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Scientific ways to improve your studying

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There are tried and tested methods to improve a whole list of activities. You can attend clinics to monitor and improve your sleep, and you can follow scientific procedures to help you lose weight. ; There are whole schools of thought dedicated to raising your `happiness` levels, systems to improve your driving, and even courses promising to save your marriage.

With all these different systems, is there not a scientific method that promises to improve your studying? Is there a verified manner of working that tests have shown leads to better comprehension and understanding of academic subjects? Beyond the pithy maxim of `work harder for longer,` is there a way to tweak the efficiency of study time, in order to maximise the amount you will learn? The short answer is no, but the list below contains a few scientifically verified methods that may improve your studies.

1. Acquire your information from a variety of sources.

This doesn`t mean you should consult a list of different academics, in order to obtain a comprehensive and balanced overview of a certain topic - although this is probably a good idea. The advice is rather to study from textbooks, along with online resources, including websites, videos and podcasts, assuming of course these are available. The theory behind this variegated approach is that different forms of media stimulate different parts of the brain, and so aids understanding and retention.

2. Teach what you have learned to someone else.

By adopting the role of a teacher, perhaps to one of your peers, you will be compelled to view the subject from the point of view of someone who doesn`t understand it, and in doing so see it from another vantage point, which will improve your own understanding.

3. Study multiple subjects each day.

When revising many people pick a single subject to focus on, perhaps with the thought that with such undivided attention they will be able to make the best progress. Doug Rohrer, a lecturer in cognitive psychology, learning, and mathematical education at the University of South Florida, has challenged this view. In a paper published in 2012, he concluded that students assimilate more information if they study a number of subjects each day. The theory behind this is that the brain can become fatigued without variety, leaving it in a state uncongenial to learning.

4. Exercise before studying.

Neuroscientists have been aware of the link between exercise and brainpower for many years. A brief jog, a swim, or even a game of football, have all been shown to enhance learning ability and aid memory retention. Dr. Douglas B. McKeag, a leading physician who works at Oregon Health and Science University, has espoused the theory that exercising before classes or a study session can leave you more alert, and open to new information.

5. Relax.

This is perhaps the most important entry on this list. If you are stressed or worried you will not be able to significantly absorb new information. When we are anxious our body is, to a greater or lessor degree, in `fight or flight` mode. This means that we are more physically geared to escape a predator, than we are ready to assimilate information. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have found that even isolated stressful incidents can induce corticotropin-releasing hormones, which are known to significantly disrupt the process of creating and storing memories. To combat this they recommend regular breaks, engaging in exercise, and perhaps utilizing in meditation or mindfulness activities.

4 years ago
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