Have you ever studied a day before an assessment test by pulling an all-nighter, only to forget a significant portion the following day? Unfortunately, it is more common than you may think. We at Excelsior American School, a well-known school in Gurgaon, have noticed that some students try to cram information in one sitting, hoping to clear their assessments with good marks. While this approach may work for a select few, the majority experience disappointment and failure. Even if you start studying a week before exams, you may still experience something similar.
It is a routine experience for students who don’t follow a defined study habit and prefer an unstructured, random approach. The only solution to this problem is to follow study habits rooted in science for better retention. Following these habits makes it easier for the brain to encode, store, and retrieve information at the right time. So, in this blog post today, we are highlighting some of the best science-backed study habits that can help boost your retention power, enabling you to ace every examination. So, let’s explore each study habit shared below:
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Active Recall for Long-Term Retention
Even if you don’t follow it yet, you must have heard about it at least once from the top performers or class toppers. Unlike passively re-reading study materials, this study habit requires you to actively try to remember the information you’ve just learned, without looking at your notebooks or other materials. You can think of it like testing yourself by covering the answers.
This study habit works for students because whenever you try to recall information, you strengthen your brain’s neural pathways that were created during the learning process. The key to success with this study habit is consistent implementation. You can practice it using the ‘question method.’
Start by reading a particular lesson/section/concept, then instantly close the book. Now, ask yourself, ‘What were the main points?’ Write everything you remember and then check notes to fill in the gaps. While practicing this technique, avoid checking the notes too frequently for better results.
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Spaced Repetition to Avoid Mental Overload
We at Excelsior American School have seen that some students struggle throughout their academic journey because they try to learn everything at once instead of evenly distributing it over a reasonable duration. If you can relate to this, we recommend following the spaced repetition technique.
This study habit follows the same approach as watering a plant. Just like you don’t dump all the water at once but space it out over time, you spread your study sessions at frequent intervals. The interval or rest phase helps your brain strengthen memories so you don’t continue forgetting what you learned. It can help you retrieve the learned information when you need it without placing an extreme mental load on your brain.
If you’ve never practiced spaced repetition before, start by following the 24-hour rule. Whenever you learn something new, review it once within 24 hours, then after 3 days, and then after a week. You can gradually increase the intervals for better retention.
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Elaborative Rehearsal for Creating Patterns and Connections
We at Excelsior American School recommend this technique to every student because it not only helps retain information but also brings the students closer to becoming subject matter experts. This method encourages students to connect new information to things they already know, creating a web of connections in their minds. Since the brain loves such patterns and connections, retrieving information via multiple pathways becomes easier.
This technique only works if you stop studying isolated topics and structure your study into topic clusters. The more you practice it, the more you’ll start understanding the topics better. Additionally, this practice creates multiple neural pathways for single topics, making it much easier to retrieve information from any of these pathways.
If you want to improve your retention using this method, we recommend implementing this habit using the ‘analogy approach.’ It requires you to compare complex concepts to simple, everyday things. You can then create memorable metaphors for each topic and draw/sketch these connections for easy learning.
Conclusion
We at Excelsior American School, a highly trusted school in Gurgaon, have noticed that sometimes, students don’t struggle academically because they aren’t aware of useful study techniques or habits but because they don’t understand the rationale behind those habits. Knowledge of the underlying mechanism makes it easier for students to better implement those techniques in their daily study routine and see results. Thus, if you, too, have been studying without a proper plan, structure, or habit, we recommend you to pause and create one.
You can start by incorporating any one of the study habits discussed above. Since you now know why these habits work, you won’t struggle sticking to them for an extended period. We recommend starting with only one habit and sticking to it for at least a month before deciding to change. No two students have the same learning attributes, so start with a habit that speaks to you the most and stick to it if it gives you results.
