Try out these effective study tips
Lake Stevens High School provides a vast number of education programs, and oftentimes they include rigorous tests and quizzes that students must be prepared for. It is a known fact that the best way to be ready for an exam is to study, but what strategies give the highest success rates on test day?
One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to studying is that re-reading notes is effective and makes information move from short-term memory to long-term memory. According to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reading notes from class is simply reading notes from class, it is not studying. Re-reading leads to quick forgetting.
“Reading over and over without a meaning… reading so that it gets stuck on my head, it probably wouldn’t work,” junior Daniel Garcia Baena said.
Instead of re-reading notes, one thing a student could do is retrieval practice. This is where students must set their notes aside and write everything from memory on a piece of paper, then come back to the notes and see what they missed. This may feel like a never-ending cycle, but after each trial the information will become easier and easier to remember until it is mastered.
Despite research that points to evidence about studying, all students learn differently. Contrary to the research, “constant repetition of the work and of the basic key concepts” helps senior Eleanor Hardy.
A form of retrieval practice is using notecards which is a well-known study tool among teachers and students. Sometimes, students make their own notecards or use Quizlet for an online version.
Despite this, Hardy said, “I don’t typically use flashcards. While that works for some kids, that doesn’t work for me.”
This points to further evidence that all students learn differently and what works for one person, may not work for another.
Another common tool is reading notes and stories aloud, which allows students to focus on parts of the reading and gain a deeper understanding.
According to Baena, when learning a subject like history, he prefers to study what happened, understand the information in a timeline, then repeat it over multiple times even if that means saying it outloud “like if I were talking with myself,” Baena said.
Utilizing specific strategies during studying is very important, but what are other factors that really make or break a session?
“No technology.. It’s awful… No phone, no technology,” Baena said.
Phones are one of the biggest distractions when it comes to student studying. Every notification, sound, ring, and message takes away focus from the task at hand and never allows the student to get into a deep thinking space where the best work is done.
Not all environments are fit for studying but different people prefer a variety of backgrounds. Silence is often the frontrunner.
“Oh, I need silence,” Baena said.
Others prefer some background noise or to be surrounded by others.
“Usually, a couple of people in the room, but relatively quiet and then occasionally I’ll listen to music and it’ll help me focus really well,” senior Hailee Norman said.
Procrastination – a huge problem that every student struggles with that really affects a great studying session. People approach and combat procrastination differently, but everyone struggles with it.
“I try my best, but I don’t know… I don’t have a good approach to it because I still procrastinate often,” Norman said.
Although it is difficult, all that can be done is to try and start work right away, instead of languishing on a phone or other device and letting time pass.
The next time a quiz or exam is around the corner, have some studying strategies ready to go and cut out all distractions. The most important part of studying is finding what works best and avoiding procrastination.
