Ever thought, “If only studying were easier?” All of us are looking for ways to work smarter, not harder, especially college students. But the trick is knowing ways to study that help you learn and retain the material. Read on for ten strange, yet effective, study tips that will have you excelling in class in no time.
WHAT’S YOUR LEARNING STYLE?
We all have a unique learning style. A way that helps us best take in and remember new information.“What’s the Top Learning Style in America? Hands-On Wins Hands Down, Survey Says” ByBrandpoint for St. Joseph News-Press on April 7, 2014, shared the results from a Harris Interactive poll conducted on behalf of Everest College.
Despite all the time we now spend online, the majority of Americans polled (52 percent) said that hands-on learning, where they had to actively participate, was the best way. While overall both sexes preferred hands-on learning, the majority of women actually found visual demonstrations more effective.
FIVE STRANGE STUDY TIPS
No matter what style of learning best suits you, shaking up your study routine with some strange, but effective ways to study may be just what you need to ace that class. Vanessa Lam posted some possibilities, which may or may not work, in “Five Strange Ways to Study” for survivingcollege.com on January 15, 2013. Her quirky suggestions for college students include:
1. Lying in different positions. Whether you lie on your stomach on a bench, on your side on the bed or floor, or some other odd way, you put the book in front of you and read.
2. Sitting in the library stacks. The idea is that by spending time amongst the stacks you might pick up information by osmosis from the other books around you.
3. Hanging upside down. Because the blood will rush to your head and make you smarter?
4. Playing the insult game. Try shouting insults at your study partner with tidbits of information slipped in. See how long you last without laughing.
5. Highlighting everything. If you have ever bought a used textbook you have probably seen this method in action, but it probably doesn’t help.
FIVE EFFECTIVE STUDY TIPS
While strange and silly study tips may be fun to read, they won’t necessarily help you work smarter, not harder. So what are some ways to study that actually work for college students? “Study techniques that work — and (surprisingly) don’t” by Valerie Strauss for The Washington Post on August 27, 2013, has some answers from a 2013 study published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest:
1. Elaborate interrogation—ask why to link new and previously-learned material.
2. Self-explanation—explain concepts in your own words.
3. Interleaved practice—mix up different materials in one study session.
4. Practice testing—take an actual practice test or quiz yourself with flashcards.
5. Distributed practice—divide material over several short study sessions.
WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER
BONUS TIPS: Any other study tips college students can mine to help them get ahead in class? “Five Unusual Ways to Start Working Smarter, Not Harder, Backed by Science” was posted by Belle Beth Cooper on February 18, 2014, for bufferapp.com with some job-related tips that work as well for school.
1. Take more breaks.
2. Take more naps.
3. Take more time outside.
4. Take time to move around.
5. Take time to check email first thing.
Want to learn more about learning styles and theories? Check out Questia—particularly the section on educational theory.
Do you have some unique, but effective study tips that have helped you? Share them in the comments.
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