Abigail Adams said “Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.” Studying is very helpful in preparing for quizzes, tests, and exams; and it’s important to have an effective study method especially throughout high school and the process of entering college.
You can start by preparing your environment. Eliminate distractions; Kong Tran, 12, says “don’t touch the phone”, “drink a lot of water and have – a little snack while you study”. Listening to music is also helpful in this area; Phyllis Medina, PhD, program director of psychology at University of Maryland Global Campus said “The right choice of music, such as instrumental or ambient music, can help block out distractions, improve concentration, and maintain attention during study sessions.”
We live in the digital age, which means on the internet there are tons of good resources that can be utilized. Ava Wolfe, 12, likes using Quizlet and also recommends Kahoot.
“Memorization is a very good, important thing to have,” says Liam Phillips, 12. For example, in math, there are lots of formulas and functions that need to be memorized. Tran claims to be a writing and memorizing person, who needs to write stuff down in order to memorize it. Which may also be helpful to others. Wolfe also uses rhymes and associations to help her memorize things. For example, when she memorized the state capitals, for Minneisota she would repeat the association “saint paul mini soda, like saint paul drank a mini soda”. Flashcards is another useful study method that should be put to use.
Group work is also very important. Phillip says to “have a friend help you study” because “you can give each other feedback and [it] helps you – grow a lot faster”. Wolfe agrees, “get together – and just go through everything”.
Jasmine Root, math teacher, and Phillips agree that when it comes to a test or finals to be more specific with your studying. It’s important to know what to study and what the main idea to focus on is so you can narrow it down. Also, make sure to ask questions if you are stuck or confused.
In addition, it’s essential “to have fun while you’re studying”. Phillip claims that “it’s very important to not get too bored while you’re studying” and to take “more time into learning things instead of goofing off”. Then Tran says to take about a “5 minute break every hour of learning”.
And finally, review, review, review. It’s so important to review all you’ve learned. Study “stuff bit by bit everyday and to [be] reviewing it weekly” is what Tran does. As well as not procrastinating with your studying. Wolfe says to “set aside the time”. Root agrees, “studying for the final doesn’t start the week before the final, it starts now”.
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