Study Skills

The following are research-based study strategies. The key idea behind all of these is to train your brain to retrieve information. The more connections your brain makes between the material and other things, the better!

1. Don't try to multi-task--checking e-mail, texting, watching videos, etc., all decrease the intensity of your studying. It's more efficient to study one hour intensely than for three hours in which your focus is split (Kang). I suggest putting your phone far, far away from you if you don't actually need it to study.

2. Test and quiz yourself! Research suggests pre-testing benefits your testing results (Kang). Quizzing yourself as you're studying makes your brain practice active retrieval (Kang).

3. So how do you quiz yourself? Make flashcards! Then, as you quiz yourself make three piles: cards that you knew right away; cards that you struggled to answer correctly; and cards that you didn't know. You will review the cards you didn't know first, then the cards you struggled to answer correctly next; finally make sure you review the things you knew right away (Kang).

4. Study for shorter intervals over longer periods of time. If you forget a bit and have to relearn things over the course of this extended studying, so much the better! Dr. Nate Cornell, a psychologist who studied study habits says, "Forgetting is the friend of learning." Every time you re-learn something, your brain learns how to pull up the information more and more efficiently (Carey)

5. Mix up different but related topics. For example, a younger child might study a mix of multiplication, division, subtraction, and addition facts instead of studying one at a time. This forces your brain to switch strategies (Kang).

6. If you're studying something that covers a lot of reading, pause and reflect when you reach the end of a paragraph, section, or chapter. Ask yourself how you would describe what you read to someone unfamiliar with the subject (Kang). (Maybe even talk to someone unfamiliar about the subject and is willing to let you ramble on a bit.)

7. Vary your study locations, and a little activity going on is a good thing. For example, a not-to-noisy coffee shop is probably better than a blank, empty room. You are giving your brain more chances to make connections with this varied settings (Carey).

8. Work on your attitude and mindset.

   1. If you don't know something, tack on the word "yet." As in, "I don't know about the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act, yet."

   2. If you procrastinate, don't beat yourself up: Forgive yourself. People who forgive themselves are more likely to do better the next time.

   3. Believe in yourself.

   4. All of the above may sound hokey, but there is research that backs up their efficacy (Carey). Try saying the words aloud: "I forgive myself for not studying my Bio notes." "I believe that I can learn what a derivative is."

9. Get plenty of rest (Carey). Easier said than done, of course, but your brain can't work as efficiently when you're tired. Also, 20-minute nap breaks can be helpful during a longer study session (Carey).