At some point in everyone's life we need to study for either school, to further our education at a tertiary education or for work. The problem with study is that it can be daunting to a lot of people as they are not sure what practical techniques work.
Here are 10 study tips to help you succeed:
1 - Get organised - Being organised to study will help keep you focused and on track without wasting time looking for materials such as text books or even a pencil sharpener.
2- Stay focused on the job - Often before you try to start studying you have a million things going through your mind. These "things" will be a major distraction while you are trying to study. A great little trick to get these things off your mind is to write them down in a note book to clear your mind. Now when you finish studying you know exactly what you were thinking about so you can pick up where you left off when you wrote them down.
3 - Find your Space - The most important step in being successful in studying is finding "your space". Everyone is different and we all learn at our best in different environments, the secret is to find that space quickly. Some points you may wish to consider for your study space may include:
- Do you study better in silence or with background music?
- Do you study better in a group or by yourself?
- Is studying at home, school, Uni, Tafe or in a library the best location to offer minimal distractions?
4 - Motivation - The majority of us really don't like to study. A good way to get motivated to study is to think of the outcome and what it will mean to the outcome if you do well in your study. Keeping the long term results in mind will help keep you motivated to study instead of going out and partying with your friends.
5 - Timetable your study - Create a timetable for your study. This will give your time structure and help you reduce and illuminate wasting time.
6 - Know how you absorb information - Everyone learns differently, the secret is to know how you absorb the most information quickly and easily. Some forms of learning include:
- Audio - using audio to listen and learn. If this works for you a good technique is to write down the important notes from your study material and then record your notes so you can listen to them via your MP3 player.
- Visual - Visual learners use pictures, colours and diagrams to learn. Try using different colour highlighters when highlighting important aspects of your notes. Other techniques include relating images to notes or remembering notes by placing them into diagrams.
- Kinesthetic - Learning by kinaesthetic is learning by doing. Role playing or building models to remember key points are great ways for kinaesthetic learning.
7 - Take notes - When you are studying take detailed along the way on important points. This will save time later and help you get a better idea of the concept. Adding real life examples to you notes will also help you apply what you are trying to
8 - Your own study material - Creating your own study materials such as flash cards and exam questions is a great way to learn. This technique actually allows you to learn the material twice, once when you create the materials and secondly when you use them for study.
9 - Testing - Getting a friend or family member to test you on key points will give you an understanding of your knowledge on a topic. This will allow you to pinpoint areas that you need to further study and areas that you have a good grasp on.
10 - Need a break? Take one! Take a break - You will learn better when you are feeling rested and refreshed so it is advisable to take a break from time to time. Sometimes it will only need to be an hour to get some fresh air, other times it may be a few days. Take the off to revitalise your mind and body and refocus.
Remember these are general tips, the best thing you can do is to find your own study strategies that will work for you and you will find that your study time will produce better results.
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Plants are shaped by cultivation and men by education. .. We are born weak, we need strength; we are born totally unprovided, we need aid; we are born stupid, we need judgment. Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given us by education.
(Jean Jacques Rousseau, Emile, On Philosophy of Education)
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