Learning For A Lifetime

I had a conversation with a student before the break. She had taken a retest and had not improved her grade over the original test. I suggested either she had not studied or had not studied effectively. As I was saying it, I realized I’d never had a conversation with my McAuliffe students about what effective studying means.

Here’s the thing...you can spend time “studying” and not learning a thing or you can create a plan for learning that includes “studying.”

Many students don’t really know how to study or how that time fits in with the learning.  

I’ll give you an example: One science student I know was getting very discouraged about her grades. She was starting to feel like she she wasn’t smart enough to understand the material. She would work at the kitchen table reading and rereading the chapter the night before the quiz. Then she would often perform poorly on the assessment. She was putting in the time, several hours the night before the quiz, but it wasn’t working for her. 

I suggested a different method: Study in a quiet place - a place in her home without distractions. One night, read the chapter. The next night, reread the chapter but take hand-written notes. On the third night, re-write the notes in outline form with space for comments and questions. Finally, get those questions answered in class during our review session. Guess what? She started acing her quizzes. Why? because she was using effective study habits.

So what does this story tell us?

Have a Growth Mindset

Sound familiar? Think positively and avoid negative self-talk. Instead of thinking “I’m never going to get this,” find a positive way of looking at your work like, “I may not understand all of this now, but I’m going to find one part of this that makes sense, right now.”

Location, Location, Location

Chose a location that works. The kitchen is probably the busiest room in the house and is full of distractions. Find a place that is quiet, doesn’t have a million things vying for your attention. Listen to music if that helps block out the noise of the house. Make sure you have everything you need and not extra, distracting stuff.

Time Matters

Study over time. That’s where the word “habit” comes from. Devise a regular schedule and make it a habit. You will learn better if you learn over time instead of trying to absorb it in one sitting (i.e. cramming). Research tells us that learning happens best when new information is learned and then you sleep. As you sleep, the brain reorganizes where it stores information, moving important, new information from short-term to long-term memory. Study at night then let your brain do its thing.

The Brain Game

Get your mind actively engaged in the material. Reading is a pretty passive activity and you can do it practically in your sleep. You need to get the brain fired up to remember stuff. Make notes, reorganize the notes into outline format. Look for ways the items in your notes connect with other topics in your notes. Use memory games to help recall information. For example, the order of the planets in the solar system: "My Violent Evil Monster Just Scared Us Nuts."

It Makes Sense

You have five senses, use them. Don’t just read. Talk to yourself, hear the information as you read it. I heard of a student who chewed gum while he studied. During a test, he’d chew gum. He said it helped him recall what he was thinking and feeling as he had studied. Music can have that same effect. To this day, every time I hear a certain Aerosmith song, I have a ridiculously strong memory of reading The Hobbit.

Practice Testing

Don’t forget to practice taking the test. Use flash cards, sample tests, study guides. Have others quiz you or ask you questions based on your notes. You could try to out-guess the teacher by making up your own test. Review the material and your notes and try to figure out what has to be on the test to accurately assess student understanding. 

Reward Yourself

It’s unrealistic to think that you could study for hours on end and maintain focus. Set a time to stop and take a break. Work hard for an hour, then take a few minutes to move around, play a game, get a snack. Do something different and physical to break the monotony.

It’s All About You

Figure out what works best for you. When I was in college, I knew a girl who had two notebooks for every class. One was for taking notes in class. It was messy with lines and arrows and little side notes written in the margins. The second notebook was for rewriting the class notes in an organized and logical fashion. As she reorganized, she was making connections between ideas and information provided during the lecture. That’s where she actually learned the material. Try different ways to study - google “study habits” if you need new ideas. Figure out what works and what doesn’t work for you. 

You may find, once you develop a method of “studying” that it takes less time than cramming the night before a test. A little bit, done well, every day will add up to less time  overall and more learning. It’s not about just putting in the time, it’s about making that time work for you. 

Remember, the goal is to learn for a lifetime, not to just get through school one quiz at a time.