Every individual has a different style of learning however adopting strategies that have a high success rate is the key to getting better grades in school. Studying need not be a boring ordeal. All you need to do is plan your study schedule well so as to allow some breathing space in between. Listed below are a few simple but highly effective study tips to make learning an enjoyable experience.
(At the end of this article there is a link to find out more)
Avoid long, boring sessions – Research indicates that repeated short bursts of concentration render better results as compared to one long study session. This kind of “distribute learning” approach is very effective, as it appeals to your brain. For the sake of protein synthesis, our brain requires recovery and recharging time and the frequent rest periods allow the brain to assimilate information. So, assuming you are planning to study for one hour, make it a point to break in between for a while to avoid fatigue and mental stress.
Pamper yourself with a holiday – The same logic applies here too and you therefore need to give yourself a holiday from studies to refresh your mind. And you don’t have to feel guilty about it, as one day of rest will keep your mind fresh and active for the entire next week.
Respect your emotions – While most people may disagree with this idea, the fact is that your brain is in no state to absorb information when you are experiencing feelings like anger, pain, or frustration. No matter how hard you try, you simply cannot force yourself to study when your mind is on other things.
Read and review – This may sound a bit cliché, but yes, that’s one of the most effective ways of studying. You need to read things over and over again and review your notes at the end of the day to cement the information you have newly acquired.
Create a study environment – The place you choose for studies, the lighting of the room, its temperature, and the privacy are all important factors that contribute to effective study sessions. Make sure that you feel comfortable in your study environment.
It is important that you conquer enemies like “frustration” and “fear” to navigate your student career efficiently. After all, one learns from his mistakes and every mistake made should pave the way for a new success story every time.
By: Rick Aurtus
Posts Tagged ‘Study Skills’
Great Study Skills For Every Exam
March 17th, 2010The Difference Between Study Skills, Study Techniques and Study Methods
March 13th, 2010
When one considers learning and study, one should always keep in mind that there are three aspects that are of importance:
STUDY SKILLS:
The ability of any learner to study successfully depends to a great extent on his fundamental study skills, i.e. his ability to concentrate, to perceive correctly and accurately, as well as the ability to remember what has been perceived.
Study skills should not be confused with study techniques and study methods. The difference between these can be explained by using the game of soccer as example. In order to be a soccer player, a person FIRST has to master the fundamental soccer skills, e.g. passing, heading, and dribbling the ball. Only after that can he be taught techniques and methods. In the same way, in order to be a good student, a learner FIRST has to master the fundamental study skills.
Mnemonics training is often done without keeping this sequential fashion of learning in mind. A mnemonic is a specific reconstruction of target content intended to tie new information more closely to the learner’s existing knowledge base and, therefore, facilitate retrieval. There are a variety of mnemonic techniques, including keywords, pegwords, acronyms, loci methods, spelling mnemonics, phonetic mnemonics, number-sound mnemonics, and Japanese “Yodai” methods. An example of an acronym is to remember the word HOMES to recall the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. The purpose of number-sound mnemonics is to recall strings of numbers, such as telephone numbers, addresses, locker combinations or historical dates. To use them, learners must first learn the number-sound relationships: 0=s; 1=t; 2=n; 3=m; 4=r; 5=l; 6=sh, ch, or soft g, 7=k, hard c, or hard g; 8=f or v; and 9=p. To remember the date 1439, for example, the learner uses the associated consonant sounds, t, r, m and p, and will insert vowels to create a meaningful word or words. In this case, the word “tramp” can be used.
There are, however, at least two problems in improving memory by means of mnemonic instruction. The first problem is — as already stated — that it overlooks the sequential fashion of learning. Mnemonics instruction is, to a large extent, instruction in memory techniques, which should be taught only AFTER the skill of memory has been learned. It can be compared to a person being taught soccer tactics, such as the “wall pass,” while he has not yet adequately mastered the skill of passing the ball. As stated in ‘Knowabout Soccer’, “No matter how good your passing technique, if the quality of your passing is poor, your technique will not be effective.” The second problem is that by teaching memory crutches only, the result is, as stated by Scruggs and Mastropieri, “on more complex applications, generalization attempts [are] less successful.” If the SKILL of memory is taught, however, the learner can apply it in any situation.
STUDY TECHNIQUES:
There are three learning techniques that can be employed to make study more successful.
1. Association: This is probably the most important and most effective of all the learning techniques, of which mnemonics is probably the most commonly used association technique.
2. Thinking in pictures: One is able to remember much better what has been seen in the mind’s eye than what has been thought in abstract terms. Therefore, one should always consciously try to think in terms of pictures.
3. Reduce frequency of brain waves: The brain usually vibrates at 20 cycles per second or higher. Dr. Georgi Lozanov was probably the first who discovered that, if the frequency of the brain waves is reduced, more effective study becomes possible. He found that playing slow Baroque music could reduce the frequency of brain waves. José Silva was probably the first who discovered a method to reduce the frequency of brain waves at will.
