How to become a smart learner!

Studying doesn’t have to be a chore; it should be a valuable education process that involves learning the content, rather than memorising it. Given below are a few tips that can help you learn smartly:

1. Discover your personal learning style:

Majority of students have a personal learning style that better equips them in learning large amounts of content. Knowing your learning style can make a huge difference in your information retention and greatly contributes to better grades.

Kinaesthetic learners learn best by doing. If you are a kinaesthetic learner, the best ways to study for you are creating physical models of your content, or using role-play to reinforce your learning.

Auditory learners learn best by listening. If you are an auditory learner, you should practise reading your notes aloud or having discussions with friends to help you remember your study notes. Another option is recording your key notes and playing them back.

Visual learners learn best by seeing. If you are a visual learner, you should annotate your notes and draw diagrams to represent new concepts.

2. Revise regularly:

Revise your class content at least once a week. Regular revision has been proven to greatly reinforce memory of newly learnt concepts. Ways to review include quizzing yourself. This can be done effectively through the online website ‘Quizlet’- which allows you to create your own quiz about your notes and test yourself. Making study notes is also a reliant option. Base your study notes on your learning style.

3. Take breaks:

It is very important to take breaks to reinforce your learning. If you take a break, make sure to help yourself to a snack or physical activity. This can help you look at problems in a different way, and can help you solve them.

4. Avoid distraction:

To avoid distraction, use the app ‘SelfControl’. This app prevents you from visiting distracting sites such as Face Book whilst studying. You set a timer for a certain period of time while you are studying, and the app prevents you from distraction. I have personally tried this, and it is a great tool for staying focused.