6 Study Methods for Success

By Allie Caton on June 27, 2017

It might still be summer, but it’s never too early to get a jumpstart on organizing for the school year. With no papers or homework, now is the perfect time to start assembling an arsenal of study supplies and methods to use during the school year.

Here are six study methods for success that will help you prepare for classes in the fall.

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1. Get some exercise

It is widely accepted that exercising helps to boost brain health which, in turn, helps you to absorb information more effectively. Studies show that regular exercise can help to expand the hippocampus (the part of the brain that controls learning) making it easier to store and recall information.

Not only this, but it’s been shown that exercising after studying helps to cement information into our brains, making recall easier during the test. Exercising before studying also has positive effects as it wakes you up and gets your blood flowing and ready to go. So whether you hit the gym or take a walk around campus, getting your body moving can strengthen your brain as well as your body.

2. Don’t push it

As students, it’s sometimes hard to draw the line at what is too much. We are taught to push and push and push until we know every detail there is to get the grade. At a certain point, however, trying to learn every single bit of information becomes counterproductive. If you can get through all of your flashcards with no mistakes, you may feel the urge to keep going to see how far you can push your brain.

Don’t do this. Instead, enjoy the accomplishment of learning all of your flashcards, and reward yourself with some rest. By pushing your brain too hard, you are at risk for “overlearning” and losing some of the information that you have already memorized.

3. Experiment

Most people have heard about the different kinds of learning: visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and reading/writing. These can be extremely helpful in figuring out what kind of study methods suit you, as an individual, best. However, they can also be extremely limiting. Don’t limit yourself to one, or any, of these learning styles just because that is how you’ve always done it.

If you fit into one of these cookie cutter categories perfectly, that’s great! But many of us study best by using a combination of these categories, or even none at all. Experiment with your study methods to try and find what works best for you. One day try drawing out an infographic or map, the next day listen to music while you learn, and the next day try bouncing a ball as you recite information. You can never know the best methods for you if you don’t try different things!

4. Become your teacher

One of the best ways to learn information is to teach it to someone else. You can’t teach information if you don’t know it! This is where having a study buddy or a study group can really come in handy. Having others to teach information to helps not only them but also that information to stick in your brain as well.

If you can’t find a study group, just teach yourself! It might feel a bit funny at first, but teach yourself the information out loud. Saying words out loud rather than simply reading or writing can help you learn the information that much better.

5. Manage your mindset

How you approach studying can make all the difference in whether you will be effective or not. Before sitting down to study, get yourself into a positive mindset. Remind yourself of your skills and avoid self-deprecating thoughts. Don’t compare yourself to others — they have nothing to do with your grades or your studying.

If you aren’t able to get into a positive mindset before studying, it’s more helpful to put it off until later if possible. If you aren’t able to get the most out of your time studying, it’s more beneficial to set it to the side for awhile until you are able to get into a better headspace.

6. Load up on brain food

It might be tempting to ease the stress of studying by treating yourself to a pint of ice cream, but try to refrain from loading up on junk food. Fueling your body with nutritious food can impact your brain’s energy level. If your brain is properly fueled, it has the tools to retain information more effectively and produce it more readily.

Instead of pizza and potato chips, grab some nuts, yogurt, fish, or berries instead. These nutritious foods have a slow release of energy that can keep you alert for much longer than a Snickers-induced sugar high will. Same goes for exam day — instead of lucky charms for breakfast, grab some greek yogurt with granola instead. This will kickstart your brain into high gear and keep it in top shape throughout the day!

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