It can be difficult to determine what tactics will best help you to achieve success in the academic world. Different strategies yield varying levels of success depending on the individual, and finding the practice that best suits your learning style and preferences, especially as certain methods are most fruitful when applied to specific fields of study, can be challenging. However, there are multitudes of methods that have been shown to reap significant rewards.
I have discovered many practices that help me understand material, and they have served me well across all fields. However, as I have stated, different methods work for different people, so my study suggestions may not be your best fit. But I do believe that many of the pieces of advice listed can help anyone, particularly those that advocate for actively engaging the material, whether that be through frequent practice, active recall, or asking questions.
1. Practice, practice, practice
Practice is crucial to mastering a subject. Believe me when I say that it does not suffice to simply pore over your notes without actually solving problems and reworking examples. This will look different for each subject. For a class that involves mathematical applications, working problems in your given textbook or finding practice packets online are great strategies; for a language class, writing (with pen and paper) new words, using flashcards to remember definitions, practicing conjugations, and speaking the language frequently are extremely beneficial; and for English, taking notes on important points, themes, quotes, words, etc. in readings, writing down questions on texts, and jotting down thoughts are exceedingly helpful. The preceding are only a few examples, but this exercise works for any course!
2. Review your notes immediately after class
Reviewing your notes immediately after class both eliminates procrastination and bolsters memory. A University of Pennsylvania article on note-taking and reviewing best practices relates that students are able to recall the most information immediately after finishing their class and that memory drops sharply after the first day. By carving out time to review your notes after class, you save yourself from the arduous task of recalling information you’ve mostly forgotten from long-ago classes, and you prevent yourself from running into the stressful situation of having to cram.
3. Active recall
Have a class that requires a lot of memorization? Use active recall!! Active recall involves retrieving information you’ve learned from your memory, forcing yourself to think back and bring the information to the front of your mind. As opposed to passively reading your notes, this approach strengthens your ability to remember concepts. This is a method I would recommend trying in a study group, as it can be easier for friends to look at your notes and ask you important questions so that you don’t inadvertently see the answer and mess up the active recall process.
4. Review frequently
I know it can be tedious to constantly review information you’ve already learned, but believe me, it is necessary. If you simply decide to walk away from a newly learned subject immediately after learning about it in class, only returning to the material shortly before you have an exam, you will have forgotten a lot and will have created a substantial amount of work for yourself. Even if you review your notes once, that’s not going to cut it: to solidify your knowledge and improve comprehensive understanding, you must review often. This strategy also reduces the amount of time you need to spend reviewing before your exam, as you should be well prepared by the time your assessments roll around — by that point, you should just be buttoning up your understanding and asking any leftover questions you may have. So, say goodbye to cramming right before your tests! A specific study method that can be applied to this principle is the spaced repetition method, which involves planning your study sessions at ideal points in the interval between your present moment and the day of your exam.
5. Create study guides or fill out ones provided by your teacher
Creating/completing study guides has always helped me focus on the main points in the material and discern what topics I need help with or have questions on. Additionally, I find it helpful (if given an exam topic list) to create neat study guides that are clearly laid out, organized, and concentrated, rather than digging through my messy notes, which are chock-full of both critical and peripheral information. This practice can also provide an opportunity to attempt active recall: before consulting your notes to produce/complete a study guide, you can fill the page with whatever you can remember.
6. Take notes on the lecture slides
When I say, “take notes on the lecture slides,” I don’t mean write down notes related to the information on a separate Word doc — I mean take your notes physically on the slides, either by printing out the slides before class and handwriting notes or downloading the class slides on PowerPoint and writing in the speaker notes. This helps me to really focus and take notes on what the teacher is saying instead of simultaneously trying to write down information presented on the slide and transcribe the professor’s words. Additionally, it helps me remember which slide the information in my notes elaborates on. (As a side note, not all teachers release their slides, so this may not be feasible for every class.)
7. Ask questions
I cannot stress this point enough: ASK QUESTIONS!! Do NOT be afraid to sound stupid or feel shy. Your teachers are there to help you, and so are your friends/classmates. Utilize office hours and ask for help whenever you need it and however often you need it!
