The Science Behind Effective Studying: Strategies Every Student Should Know
Reading your notes over and over, highlighting key facts, making up some cards with vital information, they’re all tried and tested methods of studying and revision - but have we all been doing it wrong?
Well, science says yes, we have.
Effective studying methods that have been proven by research, such as using technology, incorporating healthy habits and understanding cognitive strategies could all assist with your learning and help make for an easier and more enjoyable learning experience.
Here we provide a guide that is designed to enhance your study efficiency and as a result, hopefully, improve your results academically.
Optimising study habits
Studying efficiently is the best way to study quickly and get the desired results. Here are some study habits that you should implement:
Time management
Creating a study schedule can help ensure that you have a focused study session. You can spend time focusing on the subject at hand and avoid procrastination.
Use a planner to set out the subjects you’ll be studying and when, and here you can prioritise the subjects that you need more work on.
Break down tasks
When you look at what you need to achieve as a whole, it can seem daunting and overwhelming. But if you break your learning goals into smaller tasks, then feel infinitely more manageable. Once they’re divided into smaller tasks, you can work through them easily, and you’ll feel more motivated as you work through and complete them.
Utilise study groups
If they’re available to you, study groups can be highly beneficial for learning and keeping hold of the information, too. Having discussions, different insights and alternative perspectives on a certain subject matter gives you the chance to understand it better. You’ll also have the opportunity to question others and learn things that others have a deeper knowledge of.
Study breaks
Regular study breaks might seem counterintuitive, but in fact, they work well to improve your productivity. Continuous studying isn’t good for our brains, so by taking time out of your study you can maintain focus.
When you take a break, it’s probably best not to spend that time passively watching TV or scrolling on your phone. Instead, go for a walk, listen to music or try some gentle exercise. You’ll have to spend time trying out different activities for your study breaks, as it’s personal to each person, so try out different ideas and work out what is best for you. It’s all about using a break to refocus your mind and recharge your brain.
Manage stress
Too much stress is going to impact how well you study. Developing coping mechanisms to manage stress and anxiety can benefit how well you learn and take in new information.
Mindfulness, exercise, meditation and journaling can all help with stress management and also take a look at external factors like your study space or distractions around you.
Using technology for effective studying
Technology has changed the way we do a lot of things in our lives, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t utilise its effectiveness when studying. Introduce digital tools and apps, like flashcard apps and note-taking apps, that can help you form study habits that work effectively.
Other apps and tools that may help are those designed for time management, which can encourage you to stick to study schedules and focus on the tasks at hand.
Healthy habits while studying
Healthy habits in your life as a whole can help with the effectiveness of your studying skills.
Good sleep every night is vital for overall health, but what’s important here, is that a decent night’s sleep with help consolidate what you’ve learnt that day and retain the information learnt too.
Eating nutritious foods not only helps you feel great from the inside but can also directly impact your cognitive abilities. Certain foods are said to help boost your brain too, omega 3-rich foods like avocado, salmon and nuts, as well as things like berries, wholegrains and dark chocolate.
Taking up regular exercise, not just doing it on study breaks, can also help to reduce the amount of stress you feel overall as well as improve your mental clarity.
Cognitive strategies used in learning
Multiple cognitive strategies can help you with effective learning. Spaced practice and retrieval practice are two of the more common strategies that help you retain information and improve your learning.
Spaced practice is studying the same information for a set amount of time each day over some time, compared to the same amount of time spent in one day going over the same information repeatedly. This cognitive strategy is said to encourage you to retain the information.
Retrieval practice is quite simply using tests as a means of studying. Tests are proven to improve the memory of the tested information. So, by regularly testing yourself, this retrieval of information is going to improve your memory of the information, compared to re-reading the information time and time again.
Effective study skills
Study skills that are effective for you, might not work for the next person, so it will take a little trial and error to find the ideal studying strategies for you. Here are some ideas that you might want to try:
- Summarise details and create flashcards that can be used for self-testing
- Use methods like association and visualisation to help improve recall of information
- Make study sheets for you to test yourself on
- Ensure you know when you need to take a break and stop for the day so you avoid burnout and frustration
How to study more efficiently
Here are some tips to ensure that you study efficiently:
- Plan and take regular breaks to help improve your productivity whilst studying.
- When in classes, ensure that you’re taking notes, and you spend time after the class reviewing those notes, ensuring there is all the relevant information that’s needed to go back over them at a later date.
- Always make a plan when it comes to studying and ensure that you tackle the hardest work first when your brain is at its freshest.
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Spending time studying is necessary if you want to succeed and get good results, and we don’t have infinite amounts of time to go over and over certain things.
Finding the best learning strategies for you and using these tips to study more effectively and efficiently allows you to get through your work as quickly as you can and retain the information too.
Spend time experimenting with the different techniques we’ve talked about and find out what works best for you.
