Mid-term season has arrived once again. It’s that time of the year again where we test our body’s limits on how much stress and caffeine can be endured in one sitting. The week before exams usually consists of pulling all-nighters, binge eating junk food, and taking our frustrations and stress out on our loved ones. No? Just me?
Well no matter how you deal with the pressures of school and exams, you may find yourself feeling discouraged. Not everybody learns in the same way, so it doesn’t make much sense that everyone is tested in the same way. Dr. Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard, also believed this – inspiring his theory of multiple intelligences. He came up with this theory to illustrate the many different ways in which a person is able to think. You can encompass more than one of these intelligences, but usually everyone has a strong suit. Check out the list below to see what yours is and use it to your advantage when studying!
1. Linguistic Intelligence: exceptional language users, capable of easily understanding others and expressing their minds. These individuals can find patterns within writing and are able to play with language to a greater effect.
Roles best suited for these individuals are writers, journalists, poets, orators, speakers, lawyers, or anything else involving the use of language and speaking.
Tips for studying:
- Read material before going to lectures
- Take notes of your readings and listening materials
- Describe what you learned to others, listen to what others have learned
- Use acronyms, puns, and puzzles as memory devices
- Organize information into stories to remember them better
2. Logical/ Mathematical Intelligence: people capable of understanding the underlying principles of some kind of causal system. They can often manipulate numbers, quantities, and operations. They are usually good at detecting patterns and finding relationships between a cause and effect toward a tangible outcome or result.
Roles can include analysts, bankers, engineers, statisticians, accountants, and researchers.
Tips for studying:
- Take down notes in outline form
- Create charts and organize information to aid memory
- Look for cause-and-effect relationships to understand information and theories
3. Musical Rhythmic Intelligence: people having an awareness and appreciation for sound. They can recognize tonal/ rhythmic patterns in music and often are able to create it themselves.
Roles can include DJs, composers, music producers, singers, and voice coaches.
Tips for studying:
- Make up sounds that can be attached to your study material for better recall
- Create songs and rhythms with the topics you are learning
- Use music to help you reduce stress
4. Bodily/ Kinesthetic Intelligence: people capable of using their body to solve a problem, make something, or put on a production. They have excellent physical agility, balance, eye and body coordination.
Roles best suited for these kinds of people are dancers, actors, geologists, nurses, and athletes.
Tips for studying:
- Seek ways to learn through hands-on experiences
- Act out the meanings of what you learn
- Connect body movements, gestures, and facial expressions with information
5. Spatial Intelligence: people capable of representing the spatial world in their mind. They are able to interpret/ create visual images by understanding relationships between image and meaning, and space and effect.
These people are suited for architects, graphic designers, photographers, sculptors, and other artists.
Tips for studying:
- Use images, shapes, designs, colours and other visuals to help you remember
- Use highlighters to mark important text and colour code your notes
- Draw diagrams, graphs, patterns to describe/ explain things to yourself
6. Naturalist Intelligence: has to do with observing, understanding, and organizing patterns in the natural environment. These people show an expertise in the recognition and classification of plants and animals.
Roles may include gardener, farmer, zookeeper, veterinarian, marine biologist, and animal trainer.
Tips for studying:
- Draw images of your environment when you take notes
- Relate learning to patterns in your environment
- Study in a nature setting or have plants in your study location to relieve stress and help you focus
7. Intrapersonal Intelligence: individuals have a strong sense of themselves and are drawn to people who have a good understanding of themselves as well. They tend to know what they can and can’t do, and know where to go if they need help. They are independent and intuitive often spending a lot of time thinking.
Roles include writer, psychologist, philosopher, and theologian.
Tips for studying:
- Be aware of the way you are thinking as you learn
- Notice your emotional state when you are in a learning situation and assess how it helps or hinders you
- Take concepts and relate them to your life and understand how they make you feel
8. Interpersonal Intelligence: These people are able to understand other people and can relate to others. They are mostly extraverted and love meeting new people.
Roles include teachers, clinicians, salespersons, or politicians, counselors, coach, sales representative, and anybody who deals with other people.
Tips for studying:
- Organize group studying sessions so you can feed off others’ knowledge
- Explain what you have learned to other people
- Be sensitive to the needs and wants of your professor – you will be better able to predict their expectations on essays and exams
Knowing your type of intelligence can help you develop strategies to compensate for your weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths. I think it’s important to understand that everyone’s mind works differently and your intelligence and abilities may not be the same as another person’s. When you keep that in mind, it’s much easier to recognize your own talents and appreciate other people for what they have to offer as well.
Image Sources:
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