While the past few months have been test-free and worry- free, as school is about to begin it is time to start getting back on track. Just like working ones body requires planning out a regimented workout routine, exercising the mind requires planning and organized scheduling. Having a study plan can benefit both the first year student adjusting to college life, and the old-timer starting her last semester. These few tips will help you optimize your study time.
1. No Texting or Facebook
In May 2015, during the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, Colter and Colin Norick, showed that multitasking can harm performance. The Noricks gave classmates questions to answer based on a reading passage while providing varying distractions. During the first trial, the students were given questions to answer without any background distraction. However, during the second trial, a computer-automated text message was sent to their cell phones every 90 seconds. Despite the second test being easier than the first test given, volunteers scored an average of nine percent lower. No one scored better in the second trial. This study shows how detrimental certain distractions can be. If you are studying, wait until later to answer that text! You will get much more done and will remember the material better if you are solely focused and concentrated on what you are reading.
2. Play Classical Music or Keep it Quiet
A Stanford professor was quoted in USA Today saying, “Music with lyrics is very likely to have a problematic effect when you’re writing or reading.” USA Today also quoted Professor Glenn Schellenberg, who published a study describing how loud and fast music can negatively effect reading comprehension. Schellenberg said, “The reason why it’s a mess is because you have cognitive limitations. If you’re doing two things at once you don’t focus as well.” He added, “On the other hand, we know that music changes how you feel, and often it can change how you feel in a positive way.” Researchers found that classical music can be helpful when studying. USC News recently published an article that described how students who listened to classical music along with a lecture versus students who only heard the lecture scored considerably higher on the quiz taken afterwards. Classical music was shown to make people feel more relaxed according to a Russian study in Human Physiology. Soft, and relaxing classical music is recommended if you feel the urge to study with some background noise.
3. Spaced Studying and Reviewing: Do Not Procrastinate!
Harvard Magazine published an article in 2009 called “Learning by Degrees,” which describes how cramming (which they call “binge and purge learning”) does not create sustainable retention. Spacing the learning, the article explained, increases the retention of the learning material. Spaced repetition means chunking information into discrete packages and then studying each chunk at a separate time. Accordingly, studying slowly over a long amount of time, learning one piece at a time, and reviewing, is preferable to “binge and purge” learning and studying right before the test. Reviewing material and going over ideas more than once is an
important step in this process, so take your time, schedule things out, and study a little bit at a time.
4. Take Breaks
Written on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s website it says, “Even as an MIT student, you can’t study all the time. In fact, we learn better by switching gears frequently.” A New York Times article published in 2010, titled “Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits,” described how instead of focusing intensely on a single subject in one sitting, studying different but related ideas can help improve one’s uptake of knowledge. Taking regular breaks can help as well. The MIT website urges students to plan regular breaks and scheduled meals. A quote from the site reads, “Take twenty to thirty minutes; never work through these scheduled breaks. Our minds need an occasional rest in order to stay alert and productive, and you can look forward to a reward as you study.” The site explains how one hour study blocks are effective, with fifty minutes of consistent study and ten minutes of break. According to the website, less time is needed for memorizing and more time is needed for paper writing and problem-solving. Overall, breaks are vital so please take the time to give your mind some room to breathe.
5. Verbalize the Material
According to a new study published by professors at Princeton and UCLA, taking hand-written notes helps students learn better than typing notes. Students who handwrote their notes were shown to have a better memory and conceptual understanding of the material. Re-writing notes or writing out a review sheet can also help because it helps you concentrate on the information. Verbalizing the information out loud also helps. In a study published by the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, researchers discovered that when people read a list, half out loud and half silently, the words read out loud were more easily remembered than the words read silently. Making certain information stand apart by speaking it out loud can help you remember it more effectively. Speaking, even whispering, specific points that you want to remember can improve your retention, so when test day comes the material will be at the tip of your tongue.
Take everything with a grain of salt; some tips work better for some people than for others. Also, keep in mind that it takes time to get used to a change in study habits. Figuring out what works for you is important- try out different methods until you find a study routine that is the best fit for you.