This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St Vincent chapter.
The end of the semester is quickly approaching. This means that you now have 5 paper, 3 projects, 3 exams, and finals just around the corner… So how can you possibly study all of that information? Here are several proven ways to increase information retention, so that every second of studying counts.
- Chunk information
- Learn small pieces of information every day
- Make a story out of the information or make an acronym
- Your brain will remember the information better if it is funny and unique, just like when you remember a funny story really well
- Don’t study in the same spot every day
- By changing your environment, your brain will form new associations with the same information
4. Mix up the material you are studying
- Alternate between different subjects
5. Write out your notes again
- It has been shown that people retain information better when they write it out6. Read the information out loud
- Just like writing out notes, hearing information is retained better than just reading notes
7. Watch YouTube videos on areas you have difficulty with
- Some videos explain the information in a way that fits your learning methods better. For example, drawings with explanations for cell cycles may make the material make more sense to you
8. Use active recall
- After you have read a section of a chapter, close the book and try to remember what you just read
9. Listen to music
- Classical music can help you concentrate
10. Don’t multitask
- Multitasking is just a distraction from your studying