Studying Techniques That Actually Work

Studying is an important habit for every student to learn. It can both improve academic performance and give students the learning tools they need to succeed later in life. However, as with most things, not all studying techniques are helpful. Here are three techniques that have been proven to actually improve learning, retention and academic performance:

1. Practice Testing. According to a 2013 study of various studying techniques, those that involved practice testing were shown to be the most highly effective. Keep in mind, “practice testing” doesn’t necessarily mean an elaborate set-up or a full-scale practice exam. Even quizzing yourself with flash cards or answering the questions at the end of the chapter force you to critically engage with the material, which ultimately aids in learning.
2. Distributed Practice. Unfortunately for some, that same study found that cramming for a test the night before isn’t nearly as effective as reviewing the same material, a little at a time, over the course of a few short sessions. This makes sense when you consider that the average attention span of a teenager or adult is, at best, 20 minutes. Rather than force yourself to learn the material all at once for hours on end, it’s better to break the task into smaller, easily digestible chunks.
3. Handwritten Notes. Though many students are more comfortable taking notes on their laptops, researchers have found that taking notes by hand seems to improve student learning. A 2014 study found that students who took notes longhand performed better when answering conceptual questions about the material than students who took notes on laptops. Because students write slower than they type, those who take notes longhand are forced to think critically and figure out the most important information as they’re taking notes. This extra mental step, researchers believe, is what gives handwritten note-takers an edge.