I took a Geology class my first term of college. I wish I was a science person, but it is not my strongest area. Despite this, I was not worried about the class. I heard that Geology was called “Rocks for Jocks,” as in it so easy that jocks take it so they can keep playing without having to worry.
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Turns out Geology is not easy at all. I got an F on my first midterm. I thought I knew how to study, but apparently, I was wrong. Before the second midterm, me and a friend decided to study together. We cooped ourselves up in her dorm study lounge and read the study guide out loud to each other. When I got my grade back on the second midterm I was happy to see that I got a B.
I started thinking about what I did differently when I studied for each test and realized for the second one I was hearing the answers, not seeing them. I started trying to study by hearing the answers in my other classes and soon discovered that I was an aural learner.
Being an aural learner means you learn best using sound. There are seven learning styles: visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary. Most people are a combination of some or all of these learning styles. Some people have a dominant style and for others, it depends on the circumstance. For me, there is no denying that I learn best with sound. Since discovering that I am an aural learner, I have figured out some helpful techniques that have made studying so much easier.1
The voice memos app is your best friend.
Record, record, record! Get your phone out and record the lectures, even if you feel awkward doing it. Depending on the class, you might have to ask the professor or teacher if you can record their lectures, but in my experience, they always say yes. Also record yourself reading study guides, passages of textbooks, and your notes.
Podcasts and audio books are amazing resources.
Both podcasts and audiobooks are often overlooked, but I have found both very useful. iTunes has tons of free podcasts on a variety of topics that can be really helpful for studying or just learning new things. You can also buy the audiobook version of a book instead of the regular version. This is particularly helpful for me to understand what I am reading in difficult literature classes.
Study wherever you want.
Using recordings to study gives you the freedom to study no matter what you are doing. Play recordings, podcasts, and audio books in the car or while you are getting ready in the morning. You can be studying for exams, even when you aren’t actually studying.
Become a teacher to someone or something.
Most likely this is only going to be “someone” if they are also in the class with you. You can study together by explaining things to each other and quizzing each other. Hearing yourself and them say the answers is very helpful. If you don’t know anyone in the class who wants to do this with you, you can still teach “something.” It sounds super weird, but I do it all the time. I will sit a stuffed animal in front of me when I study or use a poster on my wall and teach it what I know. I actually talk to it like I am the teacher and am explaining information to a human being, not an inanimate object.
Use notecards in a different way.
There are probably people out there who can read one side of the notecard, think of the answer, then turn it over and remember it. I am not one of those people. I do still use notecards, though, just a little unconventionally. I say out loud one side of the notecard many, many times. Then I turn it over and read what the other side says out loud over and over again. I say it, sing it, yell it, whatever it takes to remember the notecard.
Make up a song.
This is another weird technique that works well. Sometimes I do this if I really can’t remember something or it is very important. If I make up a little jingle or change the words of a song I like to whatever I am studying, I remember it a lot better.
Since I discovered I was an aural learner, studying has become so much easier. If you know you do or think you might learn best with sound, I highly recommended trying some of these techniques so you don’t fail your first midterm of college like I did.
1. Learning Styles↩