8. Utilize online resources
Nowadays, there are so many online resources that can help you to understand material (YouTube is my personal favorite for in-depth explanation). There are so many articles, videos, diagrams, practice websites, etc. that can answer your questions and provide you with opportunities to test your knowledge.
9. Form a relationship with your teachers
I realize that this recommendation can be challenging for those who attend larger universities, where many professors have a small army of TAs that answer students’ questions and emails for them, but as a student at a small university, I can say that forming a relationship with your professors is beyond helpful. As I’ve already stated, your teachers are there to help, and you shouldn’t hesitate to ask questions or seek clarification. Further, it is always helpful if a teacher knows who you are, is aware of your work ethic, and understands what concepts you struggle with and how best to assist, given your learning preferences.
10. Prioritize
Always prioritize your assignments. Believe me, I understand the pull to complete random assignments that aren’t due for a long time simply to avoid facing the big, scary task that is more urgent, but as much as is possible, I exhort you to prioritize your tasks according to due date and importance. You don’t want to put off your most pressing tasks each day until you’re up against a wall and forced to quickly complete the loathed duty.
11. Prepare before class
Prepare before class!! I cannot say this enough! Do the readings, complete the assignments, and read the textbook (for my accounting classes, for example, I always read the textbook before class, and being familiar with the concepts prior to lectures helps immensely). Acquainting yourself with the material at least a little, raising questions, and identifying points you struggle with before class allows you to maximize your time in class, permitting you to achieve a greater level of mastery during your class time.
12. Minimize procrastination
Procrastination is a silent thief: it sneakily, surreptitiously gnaws away at your time until you are left with nothing but a knot of stress in your stomach and an unreduced to-do list. Although procrastination is likely difficult to eliminate completely (at least for me), its powerful hold can be diminished. Personally, I’ve found that the following exercises greatly help me to battle procrastination:
- Make lists
- I used to find making to-do lists tedious, but now I draft them weekly. They’ve greatly helped me to organize my days so that I can better stay on-task and reduce my dread towards specific assignments (there’s something about writing the task down on paper that makes it seem immutable — I simply cannot change it and must follow the instructions). Additionally, I inevitably receive a wonderful rush of satisfaction when I cross an item off my to-do list. For tips on how to create a manageable to-do list, visit Stanford’s article “Keeping To-Do Lists.”
- Take breaks
- The mere possibility of doing schoolwork for hours on end is repugnant, but strategically peppering in breaks can work wonders in breaking up the massive block of strained focus. A popular technique that prescribes specific break lengths at particular times is the Pomodoro method, which many assert is an extremely powerful tool.
- Re-center yourself
- This sounds a tad odd, but I’ve found that “re-centering” myself helps me to renew my focus and refresh my mental energy. What I mean by “re-centering” truly is just taking a moment to check in with myself. Setting aside time and space to focus on my breathing, exercise, walk outside, or sit in nature, which, in essence, is meant to ground myself in the moment and reassert my presence in my physical environment after long stretches of mental work, is incredibly restorative.
13. Work ahead, if possible
I definitely advocate working ahead if you have the time. I hate to be inundated with tasks and stressed about completing everything well; so, whenever I have the opportunity to reduce my future workload, I take it, spreading my assignments more evenly across my semester instead of having spikes of busyness.
14. Prioritize your health
This is truly the most important point in this article: do NOT sacrifice your physical or mental health for grades. Prioritize sleep, exercise, and healthy eating always. Not only is this crucial to your well-being, but it has actually been shown to benefit academic performance.
Closing
In general, I’ve found that the best way to improve my understanding of material and ability to remember it is to engage with the subject. Learning shouldn’t be passive; it should be active. It shouldn’t be a one-sided lecture; it should be a conversation. It should not be by rote; it should be through deep questioning. Education is meant to enrich, and I think we all tend to forget that, as it has become so GPA-focused and career-driven. We need to bring back the idea of education as something that develops us and helps us grow in all aspects of life. And one way we can do that, which actually produces great success in the academic arena, is by working with material and challenging notions that truly aren’t as set in stone as textbooks may make them seem.