5 Study Techniques That Work

The motivation to talk about different study techniques that work, and not focus on one is because each of us better adapts to a way of assimilating or retaining information. There are students who are very visual and others who record themselves reading the notes, and then listen to themselves.

For this reason, today we want to present 5 study techniques that work and that can even be combined with each other. However, the objective is that those people who are training (either in high school, university or doing a cycle, among other options) have a small toolbox for when they  have to study for an exam.

1. Underline what is most important

An article from the National Distance Education University (UNED), Study Techniques , mentions underlining as one of the ways to “[…] highlight the relevance of the information we are reading”.

This allows for much better time management, since in a second revision of the corresponding syllabus, students will only focus on the underlined information. In this way, they will ignore the one that is not important and that they do not need to retain.

2. Read aloud

The second of the study techniques that work is reading aloud. Practicing it makes us focus our attention when the subject is a bit boring. In addition, reading aloud improves our reading comprehension and, therefore, it works for many students when it comes to memorizing.

However, reading aloud allows students to repeat what is most difficult for them to understand, acquiring the ability to explain it with their words. A very effective study technique that reports very good results.

3. Write an abstract

There are many who study making summaries. They love to study from them. However, they find it difficult to separate what is important from what is not. Therefore, this third study technique can be a step after the previous two.

Of course, we recommend that, after writing a summary in which each student can express themselves in their own words (this will facilitate the retention of information), they spend time underlining, again, those important parts of their text. This will make the summary more clear, which will give it a lot of value when reviewing.

4. Make an outline

There are people who are unable to study through summaries. It seems like a step that they can skip, since what works best for them is making diagrams. This usually happens to those who have visual or photographic memory, as indicated by Memory in the teaching / learning process . In this way, they see much clearer what is important and what is not.

However, the diagrams help to expose the significant concepts, in a brief way and without having to occupy several sheets for, later, each student to explain them in their own words. For this to be possible, they must read the entire agenda.

5. Use mnemonic rules

If a student has found that schematics work best for him, but there are still concepts that he cannot memorize, he can use mnemonics. These may require some training, but in return they are extremely useful.

Let’s take a very simple example. Let’s imagine that we are studying the OCEAN model, but we tend to forget about some of the personality traits that make it up. Well, a mnemonic rule could be the following :

• E: extraversion.
• N: neuroticism.
• E: empathy.
• A: opening.
• M: thoroughness.

When in the exam we have to talk about this model, we will remember the word ENEAM, making it easier to complete the rest of the information. This last of the study techniques that work can be used in multiple ways and is especially  effective for remembering lists.

Which of these study techniques that work do you use? Do you combine any? We hope you put them into practice or that you know that there are other options if the one you are currently using is not giving you the results you expect.