A month into spring semester and it’s that time again. What time, you may ask? Crunch time. Midterms. Papers. Labs. Stress. And many college students, like myself, feel overwhelmed when presented with multiple upcoming tests and no definitive way to study for them. Although I’m in my second year of college, I feel as though I haven’t fully mastered my studying techniques yet, and that by doing so, I could increase my chances of getting the grades I deserve (never mind, I forgot I go to BU…). Here are a list of some researched and proven ways to hit the books effectively, some more obvious than others.
Switch it up: Alternate study areas
That’s right. Although it may be tempting to go to your favorite carrel on the 3rd floor of Mugar, or to that same couch at the top of StuVi2, don’t stick to the same spot every time you need to study for an exam. Research has proven that switching study locations helps to improve retention of the material as well as the recall of it later on. Psychology of Learning Professor Fabio Idrobo has advice that is right on point with the research that has been done: “changing the environment” is key to associating a certain place with something specific learned. Next time there’s a big exam, try going to several places each day, like Mugar, Espresso Royale, the top of Shelton, or even staying at your dorm or apartment.
Bye-Bye Facebook: Improve time management
Not to beat a dead horse, but it’s quite obvious: Facebook and studying do not mix — not even taking a quick “break” and going on Facebook for fifteen minutes to write a status about how much you hate studying. It’s the ultimate form of procrastination; nobody can deny it. Plain and simple, just do whatever it takes to not log on while studying; it’ll pay off in the end.
Quality over quantity: Switch subjects
Instead of trying to cram 300 pages of your biology or economics textbook all at once, try dividing up the work you have. Set aside a certain amount to do at a given time, and don’t be afraid to study different concepts of the same subject to change it up. It’ll give your mind a break and probably reduce your Red Bull consumption at the same time.
Although some of these methods may seem obvious to college students, sticking to them is the hard part. Some other simple things to remember are to dress comfortably, to bring a snack to re-fuel your body and mind, and to set realistic goals of what you want to accomplish.
Lastly, from a learning psychology perspective, Professor Idrobo stresses that “the best level of comprehension is when you have the material and make use of it. You have the information and understand its meaning, and you try to reformulate it and say it in different ways. In terms of memory, you process the material at a much deeper level in terms of what it means.” With all these tips in mind, hit the books…but don’t let them hit you too hard back.
