Ten Study Techniques

If there is a skill I am good at it’s studying it! I love to study for tests.

I love to showcase all the wonderful things that I have learned through my wonderful books.

I just completed a few tests this week to show what I know and I realized that I have some powerful study skills that others can benefit from.

Before we begin, let me tell you these techniques can be used by young and old. They are simple, yet powerful! Teach your students how to use these techniques in order to study for an exam.
I have acquired these Study Techniques over my educational journey.

High schoolers, college students, and graduate students can benefit from these the most. However, I do believe that if elementary students are taught these skills at a younger age and they actively apply it, they are more likely to create healthy study technique habits. Once it becomes a habit study techniques will be part of their daily routine and once they reach high school and college these skills will make students even more successful.

Good luck to you all!

Study Techniques

1. Be an Active Student: 

In truth, you are more likely to remember something if you write it down or if you say it aloud rather than just hearing it or reading it.
I was reading a book called: “Moonwalking with Einstein- The Art and Science of Remembering Everything” by Joshua Foer and the author described how you can create this palace in your mind and you should be dropping information as you walk along this palace. So I draw a familiar room on a piece of paper and I purposefully add notes in specific places in my room. As I try to recall later it is easier to walk through a familiar place in my mind and to locate that information.

2. Understand What You Study:

Memorizing is a great tool, but in the long run it is wasted time. Invest time though in understanding new concepts and being able to explain that concept back to someone else. Truly demonstrating mastery of the subject. It will be much better in the long run!

3. Make connections:

 Connecting information is a very important skill. It is thought to kids at school from a very young age. Therefore, when learning new information connect the new information to old information. When learning new information compare this new information with something that you already know and understand. It will help you understand and retain the new information.

4. Create examples:

Learning new information can be overwhelming but if you name it, give examples you are more likely to remember. For example, if you are learning about the color green, give examples such as lettuce is green, tree leaves are green, the grass is green. That was easy can you create an example of the water cycle? Use a body of water near you and imagine a drop of water going through the water cycle near your home, through that example you are more likely to remember that information.

5. Visualize:

Use a mental picture to remember facts. In technique 4 I said to create an example. In technique 5 visualize that example. Create a mental picture. Remember Technique 1 to be an active student? Now, create a mental image, a movie in your head. Create timelines in your mind, sequence events in your mind. Then recall those imagines when it is time to show what you know.

6. Group information:

There are many ways to group information, if studying for a spelling test, group words alphabetically, group words by categories. When I write my shopping list I visualize the supermarket (I am a creature of habit and I try to use the same supermarket every time). I walk through the isles and I group the meats, the veggies, the fruits, the bread, the snacks, the frozen items, and so on. By grouping information, you are more likely to remember items in a list.

7. Number things out:

If you have to remember lists, well number  the items. Remember how many items, words, sentences are there. If you know you have to remember that there are 6 steps to the scientific method you have a better chance of recalling them than if you don’t.

8. Remember keywords:

There will be times that you won’t be able to recall everything so remembering keywords can be essential in remembering the rest of the information. When I was in college and I had to study for my long Biology exams, I would remember one keyword for each key topic, which helped me remember important information.

9. Remember Important information only:

 Dump information that is irrelevant, you won’t be able to remember every date for a history exam, therefore if you have to remember 10 dates with the day, month, year. Be selective, remember the year and the month. By being specific and selective you are more likely to remember the exact date by default.

10. Use your time wisely:

 I have crammed for exams but the truth is if you study a little bit every day (spiraling the material) you are more likely to be prepared for the exam. Therefore, do not procrastinate. Be active. Study a little bit every day and continue to review material on a daily basis. You are more likely to remember.

It is my hope that these study skills help you become a more focused and better test taker! Allowing you to really show what you know.

Much success to you.

Raquel

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Much love,

Raquel