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When I was in college, I had a “study” pattern that I followed each semester before exams. I’d collect all of my class notes and lock myself away on the third level of my college library. I would prepare for each final for four or five hours before going straight to the classroom to take the exam. I thought I’d do well on the examinations, but to be honest, I didn’t remember anything. I just studied to pass an exam, not to learn something new.
Secondary instructors must instill strong study habits in their pupils early on in order for them to perform well on ACT, SAT, and other college examinations. Students’ success will be determined by their performance on these assessments. Students who practice effective study habits will also perform better on AP examinations in high school. Students can get a head start on college while still in high school by taking AP examinations. It would have substantially lowered my stress levels in college if someone had taught me how to study properly, and it would have prepared me to become a life-long learner rather than a crammer!
When teachers emphasize the significance of receiving a good mark on a test, they undervalue the importance of learning. We should concentrate our efforts on Carol Dweck’s growth mindset research. The growth mindset tells our pupils that it’s fine to be uncomfortable when acquiring new information. Students with a growth mindset also learn far more from their mistakes than from their accomplishments. It is not meant to be simple to learn.
There are 9 Scientifically Proven Ways To Study Better
Stick to Print:
Tablets and other eLearning media are convenient and portable, but studies show that conventional print materials still have an advantage when it comes to learning. Some experts suggest that developing interactive behaviors like scrolling, clicking, and pointing improves the academic experience, yet when it comes to studying, and schoolwork, more than 90% of students questioned prefer a physical copy or print over a digital device. Furthermore, a psychology instructor discovered that when pupils read on a computer screen rather than printed information, they needed more repetition to understand new content.
Exercise First:
In the domains of health, fitness, and psychology, the effects of exercise on the brain have been thoroughly demonstrated. Our brainpower is boosted after even a brief workout, according to studies, since our bodies are pumping oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Dr. Douglas B. McKeag claims that working up a sweat before studying will help you be more awake, open, and receptive to new knowledge during your post-workout study session.
Change Your Scenery:
A change of location has an influence on one’s ability to study and concentrate. According to Psychologist Robert Bjork, merely changing to a new room to study (or even going a step farther and learning in the great outdoors) can improve focus and recall.
Use Active Recall:
In 2009, a psychology professor wrote an essay urging students against reading and rereading textbooks, arguing that doing so just leads students to believe they know the subject better than they do since it is there in front of them. In contrast, he recommended that pupils exercise long-term memorizing by closing the book and reciting all they can remember up to that point.
Make use of the Leitner Method:
The study technique, named after its creator, German physicist Sebastian Leitner, drives pupils to learn the subject they don’t know well through repetition. Cards with successfully answered questions are moved along a line of boxes, while poorly answered cards are returned to the first box. As a result, the cards in the first box are reviewed the most frequently, and the space between them grows as the student progresses down the line, forcing her to study the material she doesn’t know over and over again.
Practice with the Practice Tests:
Take advantage of professors and instructors who make prior examinations available as practice assessments, just like you would with the ACT, SAT, or GMAT. You may get a feel for the instructor’s testing approach and get a notion of how the content might be presented on exam day. According to a 2011 research, students who took a practice exam after studying the subject remembered 50% more knowledge a week later than their classmates who did not take a practice test.
Make Connections:
Experts claim that the difference between “slow learners” and “fast studiers” is the method they study; for example, “quick learners” establish connections between topics rather than memorizing. This technique, known as contextual learning, requires students to create their own learning methods, allowing all of the material to fall into place and make sense for them personally. Some students find that visualizing all of their information in one area (such as on a piece of paper or a blackboard) can help them create a complete picture and strengthen their connections during the learning process.
Take on the Role of Teacher:
Students’ memory and recall abilities improve when they acquire new knowledge with the anticipation of having to teach it to someone else, according to research. This makes sense because instructors are responsible for not just learning material for themselves but also structuring crucial components of that information in order to properly impart it to others.
When pupils are asked to take on the role of “teacher,” studies show that they become more interested and automatically seek out strategies of memory and organizing. This works especially well with things like reading comprehension and science; however, part of the magic is figuring out how you’d “teach” each subject individually.
When you’re tired, study, but also get some rest!
While you study when you’re fatigued, your brain can retain larger concentrations of new abilities, such as speaking a foreign language or playing an instrument. It’s even been given a name: sleep-learning. Because the memory-consolidation process works best during slow-wave sleep, your brain may be receiving both the repair and reactivation it requires. As a result, examining study materials before bed can help your brain learn even while you sleep.
Also read: Time Management In Exam
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is Research-Backed?
Evidence-Informed (or Research-Based) Practices are those that are based on the most up-to-date research in the area. This means that consumers may trust that the techniques and activities included in the program or practice have a solid scientific foundation.
What exactly is Research-Based Learning?
Students are given lectures and courses that are closely related to research in research-oriented education. Furthermore, students acquire theoretical understanding about their topic, recognize its practical importance, and are able to generate fresh, original conclusions by applying this information.
What is a Quantitative Research Method, and How Does it Work?
Quantitative research methods focus on objective measurements and statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data acquired through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, as well as modifying pre-existing statistical data using computing tools.
What distinguishes Empirical Research?
The empirical study is based on seen and measured occurrences and knowledge is derived from experience rather than theory or belief. The selection criteria, controls, and testing devices used to analyze this group or phenomenon are described.
