Let’s see how to make your brain stronger, to study smarter. It’s summer, which means nobody wants to think about school and studying. However, in just a few short months, high schools and colleges alike will be opening back up, and homework will once again be a part of a student’s day to day life. Everyone knows studying is an important part of success, but what if there are ways to study which are actually scientifically proven to make your studying more effective without the extra work? Well, it turns out, there are. Study up now and hopefully, when school comes around, you’ll be able to save
yourself time and energy!
1. Talk to Yourself (Or Someone Else) One of the quickest ways to make sure you’re memorizing information is to say the words out loud. By giving yourself an aural cue to go with the word, you’re actually more likely to remember it. If you’re not comfortable talking to yourself, consider mouthing the words, which allows you to get the action, or studying with a friend, where you can take turns reading questions and answers or terms to one another. This also works with hand gestures. If you say “stomata” with a hand gesture to help you remember what it does, you’re more likely to
remember the action, the sound, or the look of the word
2 Take a Hike (Literally) Research suggests we ought to be creatures of habit less often when it comes to studying. If you are familiar ith a certain environment, you start to be less alert and therefore less likely to memorize information. You ill form more associations if you study that Greek novel in the library one day and the student union the next because you’re forcing your brain not to get comfortable. Like moving, talking, and seeing, this gives your brain more pathways, which will allow you to have a higher chance of remembering it. Even if you only move
between rooms in your house, you will give your brain a boost.
3. Time Out (Not in the Corner) We’re all guilty of a little procrastination from time to time. Researchers suggest taking a look at what you really want while you’re working, and what is most likely to distract you. Are you going to want to use Facebook? Twitter? Eat a cookie? Get up and wander around looking for weird book titles in the library? Take that distraction (maybe the last one isn’t a great example) and make it your reward. This can occur after a couple of pages, and you should only reward yourself if you reach your goal. Memorize five words? Eat a cookie. You should also consider doing this with breaks. If you finish a chapter, play ten minutes of a game, or go for a walk. Studying for extended periods of time does more harm than good, and a reward’s system gives
you a chance to recharge and keep focused
4. Switch it Out (Subject Tag-team) Since you should be studying well in advance of your test (most researchers suggest giving yourself at least 15 minutes a night to review notes), it is also a good idea to switch what you’re studying. Three nights of biology a day would make even the biggest science junkie sad. When you vary the information, even within the same study session, you’re giving your brain a chance to recharge and work on something different. This
will prevent that mental fatigue!
5.Handwrite that Cheat Sheet (But Don’t Cheat) We all wish we could take a cheat sheet into an exam, but that really doesn’t solve much. Consider this: What would you put on a cheat sheet if you could? What are the difficult concepts, points of focus for the exam, or big terms? Don’t type this. Write it down, pen and paper, the old fashioned way, and you’ll be amazed at what you pick up. Not only are you looking through your notes to decide what’s really important to you, hand-writing notes has been proven to keep your brain thinking better because it’s another connection between action and brain
There are, of course, other things to consider, such as the time of day you study, how much noise you can tolerate, and when you should be studying (Answer: All along!) But, with a little mixing it up, and moving, talking, and rewarding, you can be on your way to a better set of grades. When school rolls around again,
consider hacking your brain, and your study habits, for the best grades you can get
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