To achieve excellent academic performance, you need to learn how to study. The idea of creating a study routine may seem simple, after all, you only need a good book and a few hours of reading to learn the content, right? However, several studies indicate that there are ways and means of studying that optimize your learning.
In many cases, we spend several hours studying a subject, but when it comes to the test, the result is poor . Thus, we have a first indication that simply dedicating several hours is not enough to guarantee a real understanding of the subject. If you want to know how to study efficiently, continue reading and check out the best tips for doing so!
What can get in the way of studying?
Any external factor that captures your attention has the potential to disrupt your study routine. These elements can range from street noise to music playing in your neighbor’s house or notifications arriving on your cell phone.
To reduce these interferences during study time, it is important to take action regarding the factors that you have control over . Talking to your family members so that they can collaborate with silence during study time and leaving your cell phone away during class time are alternatives that improve your productivity when studying .
As for external factors, since we have no control over them, it is important to find ways to adapt. Waking up earlier, for example, is an excellent way to take advantage of the silence of the city to review content that requires more attention.
What are the inefficient ways of studying?
According to a scientific article published in the journal Science , the passive reading method, that is, reading the same text several times, does not produce great gains in terms of learning.
The authors also point out that creating mind maps at the beginning of the learning process of any subject is not efficient. They suggest that if the basic memory blocks are not recorded in memory, you cannot create strong connections in the brain , making the understanding of that subject not meaningful.
Another factor of self-deception refers to the activity of highlighting important parts of the content using highlighters. For this modality, there is evidence that a passive attitude does not significantly affect how much one understands of the material learned, being a passive way of studying.
What is the forgetting curve?
This concept was developed by a German psychologist, Hermann Ebbighaus, in 1885 and, according to him, the forgetting curve is due to the fact that the more time passes, the less likely it is to remember what was studied or read. For example, if you studied something today and did not review it, the probability that you will not remember the content in a month is high .
This happens because the brain understands that it is not necessary to store information that is not used constantly. Therefore, it is important to find ways to signal to your brain that what has been studied is relevant and should be stored. To do this, we have prepared some tips that can help you learn how to study at home . Check it out!
What are the best tips for learning how to study?
There are some methods that can help you optimize your performance and understand how to study better . Therefore, it is important to learn and apply each of them in your routine in order to achieve even better performance.
Create mind maps
Using mind maps can be a good alternative to help your brain remember the subjects studied, and as we mentioned before, it is not recommended at the beginning of a new topic. This is because it consists of synthesizing the information absorbed in a few words through connections and concepts in related subjects.
With this study tool, you can become more efficient in your studies and develop a broader knowledge of a given subject , making it easier to find information in your memory. In addition, there are now tools and programs that can help you create figures.
Use the recall method
Another way to show your brain that information is important and should be stored properly is through reviews. With reviews, you revisit previously studied content and ensure that all important information is clear.
This simple method was chosen as the most effective way to learn a new subject , according to the article presented above. Based on tests carried out by neuroscientists, the students who were able to understand the subject studied better were those who practiced spaced reading and remembered as much information as possible.
This way, you can use the recall method as your main form of study and incorporate other formats that you feel more comfortable with. The most important thing is to have a critical sense when evaluating which method is most efficient and use simulations to check whether you are really learning or just thinking you are.
Practice the Feynman Technique
This way of learning was developed by an important American physicist, Richard Feynman. In this approach, the student learns new content and seeks to translate this knowledge in a simplified way, as if explaining it to a 5-year-old child.
This methodology correlates well with the recall method and is perhaps why it is so effective. The second step of the method is to assess the gaps that your knowledge has not yet filled , and to fill these gaps with new research and exercises.
Through this format, you can understand a subject in depth and with solidity. Obviously, the dedication that the Feynman technique requires is greater than the others, so it is worth selecting the most important subjects in your preparation and applying this format to only a few topics, in order to optimize your study time .
Did you see how there are different ways to learn how to study efficiently and maximize your performance? By adopting these strategies, you signal that the information being seen is important and the brain understands and stores the content properly, helping you to have maximum performance in your daily learning.