If you’re reading this, you’re probably an exception, but most students aren’t. In fact, between 83.6 and 84% of students rely on rereading, a study strategy with low benefits.
There are better ways to study than rereading. Methods developed and researched by world-renowned learning scientists. Surprisingly few pupils know about them. That’s why knowing how to use them successfully can give you a leg up on the competition.
The seven finest study methods every student should know:
Contents
Spaced Repetition
Spaced repetition, also known as interleaved practise or spaced retrieval, is a study approach that involves spacing out your study sessions. It’s a basic concept, but it’s a game changer for most pupils.
Let’s use a real-life scenario to show how spaced repetition works. Take a test in 36 days, and your first study session starts today. In this case, a good interval might be:
- Session 1: Day 1
- Session 2: Day 7
- Session 3: Day 16
- Session 4: Day 35
- Exam Date: Day 36
It’s the polar opposite of cramming and all-nighters, in a nutshell. This strategy encourages you to space out your studying by reviewing and recalling information at appropriate intervals until the material is memorised, rather than cramming everything into a short period of time.
This approach has grown in popularity in the twenty-first century, and with good cause. Spaced repetition is able to bring together all of our existing understanding about human memory and use it to design study algorithms that are more efficient.
Anki, which is based on another popular algorithm, SuperMemo, is one of the most popular examples of spaced repetition algorithms.
Anki-based flashcard decks are the best study strategy for medical students. An entire online community has sprung up around medical school Anki. On r/medicalschoolanki, you can get a small taste of that.
There, you’ll find a breadth of different medical school Anki decks to choose from, such as:
Active Recall
Active recall, also known as retrieval practise or practise testing, is a study approach in which you test yourself over and over to actively recall knowledge (rather than merely reading or re-reading it).
For good reason, most students despise the word “test.” After all, tests and examinations can be extremely stressful because they are frequently used to determine academic performance.
Active recall, on the other hand, trains us to approach testing from a different perspective. We should not only prepare for tests, but also test ourselves.
This study method employs self-testing to help your brain recall, retain, and retrieve knowledge more quickly through flashcards, self-generated questions, and practise exams.
According to one study, students who took only one practise test before an exam obtained 17 percent better results the next day. Those who employed active recall and self-testing outperformed students who did not, according to two more studies published in 2005 and 2012, as well as a 2017 meta-analysis.
Active recall is the best study approach if you’re preparing for an impending exam. You’ll be able to ace any exam without cramming if you use active recall to test yourself dozens of times. If you use spaced repetition to perform numerous practise tests over a long period of time, you’ll be able to ace any exam.
Keep in mind, too, that active recall is one of the most exhausting study approaches on our list, despite its effectiveness. It necessitates a high level of mental focus, deep attention, and mental endurance.
Because active recall is a cognitively challenging technique, don’t expect to breeze through your learning materials with it.
Next, I’ll discuss the Pomodoro method, which is my favourite time management tool for students.
Pomodoro Study Method
The Pomodoro study method is a time-management approach that involves using a timer to divide your studying into 25-minute (or 45-minute) periods.
After that, you’ll take a 5-minute (or 15-minute) break after each session to completely detach yourself from the study topic. After four of these sessions, you’ll take a lengthier break of 15 to 30 minutes.
I propose going to YouTube to check out the Pomodoro technique without having to install any software or buy a timer. Pomodoro-based “study with me” videos from channels like TheStrive Studies, Ali Abdaal, and MDprospect abound on YouTube.
However, many of them feature music, so if you’re easily distracted by music when studying, you might benefit from a dedicated Pomodoro software like TomatoTimer or RescueTime.
The Pomodoro method has several advantages: it is a simple and straightforward strategy that encourages you to map out your daily duties and activities, it allows for easy measurement of the amount of time spent on each task, and it gives brief bursts of concentrated work followed by rest times.
However, because there is little scientific research on the Pomodoro method’s efficiency, the scientific proof behind it is primarily conjectural. Another disadvantage of the Pomodoro study method is that it is not suitable for jobs that demand long periods of unbroken concentration.
Regardless, I utilise the Pomodoro method on a daily basis and it has become an essential and indispensible element of my workflow.
Feynman Technique
Richard Feynman came up with the Feynman Technique, which is a flexible, easy-to-use, and effective way to study. Simple: The best way to learn about any subject is by teaching it to a sixth-grade child.
This isn’t as cutting-edge as the super-optimized spaced repetition algorithms I talked about earlier, but it’s still a method that’s still useful nearly a century after it was invented.
The Feynman Technique is a powerful way to learn. It forces the learner to step outside of their comfort zone by breaking down even the most complicated topics into easy-to-understand chunks. Average sixth-graders can eat it, but it’s not very good for them.
