With a new year of studies ahead of you it may seem that the prospect revision and exams is a long way off, but you can start to make them much easier by changing how you study today. It is no fun spending desperate hours trying to cram information into your head before an exam, and is surely much better to already have the knowledge you need securely set in your mind. To do this you have to study smarter now, to make sure you absorb the information as you go along. Simply going to class and doing some reading is not, unfortunately the best way to do this – although they are necessary starting points!
Depending on what you are studying, there are a number of techniques you can use, but the real key lies in variety – that is, changing how you learn so as to engage different senses. While some might recommend that you set your studies to music, making a song out of key facts you need to remember, for example, there are simpler ways around this. And they won’t leave you humming your way through your exams!
If you can find different ways to study, which use different senses, then you will stand a better chance of memorising your studies. Rather than just reading a book about a subject, why not find a podcast or see if there is a TV programme you can watch about it too. This will help build and reinforce the information as you use your ears and eyes to build on what you have read.
To go further still, perhaps you can find a way to physically engage with your studies. It is the difference between reading how to bake a cake, and actually having a go yourself. Perhaps you could visit a museum or exhibition to help build on your studies?
If these things are not possible, you can also use some other tried and tested techniques to help you learn. Instead of just taking your notes and filing them away, try to find some time to re-write them into a clearer format as soon as you can after a lesson. This will not only allow you to revisit what you have learnt, but also make things easier when it comes to re-reading your notes at a later date.
If you have lots of facts or figures to remember, write them down on lists and post them up on the wall in your room. Be sure to look at them each day, and try to memorise them. This repeated learning will actually help create stronger connections in your brain to make sure the information is rooted firmly in place.
Another good way to learn smarter is simply to talk about your studies. Either discussing what you have learnt with your friends, or even trying to explain them to someone else will help you to cement your studies in place.
In short, the more ways you can find to vary your study style, the more likely you are to succeed in remembering the information sooner. Why wait to cram at the end of the year when you can start really learning right now?
