Now studying is a bit of a tricky subject. There are no right or wrong techniques, and everybody learns differently. It is however very important to find out, which technique works best for yourself. So I’m gonna try to describe a few different methods to get the best out of your time.
Different subjects:
Deciding which studying technique to use depends a lot on the subject you have to learn.
For example:
- Maths: Here you don’t want to learn anything by heart, but it is important to understand what you’re supposed to do. So for studying maths you should first understand how to solve the math problem and then practise it as much as you can. When you feel confident with the exercises you should be ready for the exam.
- Biology: This type of subject on the other hand requires much more learning by heart. Of course you should also understand what you’re reading, but you still have to be able to reproduce the information from your scripts. This will be easier, once you understood the material.
Exam style:
Different types of exams require different types of knowledge (active or passive).
Lets say your exam is just going to be multiple choice questions. You know that the right answer will already be provided, you “just” have to recognize it. Now I’m not saying that this is easy, but in such a case it should theoretically be sufficient to just read the material a few times.
If you have to write an essay about a certain topic you should actively learn the material. Meaning that you know the answer yourself and not just decide whether a statement is correct or not.
For example:
- Multiple choice: Does DNA stand for A) Deoxyribonucleic acid B) Deoxynitrogen acid C) Denaturated acid ? –> Here the answer is already given and you probably at some point read answer A in your notes, but not the other two options.
- Essay / Open question: What does DNA stand for? –> Here you have to come up with the answer on your own, so you have to actively know what DNA stands for.
Studying techniques:
There are several techniques you can choose from. I would recommend you to try them all and see what suits you best.
Passive learning:
- Write a summary of the studying material and read it as often as you can. Maybe also try reading it aloud.
- Record what you’re supposed to study and listen to it as often as you can.
- Make a mindmap.
Active learning:
- Flashcards. Write a question on the front and the answer on the back of the card. Only turn the card once you said the answer in your head or maybe even aloud.
- Explain to someone else what you’ve learned. They might even ask further questions about the topic, which is a good way to check whether you’ve really understood the material.
My personal experience:
I have learnt, that I study best with flashcards. I write them for almost everything. I feel the most confident, if I do “active” studying. Otherwise I feel like I don’t know anything.
During the semesters at universities I would write summaries and flashcards to every lecture. That way I had all my study material together for the study/exam period. I would always read the summaries first, to understand the topic, and then study the flashcards to actively learn it.
I know this is a lot of work, but it was definitely worth it. I was never scared of any exam and I was pretty much always happy with the grades I got.
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