Every time a student has to take a test or a quiz, the story ends up the same. They take out their laptops and star checking all their class notes. Even as they read all the lecture notes to the point the lines blur into each other, we all know that sooner than later they will forget all of it.
Peter Brown, at the University of Washington, spent 80 years investigating the different aspects of learning and the memory process. His aim was to scientifically measure the efficacy of studying techniques. His findings suggests the use diagrams and flashcards as a good strategy.
If you’re struggling to improve your grades, these tips will become your most successful weapon against every test and quiz.
Don’t read your notes over and over again
Repetition is not always the best idea. The more you do it, the less stays with you.
Reading your notes for the first time will help you absorb some information, but doing it a second time will set your brain in denial. If it were able to speak, it would tell you something like “I know this, move on!”
Questions, questions, and more questions!
After a reading, it is important to do a comprehension exercise. Science has proved that a self-assessment forces the brain to recover all the information it knows.
Connect prior knowledge to new knowledge
This a really simple tip, connecting prior knowledge with new knowledge is an ability that comes natural to us. For example, if you’re studying history, you can link the date of the beginning of the Second World War with the date Picasso painted the Guernica.
Turn the information into a doodle
Not everyone knows how to draw, but making a doodle or a visual representation of the information you’re reading will be helpful. Diagrams or mind maps are also good alternatives.
Flashcards
They are the perfect way to make your friends help you study. Write a simple question on one side of the card, and on the other side the answer. You can add images and color to make them more appealing.
Take a break
Even if you’re studying for the Bar Examination your brain needs to take a break.
If you study 12 hours straight, the information will fade faster than the time you spent learning it.
Go over the information on different days
When a teacher starts a new lesson every day, they’re promoting your memory loss. Keeping your flashcards close will put your brain to work. Seeing familiar information activates the memory process.
Don’t get stuck in one subject
If you stay in your comfort zone, you will never learn new things. Stepping out of it will make the process of learning easier, because the brain gets used to the idea of receiving new information.
We hope these tips will help you conquer the world.