Study Tips & Tricks

Study Tips and Tricks: Changing Your Environment

by Antong H.

For all of you at OCV Secondary, all of your learning is done virtually. Every morning, you probably wake up at a similar time and follow the same routine, whether that means waking up two hours before class, or two minutes before class. Or, whether you eat breakfast, or just wait for lunch. You probably sit at the same table, in the same room, on the exact same computer or laptop. After a while, the days just fuse together. It seems like every day is just an exact replica of the previous one. Repetition often leads to boredom. As you can imagine, being bored every time you study is not a good thing. You want to be excited to study. Well, as excited as you can get as it is still studying. Constantly doing the same thing leads to a lack of productivity, creativity, and motivation. After a while, you may feel like you have entered a studying slump. Luckily for you, I have a simple, yet effective solution to pull you out of your rut!

What is the solution?

This issue's tip is to change your environment! Chances are, you have heard something along the lines of finding a peaceful, quiet, clean workspace and sticking to it. For many, this seems to be the common belief. However, research has shown that changing up your learning environment can lead to better recall, increased productivity, and more efficient learning. A clear example of this concept is an experiment done in 1978 that asked college students to study 40 different vocabulary words. One group of students had to study the set of words twice in the same room, while the other group studied the words one time in two different rooms. In the end, the survey concluded that the students who studied in two different rooms showed significantly more retention and learning than those who stayed in the same room.

Why does it work?

The importance of changing your environment is due to the effects the external world has on your entire memory system. When you are studying, your brain connects memory to the external environment that you are studying. Think of these little connections as memory cues or signals. You may not have noticed this. However, let’s say you memorized all of the facts about a large battle in World War 2 in your room. When you recall this information on a test, you may actually recall the environment and the way you felt when studying along with the information. Sometimes, your memory relies so heavily on the connection that it cannot effectively remember the information outside of the space that you studied it. For example, if you studied and had all the information locked inside your head in your room, but you proceed to blank on a test; this could be caused by your brain not being able to recall the information since the proper external cues were not present. Well, wouldn’t this be good for online school since we study and take tests in the same spot? Certainly, you will not suffer the effects of over-reliance on these environmental cues. However, you are still inhibiting your learning. When you switch your environment, your brain will make new cues, while saving the old cues. By doing so, the information gets refreshed and your memory never becomes complacent. Essentially, more cues leads to better memorization and better understanding. The more the merrier.

Where should I go?

When I say change your environment, by no means am I saying that every time you study, do it in a different space. Rather, you should try to switch up your study spaces every once in a while. Obviously, right now, it is impossible to study anywhere other than your house. Common study spaces such as coffee shops and libraries are closed due to COVID-19. However, to switch up your environment, you do not even have to leave your house. For example, you studied for your history test in your room on Monday and Tuesday. So, on Wednesday, you switch it up and study in the kitchen. Although the kitchen might only be a flight of stairs from your room, the change in environment is drastic. You do not even have to leave your room to change your environment! If you can, try standing up, or use a standing desk. You can even move your desk to a different wall, or try studying while sitting on the floor or on your bed. The possibilities are endless! You will also find that the environment you choose may depend entirely on the subject you are studying. If you need a quiet space to write an essay, your room is probably the best choice. However, if you are doing math practice problems that you find relatively straightforward, you may want to go somewhere a little busier. It is all up to you! Just remember to change it up!

Examples of study spaces:

The Library

Generally, quite quiet. There are spaces for individual silence as well as spaces for quiet collaboration.
There is a lot of space, meaning there are multiple environments within the single library as well as plenty of workspace to lay out materials, notes, etc.
Good for subjects that require a quiet place to think

Coffee Shop

Differing levels of ambient noise. You may gain comfort by seeing people and others living their lives in the background.
Good lighting, warmth, and even snacks and beverages
Can put on headphones and work quietly, or collaborate with others
Good for almost all subjects as well as group projects

How to create a good study space:

Pick a comfortable, peaceful place that you genuinely like
Remove all distractions
Gather and layout all required materials and resources
Decorate with some plants, posters, etc.
Leave! Make sure it’s somewhere that you don’t already spend too much time in

A note from Study Tips & Tricks columnist, Antong H.:

Whether you love it or you hate it, school is a large part of our lives. We all want to succeed, do well, and make the most out of our time. It does not matter if you believe that you are “dumb” or a “genius.” These study tips and tricks are here to help you reach your goals and maximize your potential. You can do it.

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