If you never learned how to study before college, you are not alone. Many of us didn’t feel we had to study before and find it to be overwhelming now.
Flipping through flashcards and textbooks isn’t always helpful, and there are better ways to study that can feel a lot less stressful. Here are some studying techniques I have found to be effective:
1. The Feynman Technique
This technique requires a friend or two, so make some friends in your class and get ready to study. Each group member will review their assigned topic(s) and then teach the rest of their group the topic in a way that a middle schooler could understand. This is most effective when you split the topics covered on the test between your group members. Breaking down complex topics into easily digestible information allows for a deeper understanding of what you’re reviewing.
2. Active Recall
Take reviewing your notes or textbook up a notch. As you’re reading, stop when you come across each concept. Look away from what you’re reading and try to recall what it is. If you can’t, or find that your recall is wrong, write down the concept so you can review it later. For each concept you didn’t recall, look it up and find alternative ways of explaining it that help cement the concept for you. Popular sources include articles, YouTube videos and Quizlets.
3. Pomodoro Technique
This is a time-based technique. First, set a timer and study for 25 minutes. When that 25 minutes is up, take a break for five minutes. You repeat this for as long as you feel able to study or until you finish studying. The human brain can only stay fully focused for 25 to 45 minutes, so this method encourages health breaks that allow you to stay on track. Studying becomes more effective across multiple sessions and multiple days, so this technique can be used to encourage studying for a digestible amount of time every day.
4. Mind-Mapping
This technique is made for visual learners. It focuses on drawing a bubble with the topic in the middle of a paper, then making branches off that topic of major subtopics. From there, you branch off those subtopics into more of the important details you need to know. If you are an auditory or hands-on learner, I would skip this technique.
5. Studying Past Exams
One of the most effective ways to study for a quiz, test or exam is to review other exams on the topic. If you can review your past quizzes and tests before an exam, do that. If you don’t have materials provided by your professor, look for practice tests from other classes or previous years. This helps you get an understanding of the wording of questions, the typical topics covered and your pace compared to the allotted time for the test.
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