Effective Study Methods: Maximizing Your Study Time
As students, we all know how tedious and hard it can be to study. Not only do we need to cram information into our brains, but we also need to remember and apply it. We all know the reality of studying using ineffective and boring studying methods; you're trying to read a textbook and the words don't seem to stick or process, or taking notes and having no clue what you're actually writing.
Study burnout is so real and difficult to combat so it’s important to pick the right studying method for you. There are tons of methods that you could use, yet most students aren’t aware of their options.
The first step to finding a good study method that works for you is to identify your learning style. There are 4 learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic. By knowing which one you are, we can further simplify that into finding an effective study method.
1. Visual learners
Visual learners learn from seeing and observing, this could be through charts, graphs, PowerPoint, whiteboards, and picture aids. If seeing diagrams and pictures helps you understand better then this is likely your learning style.
2. Auditory learners
Auditory learners are best taught by hearing, for example, discussions, lecture learning, and read-aloud. If it helps when instructors explain things to you and talk to you, your learning style is probably auditory.
3. Read/Write learners
Read/Write learners learn best from reading and writing like copying down notes over and over from a textbook or making study guides for themselves. If the only thing that helps you out in a pickle is opening a textbook and reading the information again, then you're most likely a read/write learner.
4. Kinesthetic learners
Kinesthetic learners are the least known type of learner, they absorb information the best when they can feel it, move with it, and learn something with something tangible. This could be through hands-on learning, labs, and experiments. If this sounds like something you would enjoy, you could be a kinesthetic learner.
How to Choose Your Study Method
Based on your learning style, we can find some studying methods that make studying fun and engaging instead of burning you out.
Tips to Make Studying Fun and More Productive
Even though there are many different ways to study, these tips can help make any type of studying more enjoyable and easier to achieve. A good study method becomes a great one once you have customized it to yourself and your needs. A lot of factors are considered in a good study method like how long one study session is, when it is, how you are absorbing the information, etc.
Reward Yourself!
It is important to remind yourself that you're doing well even if it’s only involving the small things. You got a practice question correct? Eat a piece of candy or go pet your dog. Successfully created a study guide without getting distracted once? Treat yourself to 10 minutes of phone time.
Study When You Want To
Study burnout doesn’t only come from studying in excess, it happens when we study when our brains aren’t ready for it. Everyone has different schedules and times of day where they would be the best at learning information.
Let's say I have 2 friends, Sam and Dan. Sam wakes up super early on Saturday morning at 6:30 AM after getting only 4 hours of sleep. Sam studies non-stop until 9:00. She doesn’t remember anything she studied. Dan knows that he can’t study when he is tired so he avoids doing that. Dan comes home from school at 2:30 PM. He could study as soon as he comes home but he doesn’t feel like it and wants to give his brain a break. Dan takes an hour nap and watches tik tok for an hour and a half. He starts studying at 5:30 PM until 9:30 PM with 5-minute breaks every 30 minutes. Not only does Dan end up studying more than Sam but he remembers and actually learned it. Be like Dan! :)
Keep it Comfy
Sit in a comfortable spot, but not somewhere where you could fall asleep! Keep it comfy but not too comfy where you will get distracted by it. Wear clothes that won’t irritate you and keep your focus on your learning. Sit in a position where you could comfortably stay for a few hours. If you start feeling stiff then get up and stretch momentarily and then resume work.
Eat and Stay Hydrated
Keep a glass of water or any drink of choice and a snack at your side to munch on while you work it will keep you energized and keep you hydrated.
Pace Yourself
Arguably the best way to prevent burnout is to make sure you set a good pace that won’t exhaust or tire you out too badly. Some popular ways people set a pace is by using the Pomodoro technique or simply working till they start to get too distracted, taking a reasonable length break, and then starting again. You can set a pace however you like but the point is to create a schedule that energizes rather than drains you.
Final Thoughts on Maximizing Your Study Time
We hope that this guideline for finding a studying method and the additional tips to elevate your experience help you out on your studying journey! If you ever have any questions or simply can’t grasp a topic no matter how much you study independently, UPchieve is a 24/7 platform designed to help students like you where you can sign up for a free tutoring session.