The Ultimate Guide to Effective Studying:(Techniques That Always Work)
This is how I scored 9+ pointer (out of 10) in all semesters.
In this fast-paced busy world every field is becoming competitive. To beat competition, we need to be better than them at many things. Now I am not a big supporter of being competitive in nature, I advocate self-development. Becoming better yourself to the highest level possible is the best way to defeat the competition. Learning is the way that leads to self-development and growth. Whether you are doing a degree that will help you build a career, or a skill that will lead to appraisal or learning things that you enjoy, being effective is very important. There are many things that we wish to do in our life in the pursuit we have to sacrifice a lot of things but there are some things that cannot be sacrificed. Studies cannot be sacrificed. We all can’t drop out of college to follow our dreams or passion. This is where the importance of studying effectively pops up.
But Kunal, who are you to advise me?
Brags incoming..... brrrrrr(lol)
I had scored 86.04% in SSC boards and 91.50% in my HSC boards. These are good numbers compared to the absolute toppers who are state level toppers. I scored 9.7 sgpi in my first sem and 9.85 (not including my NSS points) in my second semester. I did this while being in almost all the societies of the college, participating in management of the activities while also maintaining a decent social life. I could enjoy my first year of college life because I didn't have to worry about my grades.
These are the study methods/Frameworks/Techniques that have helped me study less, score well and focus on things besides studies that matter to me.
Pomodoro technique
This is the technique that I live by and by many successful individuals too. In this method you work for a period of 25 minutes and then take a break of 5 minutes. If you're a beginner these 25-5 minute bouts would work good for you. As you level up you increase your duration by 5 minutes. You may or may not increase the duration of the break. If the work time increases then you should increase the duration of the break. This method can be used for almost any type of work. The reason the starting time is 25 minutes is because on an average people can focus for 25 minutes, after that the focus span decreases.
I set a timer of 25 mins then 5 mins break on my clock app. I also use the pomodoro app available on the play store.
Study dashboard
Study dashboard can be on a piece of paper or an online planner can be for the purpose. This basically acts as a guiding source to understand the level of your preparation. In this dashboard you write the name of the subjects you have vertically and write the number of the modules or chapters horizontally to the subjects.
Then use some colored pen to tick on the subjects of the chapters that you are done with. Mark with different colored pen on the chapter that you have studied once. Mark with red on the subjects or chapters that are difficult. This helps to understand the level of your preparation at a glance.
Ebbinghaus Method
This method was named after Herman Ebbinghaus who discovered the forgetful curve. After reading a material you forget it overtime if you don’t review it. It states that if you don’t use your learnings you’ll lose it. After a day or two you forget 75% of what you have learnt so to tackle this hopeless situation you should review your study material. Now you’d think that the blog is about studying effectively and all I am doing is telling them to revise everything that doesn't solve anything. But the thing is this is the exact opposite.
When you study the material for the first time you study the longest. The second revision takes half the time. The third revision takes even less and later on you need to only glance at the study material. After studying you remember things because the memory is fresh, as you review it again and again your brain signals that this information is useful, so it stores the information in your long term memory. By learning new neurons are formed and by reinforcing the connections by reviewing it becomes easier for them to fire and form a strong bond. It’s like building muscle. You repeat exercise and your memory becomes super strong.
Distraction sheet
Distraction sheet is a place where you dump all the things that pop up as you work. There are many small things that you remember while you study. If you like or enjoy studying then you will find less distractions, when you don't like it your brain will try to avoid it. This is why distraction pops up,
Anything that you do without the intention to do and does not align with your goals or values is a distraction. While studying we all face distractions caused by external or internal sources. When such distractions occur, writing them down on a piece of paper helps to keep the thought out of your mind. To avoid external distractions sit in a silent space if possible. If not use headphones.
Put your phone on airplane mode or do not disturb mode to avoid notifications.
Stay logged out of your social media and uninstall it if possible.
Study group
This one point is a maker or breaker of your effective study plan. You are the average of the 5 people you spend your time with. Likewise your grades are also the average of the type of people you stay with. Studying in a group has worked for me for the past 2 semesters. The people in my study group are the ones who are smart and serious about studies. The ones with whom I can pass time when I am bored, but when we study we focus on it. We lift each other up by teaching the concepts we had missed in the lectures. We explain to each other the subjects which we are expert at (Feynman Technique). There is an environment of no judgemental space where we focus on studies and personal growth. If you are struggling with finding good people to study with, study alone and keep looking. Never ever study with the wrong group.
Consistent routine
Having a consistent routine is something that works wonders in your life. Not just in studies but anything that you do. How often one should study depends totally on their course and difficulty. Experiment and find what's good for you and follow a routine that is easy to follow and that you can stick with.
TL; DR
Pomodoro technique
Study dashboard
Ebbinghaus method
Distraction sheet
Study group
Consistent routine
Until next time
Your Indian friend.
- Kunal “Studies well” Yadav