There is a dreadful time that seems to be far in the future but is unfortunately steadily approaching. You know exactly what I’m talking about… finals week. I know finals seem super far away, but learning which study methods your brain enjoys the best starting now will help reduce the amount of cramming you do the week before and help reduce overall stress. Figuring out which methods work best for you is extremely important to ensure that you’re working smarter, not harder. This is why I made this quick guide on popular study techniques that can help you figure out how you prefer to study, and help you lock in as best as you can for finals week.
POMODORO METHOD
The Pomodoro Method is a great way to begin a study session, especially if you’re someone like me, who dreads long hours spent doing work. Instead of forcing yourself to get up and work for hours (which often leads to you procrastinating when you begin studying in general), you start studying in short increments with a guaranteed break after. For me, I start with only 25 minutes of continuous studying. Then, I take a 5-minute break. Once you get “in the zone”, you can lengthen the study sessions accordingly to fit your needs. I normally start at 25 minutes and then increase it to 45 minutes. It is ideal for assignments that don’t require a long period of concentration as it allows you to give short bursts of focused energy.
SPACED REPETITION
Spaced repetition is ideal for studying when you need to memorize content. It is based on the principle of the “forgetting curve” and helps you span out when you study, in order to increase the amount of time you know the material for. In other words, it’s basically the opposite of cramming. For this technique, you need to sit down and study for short periods of time, like one or two hours, but space it out in larger intervals until the day of your exam. For example, if day 25 is the day of your exam, do your flashcards on days 1, 2, 5, 9, 14, 20, and then once more the day before your test.
FEYNMAN TECHNIQUE
The Feynman Technique is a seemingly simple yet super effective way to study. The basis of the Feynman Technique is to condense the information that you have learned to be digestible for you to be able to teach it to a child in 6th grade. That’s all there is to it! Teachers and professors often say the only way you’ve mastered the material is if you’ve learned it well enough to teach it. That is why this technique is surprisingly difficult! You need to simplify complex topics and skills which helps you think more critically about the content you’re studying.
Now, when finals inevitably roll around, I hope this short guide will help you get into the groove, and it will lead to less procrastination. Take into account how you learn best, and tailor any of these methods (or even go explore others) so you can do your very best on every test!