Throughout your time at university, there will be many midnight study sessions filled with snacks and going over past exams. But do you actually know the best way to retain all that information? Here are a couple of tips on how you can study properly.
Take notes in class
The first thing to help you to learn properly is to take notes in class. Yes, at some point you need to start going to class. You don’t have to write down everything the lecturer tells you. Rather focus on the important points and write those down. This way you can look back at them while you’re studying.
Make your own summary
Once you have your notes from the class you can start by making your own summary. It’s easier for you to remember things that you have written in your own words rather than trying to learn everything from the textbook. You can organise these notes by numbering them or making subpoints. Breaking down the information will make it easier for you to understand and remember it.
Highlight keywords
While you’re going through your study notes, make sure to have a highlighter with you. Only use the highlighter on important information and keywords instead of trying to highlight everything. You can also allocate colours to different sections. This way you’ll be able to remember what information goes in what section when it’s time to write.
Make associations
If highlighting keywords isn’t helping you as much as you’d hoped, then why not make associations. This is where you link the information that you’re studying with things that you already know. This could be by associating it with song lyrics, pictures, dance moves or anything that ties in with the information you are learning. It also makes it fun if you sing a little song every time you have to recall something.
After you’ve gone over your notes and made your associations you can quiz yourself with flashcards. This is where you put a question, idea or term on one side of the card and on the other side is the answer. Making your own cards isn’t difficult and you’ll be able to quiz yourself after every section you finish going through.
Studying isn’t always the easiest thing to get through, especially if you’re cramming just before a test or exam. But if you follow these simple study techniques you should be able to get through any subject just in time to write.