Are You Studying the Wrong Way?
No way of studying is wrong per se, but there are definitely ways in which your studying can be honed to work better for you. Learning how to study in the right way for you is a skill that all college students need. So here are a few quick ways to know if you are studying the wrong way for you and what to do to fix it.
All at Once vs Sections
Many people think that studying means taking in all the information you need to know at once. But that is not the case. You don’t want to inundate yourself with information, you want to be able to take as much of it in as possible. So by breaking it up into sections and taking breaks between studying those sections, you’ll be able to keep more information.
Even when it comes to cramming, you always want to be pacing yourself and making sure that you take in all the information you can. The idea of studying is to remember what you’re studying so if you’re not only taking in too much too quickly, but overwhelming and remembering nothing, you may as well not be studying.
Just Reading Notes vs Testing Yourself
You probably will never be ready for an exam off of just reading your notes. Taking in information is great but you need to be able to apply that information in test answers. This means that your studying also needs to come with mini tests. Mini tests can range from cue cards to full blown practice exams, it doesn’t matter. The idea behind them is to test your memory of the knowledge collected.
Reading over your notes is only half the battle. Putting those notes into actionable answers is what’s going to have you passing your exam.
Not Knowing vs Knowing Your Kind of Learning
Now, learning what type of learner you are can actually have a huge impact on how to study. It may seem rather pointless but instead of taking a shot in the dark at what parts of studying work best for you, let yourself have a stepping off point.
If you’re a Kinesthetic learner and you’re trying to study by rereading the notes or saying them aloud, you’re probably not taking in as much as you would if you were creating mnemonics or rhymes for the information.
By learning about yourself you can then tailor the way you study to yourself. Don’t go in blind to studying, give yourself as many favours as you can.
Stressing vs Trusting Yourself
You know more than you think you do. 100% you’ve taken in a subconscious amount of information and you don’t even know it. If it feels like you’re not making progress studying, just know that you are. It doesn’t matter if it takes you awhile to remember 3 facts, that’s still 3 more facts than you knew when you started.
Don’t let yourself get discouraged. You’ve got this.
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