“You have a test tomorrow right?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Are you going to study?”
“No; I never studied in middle school, I’ll be fine.”
A lot of high school students think this way during their freshman year. For many, this mentality created a wake-up call from the workload high school brings or suboptimal test grades. Coming from middle schools with few, if any advanced classes, most freshmen who take honors or college-level courses hit a steep learning curve. Students who previously excelled in school with much effort may have not developed a good work ethic or study habits, and therefore, become stunted once they realize the difficulty of high school. Whether you’re a freshman struggling with Biology, or a senior stressing over IB History, discovering new tactics and methods may help you traverse the struggles of self-motivation and the dangers of studying.
One of the most common study tactics is using flashcards and self-quizzing. Whether you use physical flashcards or digital flashcard apps like Anki or Quizlet, flashcards can be a quick and easy way to memorize facts, vocabulary, or past questions, making them essential in vocabulary-heavy subjects like psychology and medical terminology. Generally, flashcards will have a term and the definition or meaning of the term on the other side. Flashcards are an effective method of active recall as people can continuously review a large amount of information. This exemplifies the psychological theory of the spacing effect. The spacing effect states it is easier to retain and recall information learned over long periods rather than a cram session. Flashcards can be carried anywhere and are an easy collection of what you need to study. However, flashcards can be very time-consuming to create, proving it an ineffective method during a time crunch. For this reason, flashcards get a rating of 8/10 for being an effective method that requires a lot of preparation and time.
Have you ever wondered why your teachers seem to remember everything about their entire course? That’s because to teach others concepts, you must have an in-depth complex understanding beforehand. Students can employ this method by teaching other students or their friends. Applying your knowledge, you condense information into words to form concepts into organized ideas that help format your understanding. Teaching others can also allow you to see holes in your knowledge as the person you are teaching asks questions that force you to understand and explain concepts in more detail. This may also help with motivation as someone is relying on you to understand this information. This is helpful for any concept or event-based classes from physics to history. If you are struggling to understand a topic yourself, ask other people in your class to teach you. You will be able to ask questions while allowing the other person to form these memory connections. This is a rather uncommon form of studying because it requires you to talk to someone else and for them to understand. However, if you have the time, teaching can be a 10/10 studying method giving a different perspective on the concepts you are learning.
Blurting, a term you may have heard on social media, is praised by many students. After reading through the information or textbook section, you blurt out all of the facts you can remember on a piece of paper. This can be accomplished through mind maps, notes, diagrams, or anything else that makes sense to you. Afterward, look through the textbook or ask some friends to review your notes to see what you missed. After taking breaks, try blurting multiple times without looking back at the textbook. This can show you all the concepts you retain and those that seem to trail off. These notes will help you review unretained information to aid you in the further learning process. Blurting gets a 9/10, giving you an insight into what information you retain.
These are only three examples of study methods but there are dozens if not hundreds of techniques that work for different people. Everyone learns differently so it’s imperative to understand yourself so that you can continue to grow. Try new methods, experiment with your studying, and discover what’s right for you.
Works Cited
Corradini, Erika, et al. “Learning by teaching: developing transferable skills.” ERIC, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED566918.pdf. Accessed 15 November 2024.
“FLASHCARDS AS AN AID TO MEMORY.” Idaho State University, https://www.isu.edu/media/libraries/student-success/acad/Flashcards-as-an-Aid-to-Memory.pdf. Accessed 15 November 2024.
“How to revise with the blurting method – Exams and Revision.” Birmingham City University, https://www.bcu.ac.uk/exams-and-revision/best-ways-to-revise/the-blurting-method. Accessed 15 November 2024.
