Sure, you can probably type faster than you can write, but taking the time to write out everything by hand can actually retain the information more effectively.
A consistent study routine can help you learn more quickly and effectively.
Cramming or super long study sessions (something like 2-4 hours) may help you remember information in the short-term, but you won’t actually retain as much of it. One way to use distributed practice is to review your notes immediately after a class while it’s still fresh in your mind. You can then study for 30 minutes to an hour each day after to improve your recall.
For instance, instead of thinking about all of the things you’re missing out on while you study, try thinking about all of the things learning a new skill or getting a good grade in a class can allow you to do.
For instance, if you’re studying the rules of grammar and you want to remember what a gerund is, you can say something like, “Gerund. Gerund. Ends in ‘I-N-G. ’” Try repeating the word or phrase multiple times to really drive it home.
For instance, if you’re learning about the different parts of a cell, you could picture the nucleus as an office. The membrane could be like a castle wall and the mitochondria could be little factories in your mind. Find creative ways to help the information stick! Graphs and pie charts can be a super effective way to study large amounts of data.
Mnemonics help you simply and summarize things, so it’s really useful for a large amount of information. For instance, if you’re trying to remember the first 5 US presidents, you could come up with a mnemonic like “White Apples Just Mean Mice” or something like that to represent the first letters of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe.
The more you test yourself, the more confident you’ll be that you know the information.
For instance, if you’re giving a presentation on a specific topic, try rehearsing it normally, then try rehearsing it faster than you normally would. After that, you could try rehearsing it more slowly than usual. You can also try breaking it up into smaller chunks and going through each bit multiple times. Find different ways you can practice!
For instance, if you’re learning about the geography of Africa, you could ask yourself questions like, “Do I know where Libya is?” or “Could I show someone where Ethiopia is on the map?” Metacognition can also help you avoid wasting time on things you already know.
The calmer your mind, the more you can focus and the better you’ll be able to retain information.
Try out a group fitness class, go for a run or bike ride, or lift some weights. Do whatever you feel comfortable doing—just get active! Fun fact: exercise actually increases a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps improve the health of your brain cells. Neat!
Take care of your body and it’ll take care of your mind.
