Your Study Toolkit: Study Methods That Work | Advocacy & Welfare
By Anastasia Craig
Assessment periods can get overwhelming, and keeping up with all of your units can feel like an endless battle. Studying sounds simple, but how do you actually do it? How can you study effectively to ace your assessments and stay on top of your unit content? In this article, we’ll break down 4 proven study methods that will help you throughout your degree.
Try them out, experiment, and discover what works for you!
Your Study Toolkit:
Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique involves using timed intervals of work to maximise focus. Here’s how to use it for yourself! Pick a task and set a timer for 25 minutes. For the duration of the timer, only focus on your selected task. If your mind begins to wander, take a note on a separate piece of paper and come back to it during your break if it’s urgent. After the 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break. You’ve done one Pomodoro! After every four Pomodoro’s, take a longer 30-minute break, then rinse and repeat until your task is done.
Set timers on your phone or your laptop, or if you work better with music, find specific Pomodoro playlists on YouTube to help you stay focused. Experiment with slightly longer or shorter intervals and find what works for you!
Spaced Repetition
Spaced Repetition combats the forgetting curve, centring around reviewing information at increasingly longer intervals. This technique pairs especially well with flashcards. Some free-to-use flashcard software like Anki, have built-in spaced repetition features. Make use of this software to make your own flashcards or do up a review schedule for your notes. Here are some basic guidelines to help you work out a review schedule.
- 1st repetition- 1 day after
- 2nd repetition- 7 days after
- 3rd repetition- 16 days after
- 4th repetition- 35 days after
Blurting Method
The Blurting Method is very similar to a memory dump. It’s all about active recall. The idea is to quickly read over your textbook, notes, or other study aids about the topic you want to focus on. Then, without the help of your study materials, write down as much of the content as you can remember. It doesn’t have to be in order or be neat, just write down what comes to mind. Afterwards, compare what you’ve written with your original content and evaluate how you went. This method will help highlight where the gaps are in your knowledge, allowing you to focus in on problem areas for your future study sessions. Active recall is more effective for transferring information into long-term memory than just passively re-reading your notes. So next time, challenge yourself with a little brain dump!
Feynman Technique
The Feynman Technique is a four-step process not too different from the blurting method. It also focuses on active learning over just passive information absorption. The Feynman Technique can be used by following these four steps:
- Learn about the concept
- Teach it to yourself or a friend
- Refer to the source material when stuck
- Simplify your explanations
On top of these different methods, some lifestyle tips are also proven to help increase information retention and boost energy. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep regularly per night, drinking enough water and regularly exercising can enhance your ability to focus and process your course content.
Incorporate one of these methods into your next study session! Find what works for you and watch your productivity grow.
UNE has many support services available to you to help you do your best work. Wanting to brush up on specific skills related to academic writing, reading journals or editing work? Check out the Academic Skills Office. For 1st year students, reach out to the First Year & Academic Advisors for assistance specific to your academic school.
If study feels overwhelming and you’re struggling to establish a routine, reach out to UNE’s Counselling and Psychological Services to talk about their ‘Study Gym’ sessions.
Contact Advocacy and Welfare and chat with an advocate today to get the support you need.
