As we know all too well, with a new year comes a new semester, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to try new study techniques to boost that GPA. While the “new year, new me” energy may fade by February, these study techniques will last longer than your gym streak. Old habits die hard, and many students fall victim to study methods that may feel productive but are not only inefficient but also extremely time-consuming. With limited time in a semester, the last thing you want to do is waste it rereading the same lecture slide over and over again until the words no longer look like English. If this sounds like you, stay tuned to discover how uncovering the type of learner you are can help you retain information and save grades.
What Type of Student are you?
Studying is not about how long you sit at your desk; it’s about how effectively you use that time. Knowing your style can cut your study time in half, ensuring the correct techniques to comprehend and retain information for exams. Being aware of your learning style is the secret formula to study success.
Typically, there are four predominant learning styles defined by the VARK model: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Tactile.
Visual learners, contrary to popular belief, don’t necessarily learn best through images and videos. Instead, you’re more likely to recall diagrams, graphs, and explanations with fewer words. The top study technique for visual learners is using symbols, instead of words, in your notes to represent the relationship between different ideas visually, solidifying the idea in your head via a visual cue.
Auditory learners are more suited to podcasts, lectures, and hearing things aloud. If you identify as an auditory learner, you may benefit from discussions and group study. As such, organizing a group of fellow auditory students and holding weekly content reviews may hold great value to you and the group. Another tip is to record yourself reading your notes and listen to this when you’re walking, doing the dishes, or about to go to sleep.
Reading and writing learners prefer text-based explanations and summaries. If this sounds like you, reading textbooks and writing out what you can remember after the first read through could be a helpful technique to retain information quickly. Using a whiteboard for this method is also more sustainable and, honestly, pretty fun.
Lastly, tactile learners remember information through experiences and activities. This means that real-life connections and practice are crucial for your studies. You likely perform very well in OSCE-like scenarios and have few issues performing procedural skills. The best way for you to learn new information is to use real-life examples you are familiar with and find associations within the content you want to study.
If you’re unsure about which learning style best suits you, there are many quizzes you can take online to figure it out, but keep in mind that individuals are not confined to one style and can be a mixture of more than one or even all!
The takeaway
Studying can be hard, especially when you feel like you haven’t yet found what works best for you. This is why the new year is the perfect excuse to experiment, drop what isn’t working, and adopt techniques that actually make a difference.
Happy studying!