Enhance Your Learning Experience

In learning, it is important to know the smart strategies available.

But what is the science behind effective study strategies? The tips below come from scientific studies that examine the contrast between memorizing for short term and learning for the long haul.

  1. Quiz Yourself Daily

Studies have shown that the best way to remember the information you’ve read or studied is to test yourself. Why? It appears to be that the mere act of pulling information out of your brain and tucking it away again works like a sort of “body-building technique” for memories. Through a process called retrieval practice, it seems that information becomes sturdier and more implanted as we exercise it.

  1. Reduce Your Cell Phone Use

It should come as no surprise that spending too much time on the cell phone can impact your grades. But the relationship between phones and grades is not simple; it’s not just a matter of time spent wisely (or not).

In fact, science also indicates that students who take part in aerobic exercise benefit from better long term memory. It’s just a good policy to limit time on cell phones and increase physical activity. By reducing the anxiety in your life and getting in better physical shape, you’ll free up your brain to learn and retain.

  1. Stop Trying to Memorize

Mnemonic devices are handy when you need to memorize a list of items that you wish to recall in the next day or two. A recent study shows that memorization impairs your ability to recall details and that can be a problem if you’re taking a test with essay or multiple choice questions.

  1. Use Music and Actions

The more active you become when it comes to studying, the more you will be able to carry out the information to memory. If you’re studying foreign language (or any other subject that requires you to learn new vocabulary) it seems that singing is helpful. Singing new vocabulary and definitions taps in to your auditory learning skills and assists you recall more readily, according to one study. It’s certainly worth a try.

Another study shows that you can benefit by taking your class notes by hand instead of using a keyboard to type your notes. The act of writing words out by hand boosts the comprehension of concepts. In one study, students who took notes on a computer could recall facts as well as those who used hand-written notes, but they could not absorb concepts nearly as well as the pen-and-paper students.

  1. Use a Sleep Strategy

Common sense tells us that students require to get enough sleep to perform well in school. But there are some surprising findings when it comes to how and when we sleep, as it pertains to our ability to learn. It’s not about the amount of sleep you get, necessarily. The timing of your sleep patterns also matters.