Having the appropriate study techniques for yourself determines your performance in school. As a teacher, I have seen students’ academic abilities differ greatly because of their study techniques. There are many study techniques, but it’s important to choose the one that suits you.
What are the different study techniques? There are many study techniques, which you can practice, but it’s important to choose the ones that best suits you. These techniques can become your habits or powerful time-saving tools that aid in your schooling. You should make these techniques as part of your everyday routine to ensure good academic performance.
In this article, I’ll be sharing with you 12 effective study techniques that will help you perform well in school.
12 Techniques That Will Help You In Your Studies
Studying can be a tough journey. Having the right attitude to achieve your goals though important is not sufficient. In my experience as a teacher, students with the right attitude in learning need to work with effective study techniques to see progress in their learning.
These are 12 effective study techniques to practice:
- Note Taking
- Physical Study Set-up
- Timetable
- Self-assessment
- Reflection
- Study Interval
- Online Review
- Teacher in You
- Using Graphics
- Group Study
- Repetition for Retention
- Track your Learning Progress
1) Note Taking
A classic yet effective strategy in making you remember all the discussions in school. You can make use of various gadgets and different applications in storing your notes.
Despite all the advancement in technology, writing it down with your hands is better for retention, because handwriting your notes makes you use more of your senses.
2) Physical Study Set-up
Set-up your study space ideally. This helps get you into the right mindset when you are studying.
Choose a good ambience and a familiar place each time, as this will condition your mind that it’s time to work.
Ensuring your study space is organized prepares it for conducive learning. In contrast, a poorly organized environment will slow you down, you might not be able to accomplish what you are supposed to do within that particular time.
3) Timetable
Practice having a timetable for your school work. This means scheduling your review, homework, performance task, and other school-related activities.
Plan your activities for enough quality time to study, and time to relax and sleep. Further advance planning would include prioritizing subjects. For example, you will want to give more time to difficult subjects and those that take lots of practice like Math.
4) Self-assessment
After school, you should always assess what you have been taught. This means taking some time to check what you’ve learned by writing journals, taking online quizzes related to the topic discussed in school, answering self-made quizzes, and other creative ways so that you’ll know that you understand the lesson in all your subjects.
You may also involve your parents or older siblings to make random tests on the subject. This tests the thoroughness of your understanding.
5) Reflection
Reading and writing skills are important in attaining academic success. To exercise these skills, you can do reflections. Put into writing what you have read or reviewed.
Through this reflective exercise, you can gauge if you understand what’s written on your notebooks or reference books. This strategy is another way to express your creative thoughts about the subject.
As you make your reflections, attempt to write it as simply as possible. Making something simple, such that your juniors can understand easily, is a sign of deep understanding.
6) Study Interval
Do not stress yourself to study for a long period of time, or to do it every hour. This is not effective. Have interval in your study time, so that there’s time to think over what was studied, which helps to increase retention.
The best study interval focuses on one subject material for each study time. Doing so prevents concepts in another subject from getting mixed up.
Having study intervals allows time to refresh your mind and your physical body so that the next study time will also become a fruitful one.
7) Teacher In You
Role-playing as the teacher is an effective way to test your own knowledge. Being able to teach others the subject you learned shows your mastery of the subject.
You can do this with your classmates. Get into a group of about 4 people and take turns to teach each other about the subject. Provide critique on each other teaching of the subject. This way, each person in the group will get to learn about the subject from different perspectives, as well.
8) Online Review
Look for resources online that discuss the subject learned in school. This way, you get to hear the information explained in a different manner.
9) Using Graphics
If you are a visual learner, you can make use of graphic organizers, such as diagrams, charts, tables, and flowcharts in your note-taking or when you review. These graphics serve as a test of your understanding, as you illustrate it in another format. The use of graphics will enhance your creativity and your ability to conceptualize.
This strategy is highly recommended for subjects with connected concepts like the sciences.
10) Group Study
Having a study group will help you, because they can clarify your doubts and foster more immersive learning through discussion.
An added benefit of having a group study is when you missed some information, your groupmates can be of help.
More importantly, a study group is an opportunity to explain the concepts in your own words to others. Being able to explain effectively demonstrates a good level of understanding and retention.
11) Repetition for Retention
Do not just review when it’s time to take major examinations but rather, you have to review during your scheduled time. You need to revisit your notes, so the things you learned can be refreshed.
Repetition helps you to sustain your momentum in your studies. This way, you won’t need to cram right before examination days.
12) Track your Learning Progress
Coming up with your own progress tracker, even if it’s not required by the teacher is a good habit. Use this to track your performance.
A progress tracker makes it obvious for you to take the necessary actions to improve your assessment results. As you compile your learning progress, you can see how much effort you need to exert to be able to meet the standards.
Conclusion
The techniques discussed above will make you a responsible learner, and a disciplined person too. There’s no single effective technique to achieve academic success, rather, you must do numerous actions that lead to better studying. Being serious in your school work is a great start for all students.
Related Questions
What are the reasons for children’s lack of interest in studies? There are numerous reasons why children lack interest in studying. This might be because the subject is too difficult, a learning difficulty, destructive environment, fear of assessments, and boredom. It can be caused by a bad experience with school personnel or bullying incidents in the classroom. Parents must be aware of these reasons to be able to help your child early.
How to improve your interest in studies? If you notice that your enthusiasm to study wane, you should identify the stresses that might cause it. From there, you must do the necessary actions to remediate the situation. Avoid comparing yourself with your peers. Ensure you have enough energy before studying.
