No college student craves to sit in the library for hours at a time just looking at their notes. Instead of hitting the books and hoping you’ll remember everything you studied, try these tips to improve your memory while spending less time in the library.
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1.Study while sleepy
No matter how odd it may sound, you brain reinforces new memories during sleep. By studying right before bed, the chances of you remembering the information you just read dramatically increases.
2. Manage your environment
Try changing your study space to mimic the area you’ll be tested in. If your classroom is typically cold, then study in front of a fan. If it is hot, then put on a sweatshirt or blanket while studying. This phenomenon, called context dependent learning or state dependent learning, is a great way to trick your mind into making memory recall easier when it comes time to take a test!
3. Exercise
Research shows that any form of aerobic exercise can help improve your brain’s information processing speed and memory. That being said, you don’t need to go to the gym to get the job done. Just going for a 20 minute walk before a test can help you recall your study materials and better comprehend the test questions.
4. Review every 20 minutes
Your brain’s ability to remember information decreases over time. This is called the forgetting curve and the best way to combat it is to regularly repeat information that you want to remember. Taking a break from learning new information and quizzing yourself every 15-20 minutes is a great way to make sure you’ll remember the material.
5. Use Times New Roman if you type your notes
It may sound strange but there’s a reason why a lot of professors ask you to type your papers in this font. Times New Roman is actually the fastest font to read. This way you can speed read through your notes like a pro when you are on a time crunch!
6. Don’t cater to your favorite learning style
Although most of the population believes that people can fall into learning categories like auditory, visual or kinesthetic, this isn’t exactly true. The idea that a person can learn more effectively through one learning style in particular has actually been debunked. People do show a preference for certain styles of learning, but heavily relying on them has shown to be relatively ineffective in terms of information processing and recall.
7. Take a cold shower
When you have no desire to be productive or come to a place in your studying that feels monotonous and boring, try taking a cold shower. Studies show that just taking a cold shower can increase positive thinking, productivity, engagement and ultimately better performance.
8. Don’t reach for the highlighter
Despite popular belief, underlining and highlighting have been found to be largely ineffective. It may actually harm your comprehension of the material by emphasizing individual facts and not allowing your brain to make connections between concepts.
9. Use site-blocking apps
Apps like SelfControl aim to help keep you focused by blocking predetermined sites for the amount of time you specify. This way you can’t access your social media sites while studying even if you give into the temptation.
10. Cramming
Even though you have always been told that cramming doesn’t work, there are experiments that show that it actually can help out in a pinch. Those who cram directly before a test for at least two hours have been shown to outperform their non-cramming peers regardless of prior studying habits. That being said, crammers will not retain the same amount of material as their peers when tested on the same material at a later date. Regardless, cramming does have its benefits so couple it with your regular study habits to get the best results.
Next time you sit down to study, try some of these easy tips to help you study better without studying harder.
