Do you also want to get off to a good start this academic year? Below are seven tips for studying effectively.
1. Always go to college
The first tip is simple and effective, but requires the necessary discipline: always go to college! The lecture series will give you a cross-section of the material, cut into a number of more or less equal parts. Prepare the lecture well and ask questions. If that is not possible immediately (large lecture hall, follow lectures online) you can at least be alert during the presentation to the answers to your questions.
2. Structure of the fabric
The human memory is made up of different parts, roughly the short and the long term memory. By making smart use of the structure and operation of the memory, you can remember more with less effort. The short-term memory has a limited capacity. That is why it is better to study in phases instead of doing everything in one go, so that you have the time to store the material in your long-term memory. The long-term memory is hierarchically structured (similar to an organization chart). By also structuring the material hierarchically you can remember it more easily.
3. Visualize the substance
Research shows that people remember a text sufficiently in the long term if they read it carefully six times. Most people, especially part-time students, cannot afford the time and concentration required for this. By visually summarizing the material you can let the (essence of the) material pass six times without having to read the entire text six times word by word. For example, draw a map of the fabric with an overview of the various components and the relationships between them.
4. Study in a suitable space
Provide a study room with a comfortable temperature and good light. Daylight is best, but if it is not there, it should at least not only be light from fluorescent tubes or energy-saving lamps based on it. Your nervous system does not experience neon light as light, so it causes your body to sleep.
There must, of course, be as little distraction as possible. It is not true that contemporary students would be better able to process parallel information flows. At most they are more used to doing that. Studying is best done alone, in a quiet environment and without telephone and internet.
5. Make sure you are physically and mentally fit
Studying is a top sport: the brain uses a lot of energy. It is said that studying well per hour costs as much energy as running. Either way, it's "the fitter the better," but it's better not to overdo it. If you exercise too strongly, less energy is left for the brain. So do not study on sports days or do not exercise on study days.
If you have things on your mind, it is, of course, more difficult to concentrate. Sometimes it is better to solve it first and then start studying. Please note that you are not going to SOG: it is a well-known phenomenon that all kinds of peripheral matters gain enormously in importance when you have to study. You can solve that by taking this into account in your planning. For example, schedule time to do some laundry or do the shopping before you go to college. Put a to-do list within reach during your studies. If you then think of things that you still have to do, you write them down there, then they are out of your mind and you can schedule them later.
6. Make a realistic schedule
Many students think they are busy, but they do not have a good idea of what they are spending their time on. If you keep a logbook for a few weeks and write down twice a day what you have done every hour, you will be surprised how much time you can free up. If it turns out that you do not have enough time to learn the entire material well, it is better to learn half of the material very well than half the entire material. Firstly, there is a good chance that you will pass the exam if you know half the material well. And if you don't pass the exam, you only have to learn the other half for the resit. If you have learned half the material, you will soon forget it and there is a good chance that you will have to study it again later.
7. Choose courses that you find really interesting
Many students have an extrinsic motivation for their studies. For example, they want to reach the highest level, live up to parents' expectations or experience peer pressure to do a certain study. It is quite possible to ultimately obtain a higher professional or university degree based on extrinsic motivation. But only if you are intrinsically motivated, so that you do not have to, but want to learn, are you able to study effectively. Therefore always choose courses that really interest you.
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