Stephan Nigohosian 10: Optimizing My Studying

Have you ever studied for what seemed like forever, yet when you tried to remember what you studied the next day, you could barely remember anything after or during the test. Now, why is it that even though you put in all this time and effort, the information just didn’t stick for long. The issue with rote memorization, memorizing information based on repetition, is that it is not the most effective study method. Sure it helps you learn and recall facts and develop foundational knowledge, but it does not help a person with developing a deeper understanding of the subject or long term memorization. In this post, I will discuss methods that may or may not help you in your studies.

One method to possibly aid in retaining information is intermittent studying. This is the practice of studying over 30-minute intervals, taking short breaks and rewarding yourself after these intervals. This practice is believed to help a person stay focused on their studies, by breaking up studying into manageable intervals and positively reinforcing these studying habits through a reward system. The reward can vary from a snack to listening to a song.

The reward is meant to give you about a five-minute break so you can come back refreshed and re-energized, ready to take in more information. When I tried this method for the first time, I had my doubts, but I found that it actually made studying much easier for me. I didn’t find myself struggling to retain information as much, and I felt that I was able to stay focused on the material I was studying.

Another helpful and interesting tool that I found was to create a dedicated area of study. When I study for tests and quizzes, I’ll typically study in my room, but I’ll become distracted on some occasions. Apparently studying in a multipurpose room, such as a dining room, bedroom, or living room, as these rooms have environmental cues that distract your brain. For example in the dining room, you eat there, maybe talk there, the activities are endless. Over time, your brain will associate these rooms with these activities, so when you try to study in said rooms, it may become hard to focus on studying if your brain is thinking about the other activities you do there.

This is why it is important to create a designated study space free of distractions. Only use this space to study, so that the only environmental cue that this area will have, is for you to study. I’m currently in the process of setting up a study area, and I’m hoping that this will help reduce the distractions around me.  Are there any methods that you use in order to help you study?