This may look like a simple task at first. How hard could it be to explain something to a child? When you do this in real life, it can be hard because you have to simplify and explain everything in an age-appropriate way.
In the beginning, you’ll quickly realise that unless you fully understand the subject, meeting a child at their level of understanding is not easy at all.
All unfamiliar words must be explained and easy-to-understand complex ideas must be explained in simple terms.
You also need to understand how different topics and sub-topics are related, and you must be able to communicate what you have learned in a clear and concise way. The Feynman Technique makes you think more deeply about what you’re learning, which is why it’s a very good way to learn.
Leitner System
The Leitner System is a simple and effective way to study that uses flashcards to help you remember more. In 1972, Sebastian Leitner came up with the idea for it. It was a big inspiration for many of the new flashcard-based methods that came after it, like Anki.
To use the method, you’ll first need to make flashcards, then you can use them. Cards: You’ll write questions and answers on both sides of them, then put them in a box.
Finally, when you have all of your flashcards ready, get three “Leitner boxes” that are big enough to hold all of the cards you made. So, let’s call them “Box 1, 2, and 3.”
So now, you’re all set to start using your flashcards to learn new things. First, you’ll put all the cards in Box 1. Take a card from Box 1 and try to remember the answer.
The answer is in Box 2. If you know it, put it there. Is this not what you want? Keep it in Box 1. Repeat this process until you’ve looked at every card in Box 1 once. After that, you’ll start going through each box of cards at different times.
Another important part of the system is how the cards are arranged. Box 1 is reviewed the most often because it has the most difficult-to-learn flashcards in it. Every box has a set review time. Box 3, on the other hand, will only have cards that you’ve already remembered correctly, so it doesn’t need to be looked at as often.
In the case that you haven’t heard of the Leitner system, you might be surprised to learn that some of the world’s most popular learning platforms, such as Duolingo, use a variation on it to teach millions of students.
It’s great for learning a new language because it’s easy to make translation-based flashcards.
As much as I love the simplicity of the Leitner System, though, I don’t use it very often anymore because it takes a long time to set up and because other flashcard study methods like Anki tend to be faster.
But, if you prefer physical flashcards to their digital counterparts, you should think about the Leitner system. It’s a beautiful way to study that hasn’t changed over time.
PQ4R Study Method
Thomas and Robinson, two scientists, came up with the PQ4R in 1972. It is a way to study. Preview, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, and Review are the steps you take when you learn something new.
The name PQ4R stands for these steps: It’s used a lot to help people improve their reading comprehension, and it’s a must for people who have problems with reading.
However, PQ4R isn’t just useful for students who have trouble reading. If you want to better understand what you’re reading, you can follow the same six steps.
Improving your reading comprehension is a great goal for any student, and if you need to read through a lot of text for an exam, the PQ4R method can help. In this way, you will be able to understand all the text better, and you will be better able to remember it.
We can become better at synthesising information and reading text if we improve our reading comprehension. However, we must be careful not to let this strategy take up too much of our study time.
Many modern learning scientists don’t think reading is a good way to study, and it’s better to use other methods when you can.
This method of studying isn’t one I use very often, but I still think it’s a good one to have. When I need to get the most important parts out of a big book, I use the PQ4R to help me get through the information faster and improve my memory and retention.
The PQ4R is a good way to study, but it’s not the best way to do it.
SQ3R Study Method
It is called the SQ3R study method, and it was made by Francis P. Robinson in 1946. It was the first method to use. It’s been used for years and can be used for almost any subject.
The name stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. Method: It can be used to study anything faster and better than normal methods. It can also be used in a more organised way than normal methods, so you can learn more quickly.
Even though it was new at the time, the SQ3R study method has the same flaws as the newer PQ4R method. For one thing, it’s mostly used to improve reading comprehension, but now reading isn’t thought of as a good way to study.
Also, it doesn’t have the “reflection” part that the newer PQ4R study method has. This is another problem with the method.
In addition, three out of the five steps in this method are passive, like scanning, reading, and reviewing. Modern learning theories say that active retrieval is better for remembering information than passive reading, so this method doesn’t work very well.
So, when you don’t have the time to use a more powerful method like spaced repetition, you should use this method instead.
In this case, SQ3R is the best way to study because you only have a short time to do so, and your main source of information comes from a book. A good way to summarise the main points written in the source material is to use this method.
Conclusion: Top 7 Study Methods For All Types of Students
As a student in the 21st century, you can choose from a lot of good ways to study. The best one for you will depend on how you learn, what you’re studying, and how much time you have.
When it’s possible, I suggest you use spaced repetition, active recall, and the Pomodoro method to study when you can. But, the other strategies on this page can be useful as well.
All in all, try to be flexible and keep an open mind, and you’ll be better off. In this way, you’ll be able to get the most out of your learning.
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