Finals are almost here. If you’re looking to get the most out of your study sessions, these are ten of our favorite techniques that help aid us in studying and likely will help you, too.

A very important pre-study consideration is the environment. If you don’t have a good environment, it will be very difficult to pay attention and stay focused. To have a good environment, some things you could do are go into a quiet part of the house, play calming music, make sure there are no possible distractions around you, and challenge yourself. 

We know that there are many ways to study, and the truly best study techniques are the ones that work for you. We will note what the technique is and its benefits so you will get a comprehensive understanding of it, and whether it will help you study.

1. Recall the content

Go over the content, one question at a time. After reading a question, close your eyes and try to remember the question, then the answer. If you get it wrong, redo, but if you get it right, then move to the next question. For the next question, try recalling questions one and two at the same time. Repeat.

2. Spaced Practice

Going over content over a longer period of time can aid people who struggle with remembering something that they have just learned. This technique starts by first learning something, then after one day revisiting it and relearning it. This is supposed to continue until you have learned it confidently.

3. Feynman Technique

This technique is perfect for students who are in a jam to learn something new very quickly and in simple terms. According to the University of St. Augustine, it is based on the idea that “If you want to understand something well, try to explain it simply.” Attempting to explain something in a more boiled-down way expresses your understanding of the subject and can also help others correct you if you are wrong because you are saying it in a more simple to understand way.

4. Blooket/Kahoot

Copy the content into a custom Blooket or Kahoot. Then play it. According to Growth Engineering, having fun by playing a game like Blooket or Kahoot to study increases productivity by 50% and retention by 9%.

5. Leitner System (Flashcards)

The Leitner System is heavily based on flashcards. This works by using flashcards and grouping them into varying categories (can be as many categories as necessary). We recommend two or three. In that example, one category can serve as the terms that you understand, and the other, the terms that you do not. If you have a third, it can serve as the category of the terms that you kind of understand. If you have more time, you can also do this in a spaced manner.

6. Color-Coding Documents

A big problem with using notes to study off of is that they tend to be super messy and hard to find information in. An easy way to organize your notes is to color-coordinate them. Your brain may find patterns within the colors, allowing you to easily recall that information during a test. It also helps you find information when studying easier. 

7. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a great way for visual learners to remember information. To start off, put any main ideas or keywords in bubbles and connect them to a central concept of the lesson on a sheet of paper. From there, branch out on these central ideas and write information that connects to it in some way that makes sense to you. Keep going until you can’t come up with any more concepts to connect.

8. Teach/Explain content to others

This technique is extremely effective in both helping yourself and your understanding of the technique while also potentially clarifying and helping someone else understand the topic. 

9. Chunking- Breaking down content

Chunking or breaking down content is proven to help one study more effectively. It can also help you be quick to change in the lesson. Chunking can also help create flashcards, which can be used in other techniques mentioned above, such as the Leitner System.

10. AI

While AI is greatly discouraged by a majority of teachers, it is also a great study tool. For math classes, if you have any questions on the content for the finals, then you can ask your AI tool and it won’t only tell you the answer, but it will also give a breakdown on how to solve it. Make sure you pay attention to the breakdown. You can then ask it to give you a practice problem, and once you solve it, tell it the answer, and it will tell you if you are right or wrong. You can also use prompts to have it give you hints, like math equations. Another great way to use AI is to give it all the questions that were given on a study guide and ask it to make you a quiz.

Hopefully you found a study method or methods that work for you included in this list, and if you have not, do not worry, as there are many others not included here. Until then, we wish you happy studying!

Sources:

https://www.usa.edu/blog/study-techniques/

https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/top-10-study-tips-to-study-like-a-harvard-student/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5673147/

https://www.growthengineering.co.uk/fun-in-learning/ 

https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/learning-teaching-others-extremely-effective

https://www.umass.edu/ctl/how-do-i-chunk-content-increase-learning