Studying is something that is imperative for students to do when attending a school. If they do not do it properly, their grade and future degree might be at stake. It can be hard to study though, as humans are likely to forget things easily if they are not remembered properly. Due to this, if a person incorporates specific study techniques which take advantage of the way the human brain remembers things, they are more likely to successfully prepare for an exam.

Studying on Campus to Jog a Student’s Memory

A technique I would recommend to another student who is studying for an exam would be to study on their campus. Humans are more likely to remember and recall things if they were in the same place they first learned it (Lilienfeld et.al, 2022). Due to this, studying on the campus where they first learned the content they are trying to understand is helpful. In doing this, they are likely to remember what they studied for the test, as they will be taking the test in the same place they are studying. Additionally, when studying, they may remember something they forgot about, due to being in the same area where they learned the content first.

Studying Consistently

Another technique I would suggest to a student who needs to study for an exam would be to study consistently. If someone rehearses information, the duration in which it remains in your mind will be longer than if someone looked at a piece of information once (Lilienfeld et.al, 2022). To better one’s study time and help them in remembering the information that they must know in order to do well on an exam, they should constantly study what they learned. Additionally, they should do that on a regular basis as one day filled with constant review is not as beneficial as reviewing one hour every day.

Why These Techniques are Better

When studying, students might use conventional study methods such as rote memorization, highlighting, and cramming. However, those methods are not the best in comparison with the ones mentioned earlier. The ones that were mentioned earlier, studying on campus to jog a student’s memory and studying consistently, are designed to work with the way the brain works. In contrast, some of these conventional study methods work against the mind.

Rote Memorization Doesn’t Work Well

A person might regard rote memorization as something that works because it consists of memorizing something, but in reality, it really does not work well (BetterHelp Editorial Team, 2023). Instead, it is just repetition in a short amount of time. In order to learn properly while utilizing a repetition method of study, it has to be repeated over time, not constantly in one day. This is the fault of rote memorization, instead of evenly studying a piece of material over time, it encourages to just repeatedly study the same thing over and over again.

Highlighting is Useless

Another study method that may not work would be highlighting. In fact, highlighting can be useless as it also goes against how our mind works. More specifically, it goes against priming which is the “Ability to identify a stimulus more easily or more quickly when [someone has] previously encountered similar stimuli.” (Lilienfeld et.al, 2022). If someone highlights information in their textbook with a key, it might be helpful for finding information in the book. Those terms, however, will not be highlighted on their exam so, their natural priming towards recognizing what they studied will be interrupted.

Cramming May Not Work

Finally, in regard to cramming, if someone only studies on one day, that will then go against the way the brain learns. The brain works best when information is repeatedly drilled into the mind over a space of time. Actors in theater prepare for their performance over many months by rehearsing lines, practicing the proper choreography, and doing dress rehearsals. A proper show could not be put on if the actors did all this the night before, that would result in a mess. Applying this to studying, a person cannot cram the knowledge they need to know all in one day as they will most likely forget things and not be prepared to take their exams.

Final Thoughts

Study methods that embrace the way the human brain works will most likely properly prepare students for an exam. Methods that don’t, however, will only make the study process for an exam harder. If a student wants to do well on their exam, their best option is tailoring their study habits to the way their mind works.

References

BetterHelp Editorial Team. (2023). Why Rote Memory Doesn’t Help You Learn | Betterhelp. http://Www.betterhelp.com. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/memory/why-rote-memory-doesnt-help-you-learn/

Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., & Namy, L. L. (2022). Psychology: From inquiry to understanding (5th ed.). Pearson.