A well-structured study lesson can be the difference between retaining the information needed, or not retaining it and having essentially wasted a period of critical time. Here are five incredibly effective ways to structure your study sessions.
Step 1: Find Your Study Style
Knowing not only how you like to study, but also how you study most effectively is an important first step in knowing how to structure your study sessions. Study styles can be:Visual Learning ~ learning through looking at informative images, diagrams and infographics.
Aural Learning ~ learning through hearing and listening. For example, recording and listening back to lessons, or listening to white noise or rain while studying.
Verbal Learning ~ learning through speaking and reading. For example, you might learn best from listicles and blogs.
Physical Learning ~ learning through doing. When it comes to studying, simply printing online resources and holding the paper, or holding your study books can be helpful.
Logical Learning ~ learning through creating systems. For example, mind maps and index cards may be the best study style for you.
Step 2: Set Realistic Study Goals
Knowing that you need to study, but not setting measurable study goals, can result in ineffective and potentially aimless study. Study goals don’t need to be large and daunting, and in fact, work best when they’re broken down into bite-sized chunks that can be tackled easily.
Study goals may look like:
~ Attend 5 classes this term
~ Take practice exam 1
~ Attend lecture 1
~ Read 5 class-relevant books
Step 3: Structure Your Study Time
Studying is an intensive activity, and breaking structuring it is essential to having a good and meaningful session. The key to a well-structured session is to include breaks. These breaks can be between 10-20 minutes and should be scheduled every 45 minutes to an hour.
It’s important that during your breaks, you do nothing but relax and let your mind re-group. Picking your phone up and scrolling through social media can have the opposite effect to rest, and can cause strain on your brain.
Step 4: Create Your Study Zone
When studying, you need to ensure that your environment is conducive to an effective session. In order to do this, you should establish a zone that’s dedicated solely to study. This zone should be away from distractions - such as the TV - and should be in a quiet area, either in your house or a library.
Leave your phone in another room (or put it on silent) when in your study zone, and limit your accessories to only essential items ~ such as a notepad, pen, highlighters, a ruler and your computer. This will help you avoid not only distractions but also clutter.
Step 5: Track and Review Your Progress Daily
The only way to ensure you’re improving is to make note of, and track, your progress. A few helpful methods are:
Study Planners
Blocking out study sessions in a study planner, and allocating time to each (such as maths - 45 minutes) can help you stay focussed and on track. Ticking off completed sessions and reviewing your daily progress is key.
Evernote
If you work best in a digital environment, you can use online tools such as Evernote to plan your sessions and keep track of all online references. In Evernote, you can take notes effectively in a style that works best for you.
These steps are all simple and easy to implement, but when used together can help with creating - and maintaining - an effective study session.