Study Tips
Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Make your study time count

These are well-researched tips, from reputable sources, and may put a slightly different spin on what you have heard before about successful studying.

1. Don’t cram……the information doesn’t stick. Sleep deprivation negatively affects memory. Slowly and gradually is the best way to learn.

2. Studying for 10 minutes every night before bed has been shown to work well. Sleeping on it really works!

3. Be organized ….study in timed intervals with scheduled breaks. There is an app for that! Check out Pomodoro, or just use the kitchen alarm.

4. Breaks should include walks or physical activity, and nutritious snacks.

5. Writing information down still seems to be one of the best ways to study. Write down the main ideas from notes or a book passage and make a study cheat sheet to re-read over and over again.

6. Music in the background specifically Baroque at 50-80 beats per minute helps with focus and concentration. There are websites with free downloads--just Google “Baroque music for studying.”

7. Practice tests are very important. If you don’t have access to practice tests, as you study, make test questions for later. When you test yourself you are using the information in a practical way, and it helps your mind hold onto the information.

8. Much like the above tip, explain concepts out loud, as if someone was there. Once again, you are using the information in a different way which helps it stay in your memory.