Study Tips That Really Work Scientifically

Are you one of those chickens who reads a sentence from the course, lifts her head and repeats the same sentence in herself until she knows it outside? And by the time you reach the tenth sentence, you have already forgotten the first one and you have lost far too much time, right? Drop the chicken-without-head technique and try these tricks. Scientists will know what works…

1. Switch places

Do you know that feeling that you read a question about an item of study material at an exam and that you still know exactly where you were or what was said on the radio when you read it, but you can’t find the answer? That is because you make associations between the subject matter and the place and time of studying. If you study the same subject matter in different places, you make more and more associations and the memory becomes stronger. So try learning at home once, then in the library, with a friend or grandmother or in a coffee house.

2. Say it aloud

This is not in the library – of course – but at home, you can read your subject aloud. This is how you store the information in two ways: by seeing it and hearing it.

3. Make a story out of it

You can retell the story of a movie perfectly after you saw it once. Then why can’t you retell your biology lesson after reading it once? Because we remember storylines easier. Therefore, pour your subject material into a fun story.

4. Study when you are sleepy

We have always learned that you always have to do something other than study before you go to sleep. But according to a certain scientific theory, sleep strengthens your memories, which could help you study something that is difficult for you just before you go to sleep. Be careful: it is best not to lie down in your bed to learn because it could cause you to sleep poorly.

5. Write it down

The chicken-without-head technique is perhaps easy because you don’t need anything for it except your head, but you also easily lose your concentration. If you write while you learn, you stay busy and you will be less distracted. Moreover, research shows that we remember more when we write it down, more than when we type it, for example. Maybe it’s a good idea to rewrite those crumpled notes that you found at the bottom of your backpack?

6. Play student and teacher

Two techniques that will greatly help you to remember your subject matter are to ask yourself questions and teach your lesson to someone else. Test your knowledge by asking yourself questions about things you have already studied, for example when they are mentioned in a later chapter. Do you have to look back to know the answer? That is even good news because the harder it is to remember a bit of information while practicing, the greater the chance that you will eventually save it. By playing the teacher and giving your lesson to someone else, you test whether you really understand the subject matter. If you don’t find a volunteer who wants to listen to the history of the Romans, you can do it for a fictional audience.

7. Sign

Far too small black letters on a white background are super boring to look at. Drawings and colors stimulate our brains much more and help memorize. Get your creative side up and make a cheerful summary or just make drawings next to your course text.