How do you find a better way of studying ?
I think there is more than one way of learning, so in order to help produce better grades. Better study habits are necessary, I want better grades. #higher-education #japan #principal #elementary-education #middle-school #creative-direction
3 answers
John H.’s Answer
Hi, Michael: I'm impressed by your eagerness to do well in school. I know from personal experience that it's a challenge to find the best way to study to get good grades. I struggled to find the most efficient method, but after a while, I figured out how best to master material. However, everyone has his or her own best and natural strategy. So, you need to think back to what has worked and what hasn't in your experience so far. Do you spend time by yourself in a quiet space or do you work in small study groups? How do you memorize facts and figures? Do you use flash cards, tricks, clues, games to remember things? What seems to work best for you so far? Also, think about things that come easiest to you: do you know all the lyrics to favorite songs? If so, how did you master the words? Are you an athlete on a team sport? How do you learn all the plays? Maybe you're a musician learning new music. Think about your most recent success and how you made that happen. Of course, some subjects will be easier than others -- if you like history and english more than chemistry and math, well, that will tell you something about which subjects will take more work to master. There's a good book entitled "Soar with Your Strengths" by Don Clifton that might give you some clues. Sure, you can get good ideas from teachers and friends about good ways to study. Ultimately you have to find what works for you. I know this doesn't give you specific directions, but I hope you don't feel that you have to do it one way. Keep trying different ways to study and when you find something that works, stick to it . . . I think you'll find that is the way to go.
Best of luck!!
Shelby’s Answer
First off, if you're a visual learner, then try looking up video explanations online. One of my favorite resources is Khan Academy, as it has lots of information on a lot of different topics. The videos do move somewhat fast though, so I also suggest looking for YouTube channels that discuss the subject you want to study.
If you learn best by working with the subject, I would try and contact your teacher/professor and see if there are any extra problems or exercises that they suggest will help with studying. Furthermore, there are many websites that give exercises and won't give you an answer until you request to see it. That way, you can try the problem individually and then check your work.
If you learn auditorily, try and see if there is a way for you to record lectures. In my experience, most teachers/professors won't let you do this. I do not suggest trying to do it if they tell you not to. Instead, maybe see if there are any podcasts or, again, YouTube videos, that you can listen to for extra help.
As some basic tips, I suggest using flashcards for memory, rewriting notes to solidify comprehension, and coming up with your own exercise problems to see how questions are formulated from the ground up. I know a lot of these tips are geared towards a math perspective, which is the area I teach in, but there are ways to manipulate what I've said to work for most any subject. Try whatever works best for you, I hope this helps!
Cecile’s Answer
First of all, true studying for learning isn't easy. It's something one has to adjust to, get used to and then it just becomes a part of life. I don't know if you are in high school or college, but either way, studying takes deliberate work. Studying is about learning new sets of skills and not just having quick isolated answers to stuff you plan to forget as soon as possible. What I've noticed is that students don't connect the building of skills with learning and studying. But to reach that high paying/fascinating career you mostly likely want, you must know how to learn and to check your learning. Learning is never done in those high paying jobs, by the way.
Here is a link that might help get you started. I think it's great that you are asking this question. The big trends in teaching and learning these days, at least at the college level, are Mindset and Grit. After checking in with the videos I'm alerting you to, you might want to get hold of the ideas of fixed and growth mindset. There is at least one TedTalk about growth mindset (possibly with Dr. Carol Dweck) and there is a seminal one on grit, or resilience--not giving up, by Dr. Angela Duckworth.
These qualities can make or break a student. Even economists are wondering why kids who score high on the SAT, for example, drop out of college just as the more mediocre students do. This is in part because they are not used to pushing through difficulties in learning. This is where you want to understand the differences between fixed and growth mindsets.
Here is a link to the first video in the Beliefs that Make You Fail or Succeed when studying. (I think he changed the title from Beliefs that make stupid...) If the link doesn't work, just look up Dr. Stephen Chew on youtube.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjIpcyh7LPPAhVF4yYKHcQfDKMQtwIIKzAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRH95h36NChI&usg=AFQjCNGeX2JhCr0k7Of9wAn_BMAeZkwn-A&sig2=ZkazX8tPULzB_8VG6og05w
And here is a link to an article on Mindsets. Do more than you are comfortable with and dig into this information. Anyone who is willing to work hard can grow their intelligence. Things won't get easier, but you can get smarter about your learning process. Good luck.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/
As for planning study time, know that when you plan deliberately, you can also fit in fun time and time to do nothing. But you have to plan with a dayplanner or it's just so much daydreaming.
Lastly, although it is like going down a rabbit hole, you might want to look up the topic of learning and studying at the website Pearltrees. That's where people publicly collect and share information on all sorts of topics.
Again, the best to you.