Study is hard. There is always that anxiety and pressure as you’re tensely reading the textbook, trying to extract the hidden morsels of information that might be on the test. Franticly going over flashcards trying to commit ideas to memory. Re reading and perhaps re writing your notes so that they make more sense. Does study need to be so chaotic?
Being systematic about study can make it easier. It seems that every subject requires a different method of study. But this is an illusion. The way we, as humans, learn is very much standardized and determined by our biology. We can use that fact to our advantage.
There seem to be an endless number of theories about study. Study in a quiet room, early in the morning. Study with classical music playing in the background. Study with friends or study alone. Highlight, underline, meditate, take notes, don’t take notes, use scented markers and on and on ad infinitum. With all of the theories about study, it is hard to figure out what really works and what is just some teacher repeating what he heard from his teacher, who’s repeating what she heard from her teacher… And so it goes, back a thousand years, giving advise that has hobbled the intellectual development of generations of students. So what actually works?
Plan your studies.
Take 5-10 minutes to plan your studies.
If you know what you need to study, you may want to skip this step. However, if you need to study Electronics, Physics, Math, and History, then take the time to decide in what order you want to tackle your study session. Be sure to schedule in your breaks.
Do the hardest thing first. Alternately, choose the topic you like least – History, just sayin’ – . Put this at the top of the list or stack, whatever organizational method you like to use.
Take a break after each you study each topic. You need time for your brain to assimilate the information. You might for example want to go grab a cup of coffee and stare out the window for a few minutes before attempting your next subject. Now you’re ready for the next round.
Interleaving your studies. Interleaving is the idea of studying a related topic. So, if you just finished working on Math, you may want to move on to physics. Both require the same type of problem solving, but your math will be theoretical while the physics is applied.
Space out your study periods In order to fully learn what we studied, we need to sleep. It seems that the brain consolidates and organizes information during normal sleep (not naps, although they can help you regain your focus). So, this tells us that we should not study the same subject on two consecutive days. Study math on Monday and Wednesday for example, physics on Tuesday and Thursday, or whatever works for you. And yes, you can study more than one subject in a day, just leave a space between your study sessions.
Crackin’ the books.
Answer Questions Cold.
Most textbooks have questions for the student to answer to test their knowledge of the topic. Physics, for example, usually has a set of dreaded word problems describing a situation that the student needs to resolve mathematically.
If such questions are provided, answer them without first reading the lesson. It’s likely you’ll get many of them wrong, but now you know what you don’t know. This will change what you subconsciously look for as you read the primary material.
Next, read the lesson and look for the answers to the questions. Fill in the notes you just made by answering questions. Look for the correct answers one at a time. Use google as a last resort, not the first option. Do Not read the chapter then answer questions. But what if the text you must study has no questions?
Use the [[3R Method]] . 3R stands for Read, Recite, and Review. The 3R method works like this:
- Read: Read a portion of the text such as a paragraph, a section or a chapter. I recommend reading a smaller portion, between 1 and 3 paragraphs at a time.
- Recite: Write a summary of what you just read in your own words. If you’re quoting something from the text, use quotes so you know they’re not your words. If you prefer, you can recite your summary rather that write it. Writing the summaries will help you build a focused body of notes in your own words while reciting your summary out loud will help you train your ability to organize your thoughts for speaking. Choose according to your goals.
- Review: Read the portion again and make any corrections to the notes you took or your understanding of the material.
The 3R method may seem tedious at first, but with practice you will find that it is a better use of your time. You will learn more in a shorter period of time.
Review Your Notes
Study your notes. Now that you’ve created a strong body of notes, review them using the 3R method. This helps to further consolidate your understanding of the topic. Your notes should contain just the key ideas that you need to learn.
So, in reality, study is a filtering process. You start with a text that contains ideas you know well and new ideas. Your goal is to extract the new ideas and figure out how they relate to what you already know. You create links between ideas.
Conclusion
While study always requires work. But doing it systematically yields better results, better grades in the same amount of time. If all you have is two hours to study, make it count.
The traditional routines such as pqrst and sq3r are helpful, but include extra steps. They also reverse the learning process by having you preview the material which, like highlighting, gives the ‘illusion of mastery’. It is more effective to test first and build an overview of the material than it is to preview then ask questions.
So, try these two methods. Answer questions first then go find the answer. Or if questions are not provided, use the 3R method to build your own notes and questions.
References
Khan, Al. (2020, May 10). The One Thing You Need To Learn To Fight Information Overload. https://leananki.com/fight-information-overload/, Accessed 2022, Jan 21
Penn, Paul. How to study effectively. , https://psyche.co/guides/how-research-from-psychology-can-help-you-study-effectively, Accessed 2021, Jan 21
Kang, Edward. (2019, April 4). 5 Research-Backed Studying Techniques. https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-research-backed-studying-techniques, Accessed 2022, Jun 09
