Effective Study Sessions – The First Thing You Should Do to Get the Most From Your Study Sessions

admin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:35:15 +0000

Are you getting the most form your study sessions? Do you know the one crucial first step to take every time you sit down to study? And if you do, are you using consistently and making part of your natural study routine?

There’s no magic or secret to this. I just want to make sure you are doing it, because if you are not, you are losing out! Your receptiveness to new information, revision of old knowledge and retention and understanding of the new material will be greatly enhanced if you do.

Each and every time you start on a new section or topic, check what the general subject is, take pen to paper, and as quickly as possible write notes on what you know already about the topic. This will often be what you learned in a previous chapter, or may be general information about the topic you have already.

Even if you think you know nothing about the subject your notes can be based around questions you may have about the topic. Try to generate anticipation and a hunger for the knowledge you are about to read.

Be aware that these notes should be brief; keywords will do. Always study with time and efficiency as one of your aims. Don’t waste time on elaborate notes. Your aim is to reawaken and prime your brain – not to make notes for presentation or future retention.

In fact, if you get good at this, you could even do it in your head, but since it takes a disciplined mind not to wander off track during this process, you are probably going to need to write it down.

Once you have finished, get on with your study of the chapter. You will find that you are less likely to be distracted and are more motivated to find answers to some questions or gaps in your knowledge. You will also find you can recall new information more easily due to the neural connections you can make between the old knowledge in your memory and the new. This information would be much more difficult to absorb if you tried to learn it ‘cold’.

Try this for a week – even if you have ‘heard it all before’. Make it part of your study routine and you will reap the rewards. Test it, and you will see how much it helps your learning.

By: Steve Bracken

Study Desk » Neural Connections

Effective Study Sessions – The First Thing You Should Do to Get the Most From Your Study Sessions