of every word in the sentence and you get KPCOFGS.
This in turn matches the biological classification levels’ first letters: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species!
Use mnemonics to memorise large amounts of information and make the actual study process easier. By inventing your own wacky mnemonics, you may even come to enjoy studying!
Active learning techniques are great if you find yourself zoning out too often when studying. Instead of just passively reading or highlighting notes, try to engage with the material as you go over it – in other words, engage with it!
For example, employ active recall techniques like flashcards, practice quizzes, or self-testing to reinforce your memory. After reading a section or chapter, try to summarise essential points in your own words, ask questions, and discuss concepts with your friends or teacher.
You can even try to better solidify your understanding of a topic by teaching it to someone else. This process forces you to clarify your thoughts and concepts, getting them in order.
A lot of students want to know about the best note-taking methods. Off the bat, we should say that the best thing for one person may not always be the best for another.
That being said, the best notes are usually organised ones. This makes them easier to refer to later on, after all, and thus helps you draw meaning from and remember them as well.
While taking notes, focus on key points and use your own words as much as possible. This process of summarisation even while note-taking can help with understanding and retention.
You may also want to use headings, bullet points, and highlighters (for key information). You may even try established note-taking methods such as the Cornell Method, where you divide your note-paper into 3 sections (one for key points, another for details, another for the summary).
Another possibility is to create mind maps. These are notes that serve as visual representations of complex topics to aid understanding, which brings us to our next tip.
Visuals are amazing at helping people process data. If you can harness the power of visual representations to clarify complex topics, you can do a lot to make your studying easier.
We already mentioned mind maps, but there are many other ways to use visuals to aid your studies. For example, creating diagrams, charts, or even graphs to visualise topics you find tricky is a useful way to organise data!
Simple things like using different colours for categorisation of information can help too. A lot of people colour-code their notes in order to sort the information in it more easily.
Here’s a tip that many students overlook, despite it being one of the best answers to the query of how to achieve your goals in study – don't rely solely on your class notes or textbooks!
When you expand your range of learning resources, you’re more likely to glean information that you wouldn’t easily pick up otherwise. Going through other sources of information is also a great option when you find that the way your textbook or notes present data isn’t helping you.
Sometimes, a video just lets you learn the topic better. Or a tutorial online may be more helpful for something practical. The same goes for a range of resources like educational apps, online courses, and digital flashcards.
Prioritise consistency in your study routine over last-minute cramming – you’ll be more likely to retain data this way!
The trick here is to establish a habit of regular study sessions to enhance your long-term retention. Implement spaced repetition, a technique involving intervals of reviewing information, to reinforce your memory.
Regularly revisit your notes and previously covered material to fortify your learning. Testing yourself periodically on the material you've studied enhances memory and helps identify areas that necessitate further review.
Repeatedly reviewing previously acquired knowledge bolsters your memory too, and helps you remember important details in each topic.
In sum, there are many study tips you can try to make the best use of your time and achieve the best results possible. Of course, everyone has different learning styles and preferences, so it's essential to experiment with these techniques and adapt them to find what works best for you.
If you want help with that or with your studying, reach out to us. At Aspire Hub, we have dedicated coaches who won’t just craft personalised learning plans for you but also motivate you to reach your full potential. Contact us at Aspire Hub today!
