How To Maximize Your Study Time: Find Your Learning Style

If you’re ready to learn how to maximize your study time, we recommend starting by learning the best way for you to take in and retain information. Here we will start by helping you find your learning style, and in part two of this series, we will learn techniques and tips that each learner can utilize. It is important to keep in mind that any student can be a mixture of any of the learning styles or just learn best with a single method. Keep an open mind with all styles of learning.

What are the Learning Styles?

1.Auditory Learning

We'll begin with auditory learning; this is for students who retain information by hearing it.

These students find that they do best with remembering and understanding information when it’s being read aloud to them. Auditory learners gravitate toward group discussions and tend to have a preference for verbal instructions. If you find yourself stuck on what to do and subconsciously reading aloud to better understand directions, you are an auditory learner.

When studying for exams and quizzes it’s best for you to use sources like YouTube and Podcasts or recording lectures for playback later. To ensure that you retain information, you will want to verbally explain a concept to yourself or someone else so that you can hear the information out loud. There are many video podcasts available on a wide range of topics that can assist you as you study for upcoming exams.

2. Visual Learning

Another major learning style is visual learning. These learners retain information by seeing it. Visual learners are those who create graphs and charts with their notes and love to use PowerPoint during presentations.

If you find yourself flipping through textbooks or looking for diagrams or charts that summarize the text, you are a visual learner. When studying you’ll want to create flash cards of charts or graphs. Try drawing pictures that help correlate information you read or hear during lectures and discussions.

3. Kinesthetic Learning

Some students learn best through reading and writing, which can also be considered part of Kinesthetic learning. These learners retain information by doing things with the material. Students who are kinesthetic learners are very hands on, and they need to know how things work. To maximize studying, students should read out note cards with bullet points of information and hand write their notes. They should also incorporate role playing into studying or presentations and read through notes repeatedly.

Final Thoughts on Learning Styles

No matter what type of learner you are or how many different ways you like to prepare for assignments and exams, remember that you can incorporate any or all of these tips into your study time. To get more information about study techniques and to get 24/7 support with any subject matter, sign up for UPchieve!