That first college test... I thought I did really good. I thought I studied hard. I thought I knew the material. But did I really? I didn't. That first college test hit me hard and was a huge wake-up call. The way I studied in High School was not going to cut it for this college test. One of the biggest challenges that I have faced since attending college was learning how to study properly and finding out what study techniques work well for my learning type. I tried multiple ways to study and had to bomb a few tests in the process. The first step to learning how to study is figuring out what kind of learner you are.
A breakdown of the learning styles
Visual: You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
Aural: You prefer using sound and music.
Verbal: You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.
Physical: You prefer using your body, hands, and sense of touch.
Logical: You prefer using logic, reasoning, and systems.
Social: You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.
Solitary: You prefer to work alone and use self-study.
Here is a link to a quiz to help find out what your learning style is! https://learning-styles-online.com/inventory/
After the first month of my first semester, I realized that I was studying all wrong. I was studying with groups when I needed peace and quiet in order to stay focused, I was reading the textbook when nothing was absorbing into my brain, and I was recording lectures and listening to them constantly but nothing was making sense. This is when I realized that I needed to change the way I was studying. I am a visual, logical, and solitary learner. Below I'll list what I use to study which has been successful for me so far!
1. QUIZLET
Repetition is key for visual learners. With quizlet, you can use the icon "learn" which will help you learn the course material while constantly seeing the material over and over again. When you get the exam, your brain will trigger a response when it sees a familiar word during the exam because of what it saw on the quizlet.
2. YouTube Videos
This is for my science majors who are going to be taking chemistry, biology, etc. You're going to be seeing so many images of organisms, proteins, cells, etc. Sometimes reading definitions out of your textbook won't help you remember when it comes to the test. Taking the time to watch a live video of a cellular process like cellular respiration will be so helpful in the long run. It will help you better understand why it occurs, where it occurs, and what happens in the process.
3. Dry, Erase, Repeat
My dry erase boards (yes, I have more than one) are seriously my favorite "Study Buddy". I use my dry erase boards all the time and for all subjects. My dry erase boards come in handy when I need to memorize steps in a cellular process for biology, definitions for government, and dates for history. I use different color markers to make it bright and colorful which makes studying fun. After writing the same definition or drawing the same image over and over again, it will eventually get stuck inside your brain to a point where you could teach it yourself.
4. Let me teach you!
This is something I tend to do a couple of days before an exam. I will ask my mom, my best friend, or my boyfriend to let me teach them everything that is going to be on the test. If you can explain the material to someone else, then you are golden and are going to rock that test. This is also a good method to use to figure out what material you're confident about and what you're not so confident about. Make sure you do this technique a week prior to the test, just so you have enough time to study the material you don't feel confident about.
5. Lonesome wolf
For my first month of college... the library was a social hour. All my friends would meet on the 3rd floor of the library to "study" but I did not study at all. I would talk, talk, and talk some more. This is when I learned group studying was not for me. I get distracted way too easily and can't stay focused. From that point forward, I refuse to study with anyone because I honestly will get nothing done. When I study alone, I get so much done in little time and then I can go hang out with my friends after.
I really hope this helped both college students and soon to be college students with how you should prepare yourself to learn how to study. It may take some experimenting to see what techniques work best for you and that's okay. It's better to bomb a few tests than a lot of tests.
Comments