Study methods

by Kirsten Deane

​Let us be honest, studying is a tiring and boring thing that nobody really wants to do. The trick to convincing yourself that you enjoy it, is finding the study-method that works for you. There are many ways to study and you can chop and change depending on the work you are studying at that moment. You need to understand the different methods to implement them, of course.
 

​I will start with something called ‘Elaborative interrogation’. This is basically a fancy way of saying ‘give yourself a reason why what you’re studying is true’. This is an effective way to study because the human brain tends to hold onto information that it believes to be true. This method entails understanding and confidence in what you are learning. 

Summarization is a common study method and one which personally, works best for me. Summarization can be done using mind-maps, key-cards or just simply writing down the most important points of the work that you’re studying. By summarizing, you are jotting down the points in your work that stand as an umbrella for everything else. Once you understand and know the main point, everything else follows. ​

I find highlighting and underlining to be a fun and creative studying method. It takes me back to arts and crafts in primary school and who wouldn’t want that? This method entails highlighting what you believe to be important as you read through the material that you are studying. Highlighting and underlining is extremely effective because your mind is instantly drawn to what is highlighted, making it a priority to learn.

If you have a creative mind the best studying method for you would most likely be using imagery for text. What I mean by this is associating certain mental images to the content that you are studying. This would help you remember the work as you see certain questions, you picture certain images and BOOM! The answer comes to you.

Rereading can be a good way to study but it honestly takes a certain type of person to study in this way. It is basically reading over your work time and time again until it just sticks. This method takes patience, but it is the most effective if you want to remember your work the exact way that it is on the page.
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The last method that I will be exploring is quite common, especially in high school. Practice testing means asking yourself questions about the work with the aim of having the correct answer in mind. You can either test yourself or ask somebody else to do it for you. It can be done through physical questions being written down or verbally asked questions.
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Remember, you need to find the study method that works for you so do not be afraid of the trial and error process. ​