STUDY METHODS:
Most learners have the bad habit of only studying the day before a test or exam. There are two serious disadvantages attached to this method of study:
1. There is never any regular practice of study skills.
2. It has been found that within 24 hours — on an average — one forgets up to 80% of what one has learned. If, however, the study material is reviewed after 24 hours, it takes 7 days before 80% is forgotten again, and if another review is done at this point, then it takes 30 days to forget 80% again.
Research has shown that, if the correct pattern or review of studied material is followed, memory consolidation is enhanced significantly, and the overall time spent in learning is slashed dramatically. The following pattern of initial study and subsequent review will certainly deliver excellent results:
1. Set up a timetable that is divided in study periods of 30 minutes each. On the first day on which this new timetable will be implemented, take the first study period to learn some study material thoroughly. It must be brief enough so that it can be absorbed in only about 15 minutes. Once the full study program is in operation, as you will soon realize when you read further, one only has about 15 minutes in each study period of 30 minutes in which to study and absorb new material. The rest of the time is spent on reviewing previously learned material. The piece of work must be summarized and thoroughly studied in these 30 minutes. Take a rest of 5 minutes at the end of the study period.
2. Review after 5 minutes. Take 3 minutes of the next study period to review the study material of the previous study period, before new material is again summarized and thoroughly studied.
3. Review after 24 hours. Take 3 minutes to review the material that was studied the previous day. Then take 3 minutes to review the work that was studied 5 minutes ago, before again studying and summarizing new material.
4. Review after 7 days. Take 3 minutes to review the work that was reviewed 7 days ago, before reviewing the work that was studied the day before, and then reviewing the work that was studied 5 minutes ago.
5. Review after 30 days. Take 3 minutes to review the work that was already reviewed 30 days ago, before reviewing the work of 7 days ago, then that of 24 hours ago, and then that of 5 minutes ago.
6. Review after 120 days. Take 3 minutes to review the work that was studied 120 days ago, then the work that was studied 30 days ago, before reviewing the work of 7 days ago, then that of 24 hours ago, and then that of 5 minutes ago.
By: Susan Du Plessis
10 Tips on Basic Study Skills
February 16th, 2010
This will literally take 5 minutes. These 10 very simple tips about study skills will make all the difference in your life and, more importantly, in your kids’ school life.
Tip #1:
There is always Homework: What that means is that for each subject that your kids have that day, whether they have been given official homework or not, they must review their notes. This will mean that when a big test or an end of unit test comes, they will never have to study for it. It will also help them be ready for the next lesson with their notes fresh in their minds and ready to ask any question that might have come up.
Tip #2:
Keep your notes neat and clear: While your kids are applying Tip # 1, they can kill two birds with one stone and improve the quality of their notes, make sure that they have all the information they need and highlight or underline the important points. Notes full of crossed out words and messy ink patches need to be re-written altogether. In the long run, this will ensure, A: more success for final revision and B, more effective note taking habits.
Tip #3:
Keep your bag tidy: At least once a week, especially with middle schoolers, have your kids completely empty their bags and tidy them up. You will be amazed what they will find! A lot of the time, some “lost” notes or homework will show up just in time. For this reason, it is better to do this in the middle of the week, Wednesday night for instance. After a little while, your kids will also become naturally tidier.
Tip #4:
Use your time efficiently: If your kids get stuck on one particular piece of homework, leave it and move on to the next piece, otherwise frustration will rise and make matters worse. Go back to it after a while and things might be clearer or contact the teacher or a friend to find out more.
Tip #5:
Always look ahead: This applies to the use of the planner first and I’ll let you look at the pdf file on this topic on my site. But it also applies to doing a little bit extra, even when you seem to be finished with the homework for that day. If a test is coming up, don’t leave it to the last minute. Be ahead of yourself and start on it now!
Tip #6:
Do research wisely: If any research is involved in a project, just be careful how your kids use the Internet. It is the most fantastic resource, but it is also very distracting and kids get side-tracked very easily and waste a lot of time, being taken from one related topic to the other. So every now and then, just take them to the library to do their research. It will teach them a lot of useful skills too.
Tip #7:
Use technology: Now I’ve said what I had to say about caution with the use of the Internet but please, whenever you can, teach your kids to use a computer effectively to apply to their school work. Let them play with PowerPoint, Publisher, Front Page, etc. Let them learn to type properly and use Word correctly. Put some relevant audio-books on their I-pods and watch the discovery Channel or educational programs with them.
Tip #8:
Find YOUR way: Now, this is going to be trial and error at the beginning but for whatever subject and whatever type of homework, your kids will have to find what works for them. If results are not showing, there is something they are not doing right. Some kids may have to write all their notes over to remember facts, others might have to read them aloud, others will need to act them out or build something. Once the right way is there, it works every time.
Tip #9:
Have a schedule: Your kids need to learn to prioritize and achieve things that need to be done at an early age. Always plan things according to school work and extra curricular activities that are as important. Anything else comes AFTER. Make this very clear and stick to the rule and you’ll see your kids work way more efficiently.
Tip #10:
Communicate with the teachers: This applies to you and to your kids. Please if in any doubt on any subject, call the teacher or contact him/her whichever way. For your kids, always encourage them to go and ask if anything is unclear. It can be done after class or the next day, but it is important for them not to be put on the spot. It will also develop very important communication and self-confidence skills.
By: Florence Bernard
