In this era of social media and digital distractions, the importance of using time effectively gains more significance.
Consider a formula “Work accomplished = Intensity of focus x Time spent”.
Too often people imagine that long hours of studying is the best path to being a model,
straight- student.
Researchers have found that the following techniques increase sustainable learning and retention when incorporated in students’ daily study habits.
CREATE A ROUTINE:
Make list of what tasks need to be completed for a day, for a week. Due dates should be written on a calendar. This will help you to stay organized.
SPACED PRACTICE:
Spacing out study sessions – focusing on a topic for a short period on different days- has shown retention and recall more than compact practice. Study multiple subjects each day instead of focusing on a single one. This improves productivity and improves focus.
SELF - QUIZZING:
Students making test questions for themselves will help them to think about the concept and the types of questions that might be asked on the topic. Hence, don’t just read passively your textbook or notebooks. Study smart by quizzing yourself on the key concepts and equations.
PRE- TEST:
When students practice answering questions, even incorrectly, before learning the content, their future learning is enhanced. So, practice more questions and set tests.
LEARN BY CHUNKING:
The theory of Chunking says that people tend to remember things better when they learn related ideas in smaller chunks, rather than simply trying to cram all the details of topics into their head at once. Simplify, summarize and compress the information. Also connecting what you are learning with something you already know will help you to learn the new thing faster.
REVIEW PERIODICALLY:
The more number of times one turns an information over in their mind, the longer they will remember it. Every information is not important; hence the brain decides what to hold and what to forget. On way the brain decides to prioritize, is by paying more attention to the information that has processed multiple times.
EXERCISE BEFORE YOU STUDY:
Exercise can lead to neurogenesis (new brain cells creation). Also Hippocampus, which is a part of limbic system, is stimulated during exercise, which is important for reasoning and memory.
DRINK ENOUGH WATER:
Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Dehydration may affect the grey matter in your brain to shrink. So, drink water before you feel thirsty.
SLEEP ENOUGH:
Have a good sleep of 7 to 8 hours during night. If you get enough sleep you will be more focused, you will learn faster, your memory will be improved and you can deal with stress effectively.
This way, your study sessions will be more productive.
SELF REWARDS:
Reward yourself at the end of each session. This will promote memory formation and increase your confidence. First focus on the progress, then the outcome will automatically change.
Not all of these study hacks will work for everyone. But it’s worth trying these to see if they can make a small advantage. This may help you to effectively and efficiently learn things. Experiment with these and find the one that works out for you.
AMITHA P SUNIL MATHS & SCIENCE FACULTY
CO COORDINATOR
SCIENCE EDUCATION CENTRE
