Study Tips That Are ACTUALLY Helpful | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Study Tips That Are ACTUALLY Helpful

We could all use them!

227
Study Tips That Are ACTUALLY Helpful
Wikimedia Commons

To be honest, my study habits took quite a while to develop. It was a long frustrating journey, and one I’m still working on. Also, as a disclaimer, not all of the methods I’m going to list are a fool proof guide to a 100 on every exam you take. Yet they are the most effective and proven ways to study, and I think every student should give them a shot and fit them into their studying routine as you please. Enjoy!

Be the teacher

One of my favorite study tips is to study not as if you’re going to take the test, but as if you’re going to teach the subject yourself. You can practice this method by finding a person that doesn’t know much about the material you’re working on and explaining it to them. The more that person understands, the more you probably know the material. Or if you don’t have someone to practice with, talk things out with yourself. Pretend that you’re giving a TedTalk and explain the concept you need to learn. Develop the mindset of being the master of the material you’re learning and passing your knowledge to others.

Peekaboo

I like to call this method the “peekaboo” method because it really is like playing peekaboo with your notes. It essentially is forced recall. Take small portions of your notes and read over them. Then force yourself to rewrite your notes without looking using everything you remember. Check your notes to see if you forgot anything and make note of it. This method will force your brain to recall the information you wrote down as opposed to just passively reading over them. Also, if you forgot information when you rewrote the notes initially, you’ll be more likely to remember once you write it out again a second time!

Memorize

Once you have a basic understanding of the material, your focus needs to be placed on basic memorization. This can be done using the peekaboo method and the teacher method I just described. However, for tests that are a bit more vocabulary oriented, flashcards will never hurt. The flashcard method is particularly useful for hashing out lists of vocabulary that need to be memorized for an anatomy or language class perhaps. The flashcard method must be met with caution though, because there are a lot of subjects that require a lot more than just basic memorization but rather deep conceptual understanding and concept application.

Engage

During class, make sure you are engaging with the material. You need to be actively participating in conversation during classes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, because the question you have might be the question that someone else has as well. The better you learn the material during class, the more effectively you’ll be able to study it. This is also why paper notes might be better than laptop notes, because it minimizes the distractions that might pop up online during class. Plus, people typically type faster than they write thus paper notes force you to focus and make the notes you take a bit more concise as opposed to simply writing down everything the professor says.

Quiz yourself

Another fool proof way to know if you've learned the material or not is to simply quiz yourself. Grab a friend and create practice tests for each other. If you have teachers/professors that give out practice tests before exams USE THEM. And make sure you take the practice tests in the format it will be given in the actual exam. For example, if you know you will have an hour to complete the exam, when you take the practice exam, time it for an hour.

I’ve been using these methods for about a year. They are easy, painless and effective, and I hope they work for you!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

343
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

194
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

199063
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

20185
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments