Ideas for More Effective Study
Gaining effective studies is critical, not only for high school, but particularly for those who intend to continue their education after high school. It’s also one of those areas of school that, in general, it’s up to us as students to figure out. This week we want to give you a variety of ideas regarding study methods. We encourage you to see if you can find something in this list that you’ve never tried before and see if it works for you next time you have a test coming up.
Use Flash Cards
This is a common one, but definitely effective. Even the act of making the flash cards is an opportunity to review and synthesize your notes, assisting in memorization. Due to the organization involved in this method of studying, it makes it easier to memorize as you are able to comprehend it better.
Read Out Loud
Saying things out loud, rather than just reading them, can help you focus better. Just make sure you’re aware of your environment as it may not be appropriate to do this, for example, in a library.
Form a Study Group
This one requires a lot of self-awareness. For those who don’t get too distracted, study groups enable you to teach each other aspects of the information that you may not fully understand. However, this may require some discipline so be aware of your own ability to focus with others around.
Teach What You’ve Learned
You can do this with a live person, an imaginary audience, or stuffed animals if you want to make it more interesting. Teaching what you’ve learned will help you recognize what parts you’re still struggling with and where to focus more of your attention.
Draw Diagrams
There are a variety of diagrams that could be used, depending on the subject being studied. Some examples include thought clouds, Venn diagrams, lists, and others. Particularly for those who are visual learners, this can be an effective tool to memorize.
Watch Something on the Topic
This can be anything from a documentary to Crash Course on YouTube. While this shouldn’t be your only study method, it can at least prompt your memory regarding what you’ve studied in class and can help you with comprehension.
Take Practice Tests
Take advantage of practice tests if they’re available. Answering these questions will help you know how the questions on the test will likely be worded and may give you an idea of where you need to focus your time.
Summarize Your Notes
This encourages more intentional learning. By summarizing your notes in a paragraph or more, depending on the amount of notes you have, you focus in on the things that are most important, narrowing your field of focus. You also can apply some of your prior knowledge to what you are learning, which will help with memorization.