Effective study habits

BRING EVERYTHING YOU NEED, BRING EVERYTHING YOU DON'T NEED.

Unfortunately, when you find an ideal place to read, sometimes people bring things they don’t need. For example, adding notes to a laptop for later reference may seem ideal, but it is a distraction for many because computers are so versatile. Playing games, checking your channels, sending SMS and watching videos - all of this has nothing to do with reading that bothers you. So, ask yourself if you need to write a note on a laptop or if you can work with stale paper and a pen or pencil. Keep your phone in your bag or purse to keep distractions as much as possible

COMPLETE AND RECORD YOUR NOTES.

Many people think that maintaining a standard contour format will help them boil down the information to its most basic components. People think that tying similar concepts together makes it easier to remember when the exam comes. One thing to keep in mind when writing contours is that contours are just words in your own words and as a learning tool in your structure. Everyone is different in how they combine similar information (called “chunking” by cognitive psychologists).So, if you prefer to copy other people’s notes or contours, make sure you translate those notes and contours into your own words and concepts. Failure to do so often causes students to stumble upon remembering important things.

Using as many sensory organs as possible while reading can be beneficial because information is stored faster when other senses are involved in humans. That’s why writing notes works first - it places information into words and terms that you understand. Making words out loud orally when copying notes before an important exam can be a way to attract other meanings.


USE MEMORY GAMES (MNEMONIC DEVICES).

Memory games, or mnemonic devices, are ways to remember pieces of information using a simple combination of simple words. Too often, people connect words and make up nonsense that is easy to remember. Then the first letter of each word means something else - the information you want to remember. The most common example of mnemonic devices is “Every good child deserves a heart”. Combining the first letters of each word - EGBDF - gives the music reader five notes for three times.

The key to such memory devices is that the new phrase or sentence you come up with should be more memorable and easier to remember than the terms or information you want to learn. These don’t suit everyone, so if they don’t suit you, don’t use them.