It’s that time of year again and students are scrambling to remember every nook and cranny of their textbooks. Midterms and prominent assessments are around the corner and last-minute studying must take place. Conversely, mastering a certain skill takes time and dedication that often tugs at students’ sleep schedules resulting in irritability and impaired cognitive function and concentration. Studying offers a variety of academic rewards but can pose an obstacle for many, representing overstimulation and nervousness for the majority of the student body. Typical retention approaches are strenuous and encourage negative standpoints, however, modern outlooks make the task simpler to oversee.
“I like to write stuff down on flashcards and I like to practice repeatedly in my free time,” Gabrielle Vargas, an eighth-grade vocal major said.“ It takes about 15 minutes for me to make flashcards so it takes time, but it gets the job done.”
Flashcards are traditional and have “gotten the job done” for every generation, but they come with the plentiful side effect of being tedious and time-consuming and may not work for those in a time crunch. They are a derivative of you acknowledging what you wrote down and do not directly stimulate your understanding of a topic without looking down at your work.
“Active recall is a proven study technique where instead of passively repeating information, you stimulate your brain to actively retrieve the information you’ve just learned,” Upcheive.org said. “This makes the information more memorable so that you remember it during your next test or quiz, and it also makes the studying process less dull.”
When used properly, active recall contains spontaneity and does not require any material. It is a process where you simply ask questions and rephrase your comprehension of the content. Other elements that contribute to a peaceful and efficient learning environment include setting the stage to avoid unnecessary distractions.
“Sometimes I do find myself losing focus and I usually take a short break and then come back more focused and ready to do more work,” Camryn Hopper, seventh-grade theater major said.
“Setting the Stage” or preparing your space preliminary to studying mimics healthy habits that affect beneficial mental performance amping up students’ focus. These factors embody consuming healthy foods, listening to relaxing music, receiving satisfactory rest, and working in a safe environment where you switch things up.
“Instead of studying at home daily, try checking out a new coffee spot each week or heading to your local library. A change in scenery can be one of the best study methods to improve your memory and concentration levels,” USA. edu said.
Last-minute preparations can include utilizing the Feynman Technique which makes all subjects seem effortless. This is assessing the concept and translating it into your own words for it to be more understandable. It can also be added to a quiz to assess the entirety of your knowledge. The outcome of that one test depends on your review and how confident you are in your ability to succeed.
