How to Study in Six Simple Steps
Space (1)
How to Study: It is easier to study when you are in a comfortable space. Make room, mentally and physically, for studying. Take a deep breath and pause for a moment before you start. Remember the types of things that make you comfortable. Find a quiet and comfortable space where you can focus without distractions.
Place (2)
Personalize your workspace. Surround yourself with items that inspire and motivate you. This could include quotes, posters or images that help you remember things. Arrange your desk and study materials in a way that makes it easy to study. Use organizers, shelves and containers to keep everything tidy but accessible. Also remove all the things you don’t need on your desk. Lots of people just pile up stuff and move it to the side but this makes it difficult to study at times.
Pace (3)
Notice the way you like to work, and adjust your pace accordingly. If you work slowly just allow more time to study. A 10-minute break for 30 minutes study works for a lot of people. Also don’t forget to check how much you actually remembering after studying for about 30 minutes. It’s easy to study for hours but not remember what you have been studying.
Memory (4)
Our brains are wired to remember the first and last things best. So use this to your advantage by putting the most important bits of information there.
Method (5)
It’s always good to have a plan. However big or complex your task may look at first sight, with a feasible plan you can always find a way to manage it.
When studying, break your biggest goal into smaller chunks or tasks. It’s best if each of these chunks consists of a single topic. Often, you’ll discover one or two key elements that stand out and get fixed in your mind. You can then use those as building blocks.
Classic tricks used by memory professionals include ‘the house of memory’ where you place everything you want to remember in unique locations in the house. It’s also useful to use humor — play with your key-words and make them funny or outrageous. You’ll be surprised at how much easier they are to memorize.
Mind maps (6)
A mind map is rough diagram that you can make to visually outline information. You can create a mind map by starting with the primary word or phrase of a topic in the center, with related, lesser categories branching out from it. Subcategories of these are on smaller branches, still. Your categories can consist of anything you think is important; they can be important terms, ideas, or tasks to complete — whatever you need to help you study or organize the information.
Mind maps are easy to master if you don’t use them already, and you’ll discover they help you remember masses of information much more efficiently than conventional lists. If you’re not satisfied with your current note-taking skills, try building a mind map during your next class or lecture and see if you find it more helpful.
Using Mind Mapping Software
- Choose the Main Topic. Start by entering the main subject in the center of the mind map, for instance “Capitals of the world”.
- Brainstorm Other Topics. Create the main branches that connect to your topics such as “Sapporo”, “Bie”, “Hakodate” and “Asahikawa”. Do not worry about the order of topics so much.
- Branchout to Sub-Topics. Elaborate on topics by creating subtopics. Use short phrases for these or even single words.
- Rearrange Topics. If you need to rearrange topics in your mind map, most software allows you to drag-and-drop branches. This enables you to structure topics that you brainstormed.
- Add Images and Style the Mind Map. According to mind mapping theory, images and colors help improve memory retention. Use different colors and fonts. Also place images on branches.
- Add Notes and Research. Take notes and add them to add your topics. Also research files if your software allows you to do that.
Is Mind Mapping Effective?
A Johns Hopkins study indicated that students who used Mind Mapping techniques increased their grades by about 12%.
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Use-of-Premade-Mind-Maps-to-Enhance-Simulation-Boley/6ad578dabf16c89719e323ebe2ee951a7cdb91e0
