Best Study Methods
December 8, 2022
We are officially in exam season, and rapidly nearing the completion of the first semester. I'm sure you all lost a lot of study methods and strategies after nearly two years of virtual school, especially because in-person exams are more difficult to prepare for. I hope you discover an approach you like and stay with it, but for the most effective learning, it's best to combine all three.
Blurting
After reviewing and editing your information, the next step is to see how well you can remember it without referring to your notes. You need to record everything you can recall on a sheet of paper or a whiteboard, and you need to do this as soon as possible. When you've completed that step, you can then return to your notes and fill in any errors in the data or information you discover when you compare the new information to what you've written down. You may differentiate the material and information you already know or the information that comes easily from the information you need to focus on by adding the new information on your recalled information page in a different colour. This is a good technique that you can apply. The next step is to act again! You are going to start from scratch, which means you will take a fresh piece of paper or clean up your whiteboard before doing it again and engage in the process of retrieving and consciously recalling the knowledge. Your objective is to identify all the missing items you just added! If you keep using this strategy to study, you'll find it simpler and easier to retain the knowledge with time and practice.
Make a brain dump
Draw a circle in the middle of a piece of paper, place a core topic there (it can be a disease, a theory, or whatever course you're studying), and then draw lines all around it, dumping all the knowledge you have about it and connecting it to other topics. This is known as creating a mind map concept map, also known as a "brain dump." Yes, this is very similar to the first technique. However, this study hack may be helpful for visual learners as you can see how different topics are related, which may help you remember the information more quickly and aid in memorization. Alternatively, you can see which topics are opposites and are unrelated to your central subject, which may make it simpler. Consequently, you may visualize your mind map and the material when taking an exam and trying to remember specific details. It can help with the visual component and make it simpler to remember to use different coloured highlighters, markers, and fonts.
The Feynman Technique
The Feynman strategy, which is fairly similar to the blurting method in that you employ active recall to regain knowledge, is one of my favourite studying strategies. Consequently, knowledge is more readily absorbed and grasped using this manner. There are just four simple steps when employing this strategy. The first step is choosing a subject that interests you. You should first take out a piece of paper and list all you know about the subject as if you were training a little child or someone else. Many people divide content into several categories and parts and colours and fonts to aid in memory and keep track of their learning progress. Add more information to your document as you understand the topic better. You should go to step 2 when you've finished your research and perfected the topic.
One of my favourite study techniques is the Feynman approach, similar to the blurting method in that you use active recall to recover knowledge. As a result, the content is more understood and comprehended utilizing this methodology. When using this approach, there are only four easy steps. Picking a subject you wish to learn about is the first step. As if you were instructing a little kid or someone else, you should first take a piece of paper and list everything you know about the subject. Many people separate material into multiple categories and sections and use different colours and fonts to help them remember and monitor their learning progress. As you learn more about the subject, add it to your sheet. After finishing your research and perfecting the subject, proceed to step 2!
Reciting and teaching the subject to a child or an imagined student is the next phase. You'll try to explain the complicated subject to a youngster using the prior reference page to help you. Anyone may make a subject complex, but only someone who understands it can make it easy. You may find out where you struggle, where it doesn't make sense, where you get impatient, etc., by being forced to write down a concept from beginning to end in basic words. You can only replace knowledge gaps by educating someone else or trying to recall the information.
The third step would be to reflect, refine, and simplify the process of revising the information. When reading it out to a child and the explanation isn't simple enough or sounds confusing, you must reflect and refine it. The last step is refining and organizing, filling in any missing gaps and trying to memorize the contents.
Important Takeaway:
I hope you noted this while reading this article but the majority of the study tips include writing down information in order to retrieve and recall it later. The fact that writing down information improves memory and brain function is also supported by several studies. The University of Tokyo conducted a study in 2021 on fresh graduates and university students in Japan. The results suggested that writing on physical paper can enhance brain activity while recalling information an hour later. According to experts, writing by hand on genuine paper transmits unique, complex, tactile, and spatial information, which might aid memory. I advise you to incorporate and cooperate with this study into your routine rather than dismissing it.
In addition, although active learning is great, re-reading your notes, lectures, and reading the course material is also a great way to stay motivated or engaged! Good luck and I hope these techniques help!