It may have been sometime since you\u2019ve been in an exam hall or handed in course work. You may be a bit out of practise on when, where and how to study effectively. One thing is for sure. Your thirst for knowledge and learning new things goes on.<\/p>\n
If you subscribe to New Scientist<\/em>then you may have come across an article titled Know it all: 10 secrets of successful learning.<\/a> If not then it\u2019s definitely worth a share. Here\u2019s a summary of their ten successful learning techniques for you to give a go – whether you\u2019re excited about starting a new course with us or want to try some new study tips:<\/p>\n Older adults tend to function better in the morning. They have what can be described as \u2018morning brains\u2019 according to a study at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto, Canada. People between 60 \u2013 82 years of age displayed better attention spans in the morning than in the afternoon. Younger adults control of attention was still very active into the afternoon. Everyone is different. You may be a \u2018night owl\u2019 and become more alert in the evening \u2013 the added benefit is that research shows sleeping after learning a new fact or skill, helps to retain it.<\/p>\n Testing yourself on what you\u2019ve studied is important. It’s not effective to quickly read your notes over and over again without it sinking in. You need to think actively about ideas if you’re going to remember them. What matters is trying to retrieve the information that you\u2019ve learnt and apply it. Ask yourself… what have I just learnt? Where could it be used?<\/p>\n Learning needn\u2019t be hard work. You can learn whilst your mind is on something else. This is called passive learning and it\u2019s most effective while you\u2019re doing something relatively undemanding. Listening to French tapes while you\u2019re washing up your dishes is much better than writing lengthy emails.<\/p>\n Everyone\u2019s mind wanders off topic from time to time. Having your focus split up is not necessarily a bad thing. Obliviously if your attention on study is consistently being interrupted by texting, checking Facebook or something else, then your learning will suffer. But, if you\u2019re going to have to practise what you\u2019ve learnt in a busy, noisy, fast moving place (where distractions happen) then distractions, while your learning could be good training.<\/p>\n Meeting up with other students face to face or in an online community can reap rewards. As the saying goes \u201cTwo minds are better than one\u201d if you feel you need to have a chat and to bounce ideas back and forth. Clarifying anything you\u2019re confused about with others can help with stumbling blocks. This can aid you to go forwards, refocusing your efforts to study solo.<\/p>\n Teenage gamers (and fully grown adults alike) will no doubt be happy with this suggestion. Gaming is apparently an ideal downtime activity if you\u2019re learning to play a new sport, instrument or anything that requires a constant, repeatable use of your senses and physical movements \u2013 using a gamepad or joystick helps to improve hand-eye co-ordination. The best ones to help develop your visual, cognitive and motor skills are fast paced action games which get harder through each level.<\/p>\n Taking a nice break after studying a long list or memorising some historical facts should help you to remember the information. It seems rest, like sleep can consolidate memories. When you\u2019ve just finished a hard mental marathon \u2013 go off and take a break. Perhaps play a video game, make a cup of tea or have a lie down. Then test your efforts by quizzing yourself.<\/p>\n You may remember something better if you think you may have to explain or teach it to someone else in the future. If you actually then do the teaching, then that\u2019s even better. Pretending that you need to pass on what you\u2019ve learnt helps organise your own thoughts. It also helps to identify gaps in your knowledge that you may need to fill.<\/p>\n Mixing up the length of time between revising can have an impact on your memory. You should aim to revise information about two to three days after learning it, to maximise the amount you can remember a week later. If you want to remember for a longer time, say a year, then it\u2019s good to continually refresh – revise a month later and then on a monthly basis. It\u2019s recommended to review something important at least once a year to remember it well, 10 years in the future.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve found it hard to sit still on occasion and lack of study has ended in less than desirable exam results, don\u2019t be hard on yourself…at least not for an extended period of time. Pick yourself up, forgive yourself for procrastinating<\/a> and move on. If you stay positive; break big projects into smaller tasks, then it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll perform better and procrastinate less than students who stay negative.<\/p>\n\n
Know what time to learn<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Quiz yourself to remember the answers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Learn without learning<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Use distractions to your benefit<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Partner up as a pair or in a group<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Turn on your console and play a video game<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Put your feet up<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Pretend that you\u2019re a teacher<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Try interval learning to get the best results<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Take action and just do it<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n