Relentless Pursuit

As I’ve learned how to study over the course of my education, I’ve come to develop different tips, tricks and habits that have helped me be successful in my studies. I wanted to share some of these with you! 

1. The 5 Senses

Taste & Smell: Drinking coffee or chewing mint gum. 

• Drinking the same beverage or chewing the same gum flavor when you study as well as when you take an exam can help improve memory skills.
• Similarly, especially for young adults, drinking caffeinated beverages have shown improvement in explicit memory (factual information)

Sight: Coordination of colors.  

• This looks like me using a certain highlighter color for headings on my notes. 
• When there are important or key points that need to stick out, I use a red pen to make sure I see that note when I go back and review the notes I take. 
• Color coordinating the different class I am taking with a highlighter color which corresponds to the folder color I use for each class helps me stay organized.

Hearing: Deep Concentration Music 

• Blocking out all external distractions and noise is crucial when trying to learn new material. 
• Using headphones and being in a quiet place will help with this
• Listening to deep concentration music that promotes creative thinking has helped me personally over the past few years to concentrate on what I need to focus on for a selective amount of time. I will attach the Spotify playlist I listen to while studying that you can try out as well. 

Touch: Handwritten Notes versus Typed Notes

• Writing out notes sometimes can be a hassle, yet has been proven to enhance our conception of the information we are intaking. 
• Typing out notes can be helpful when there is a great amount of information to digest in a short amount of time, yet will be harder to retain in the long run for most. 

2. Habit Stacking

If you’ve never heard of this term before, it is derived from James Clear book Atomic Habits. The essence of this term is to make the habits that you already have in place within your daily routine and incorporate study habits into them as well. This might look like: 

• Doing the dishes & listening to a book 
• Walking the dog and re-listening to lecture material to absorb the information more fully
• Working on a project while watching a documentary 
• Driving and listening to an audio book 

This has helped me finish all the assignments I’ve had on time while completing another important task that I need to do at home or on the go. 

3. Time of Day 

For me, the best time for me to study is right after waking up. Whether that is early in the morning or after a quick nap when I get off of work this technique has helped me tremendously. I wake up refreshed and ready to read, study or take note. Finding the time of day that works best for you is key. 

4. Place 

It has been proven that state-dependent learning is key when recalling and remembering information. As students, we are all in different areas of study – online, at home, in classrooms and in other various places like coffee shops or study halls. Having the same place where you can study the information doesn’t only help with memory, it also helps your brain to key in on that you are in “studying mode”.