It’s common knowledge that college in general will involve tests of some kind. From tests on paper to tests of ability and skill, they all need preparation before hand. Just reading over your notes will not prepare you for these tests. A thorough study session involves more interaction than a skim over your notes. Take your time reading over notes and rewrite the most important terms on a separate paper. Doing so is a universally good first step and where to go from there differs from person to person. People are unique so each person has a unique way of learning that works for them.
There are 7 different types of learners: Visual, Aural, Physical, Logical, Verbal, Social, and Solitary. Visual learners learn by seeing pictures and images. Aural learners learn with sounds and music. Physical learners learn by using hands-on techniques. Logical learners learn by logic and reasoning. Verbal learners learn by words, be it speech or writing. Social learners learn in groups and, finally, Solitary learns learn with self-study. Simple studying techniques can be applied to each type of learning to help everyone, just in their own way.
Creating flashcards is a common technique people use to memorize terms. Using flashcards already appeals to some of the types of learners but they are also easily adjusted to the rest of the learner types. Visual learners will benefit from flashcards that have pictures but also just seeing the definition can be beneficial to them. Aural learners benefit from hearing the terms and definitions read out when using the flashcards. Verbal learners benefit from the words on the cards and the words being spoken. Social and Solitary learners benefit from either doing flashcards with others or alone, respectively. Physical learners can turn the flashcards into a game of memory or find another way to turn it into a hands on experience. Logical learners can find a pattern in the information and use the flashcards to be able to identify them.
That’s how to study efficiently, appeal to your type of learning. If you need to know which type you are you can take the quiz or use the definitions to determine which sounds most like you. When you find your type you can adjust or create studying techniques to work for your learning type. The internet is also a good place to start looking for techniques and study websites. Some study websites will appeal to a specific learning type, while others will try to help multiple types of learners. Sites, like Quizlet, have different options for studying to choose from. These options allow for different types of learners can all study on the website.
Another important part of studying is to avoid distraction and procrastination. When studying you should try to stay completely focused on the topic at hand, otherwise you’ll retain less of the information. If you’re studying with a group there should be a constant discussion of the information at hand, without getting off topic. Distractions can cause any information about the study topic to be forgotten and the study session will be useless. While studying alone there should also be avoidance of distractions online and around you. Try to study without your phone involved and, if studying online, stay on the study website only. You also should keep from procrastinating. At the very least you should start studying 3 days before the test. If you give your brain time to memorize the material then you’ll be able to remember it. Cramming the night before won’t help you remember all the information because you aren’t giving your brain enough time to thoroughly memorize the information. So, giving yourself time to memorize will allow for studying to work efficiently.