Studying is a tool that will stay beneficial for a long time, from school to college and adulthood. While it may seem tedious, it is critical to learn how to study well in order to succeed in academics and maintain focus in other tasks.
Before starting, a person should make sure their surroundings are optimal for studying. According to the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS), studying in an environment that works for someone is important because it can limit background noise that can distract them while studying, like the TV and phone notifications. Adequate lighting is crucial as well. Additionally, based on a National Institutes of Health (NIH) article, studying near indoor plants can reduce stress. Keeping healthy snacks and maintaining hydration is also an important part of a good study area. A person’s study space is only the beginning, however.
According to Harvard University, specifically when studying using materials like textbooks, the SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) method is efficient. In this method, one looks at headings, subheadings, review questions, etc, to get the idea of the topic. Next, they make questions about all these headings and other components to understand your main focuses. Then, they read. Afterwards, they try answering the questions, and focus on the topics of the questions hardest to answer. Then they review by going back to the questions from before and trying to answer them from memory.
The Pomodoro Technique is another famous study method that many people use. According to University of Pittsburgh, in the Pomodoro Technique, a person picks one main task, working for 25 minutes and taking a five minute break, then repeats it four more times before taking a thirty minute break, continuing the process until the work is done.
According to the University of Arizona, interleaving is a different study method where one mixes multiple subjects or topics to learn more efficiently. In contrast, blocked practice is where they study one topic in much detail, and then proceed to the other topic. Interleaving has been found to actually be more helpful than blocked practice in terms of problem solving and categorizing. However, also according to the University of Arizona, it’s essential to keep in mind that the interleaving study method shouldn’t mean that the student moves on to another topic just because the current one is difficult. This method is great for building time management skills, giving you a sense of accomplishment, helping you study more efficiently, and preventing burnouts.
There are simpler ways too. Practice questions are important because they practice the key to retaining knowledge, which is to apply it by testing how much the student knows, not just has memorized. Teaching and explaining the lesson to others is another helpful method, and results not only in helping others, but themselves as well. Both of these things are key components of active recall. According to The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), with active recall, the brain has to go searching memory during studying instead of just taking in information. Also, with active recall, the brain helps figure out the weaknesses, instead of focusing too much on what it already knows.
Sophomore Amna Rana says, “I always find teaching someone else the material very beneficial since it forces me to retain and solidify the knowledge, while also doing a good deed.” Sophomore Eshaal Abid remarks, “Well, when I want to retain information I do either two things. One, I’ll create my own notes that allow me to easily understand the topic then test myself on it, otherwise I learn the lesson properly before teaching it to others.” Sophomore Inayah Qureshi says, “I think one of the most underrated studying methods is to explain the information as if you are teaching it to someone. It helps my brain really process the information and be able to retain it. This is essentially why I created my YouTube and TikTok lecture channels, and I noticed it really helps me do well on exams.”
For different brains, different study methods work best. Every mountain of success is traced with a different pen, but within every pen, lies the golden ink.
