Nowadays, it seems like our schedules are jam-packed from school, to extracurriculars, to work, to just wanting some time to relax. And, somewhere in there, you’re expected to complete homework, study for quizzes or exams, and just generally be expected to be successful in your academic endeavors. Often, it seems like all of this is impossible. That’s where the concept of study smarter, not harder comes into play. If you’re feeling stuck on how to start studying for an exam, or looking at your notes and feeling overwhelmed on where to start, the Study Cycle can be a great way to start to help you chunk your study habits.
Chunking your study sessions means that instead of studying a large portion of notes, assignments, or your textbook all at once, you break this down into smaller, more manageable “chunks.”
Multiple studies have shown that chunking your work in this way is the best way to learn and, importantly, retain information (and not stress about the amount of material you need to cover before a big test). A great way to chunk your studying is to use the Study Cycle:
When using the study cycle, your work is chunked into shorter intervals of time that encompass events before, during, and after your class or lecture. By breaking your work into these smaller timed events, this can automatically help you feel like you aren’t spending hours on end studying for one course, and, you’re actually making a better use of your time – again, study smarter, not harder! So let’s break these events down a bit more:
- Preview – this should be occurring BEFORE you attend your class; say, the night before, or if you have a longer break between classes, right before a lecture. During this 10-15 minute interval, your job is to skim material. This could mean you preview the chapter listed in your course syllabus, review the notes your instructor has provided before class, or find a couple of 5 minute videos on YouTube that discuss the topic you’ll be learning about in class. While, or after skimming material, jot down what you think are the top 3 key points of the material. And remember it’s okay if you don’t fully grasp the concepts discussed, don’t necessarily write down the correct key ideas, or still feel a little lost after this. The important part is that you have primed your brain to be ready for the information you’re about to learn in lecture, and priming helps you focus better on the new material you’ll be covering.
- Attend Class – a “duh” point, right? But, it stands to be said, you’ve got to attend your class. Going to class, taking notes, participating in discussions, and asking questions of your instructor is the most important thing you can do to help yourself learn. Most of us can’t just read a textbook and be experts in the field; we need to engage with professionals and our peers who can help us understand and visualize the concepts being taught.
- Review – this should happen RIGHT AFTER class, or, as soon as possible (after the school day, at lunch, during a break in practice or another class). During this chunk of time, review the notes you took in class that day. Did you write down something that doesn’t make sense? Highlight or star it to come back to later. Jot down questions that come up, or make a note of where you remember feeling confused in class. Doing this will help you better organize your study time and help you focus on those areas that might be more of a challenge for you.
- Study – we’ve finally reached the point we classically think of as preparing for a test. You’re reviewing your notes, you’re completing homework assignments, you’re cramming information into your head and hoping it sticks. But, instead of doing this the night before your test, you should be doing this multiple times a week PER class. So, for example, say you have a class that meets twice a week, you should try to plan 4, 30-60 minute sessions every week. These can look different throughout the week: maybe you’re completing homework at the beginning of the week, and later in the week you’re reviewing old assignments and notes, clarifying information using the textbook, or even using this to schedule a time to meet with your instructor for additional support. You can also schedule tutoring sessions with Pinnacle Tutoring! The main point is that you’re still chunking your work here, not cramming for multiple hours at a time. Here are some tips that can help you with using the most of these study sessions:
- Treat your homework like a practice test. Most teachers give you multiple tries on online homework. Try answering the question without your notes. Got it wrong? No big deal, now use your notes on the next attempt. Still got it wrong? Cool, flag that question and see if you can get extra support from your instructor or a tutor on that question. This way of doing your homework will ensure that you are being an active participant in your learning! While it might take you a little longer to finish your homework, you’ll be retaining information better, which saves you time when it comes to studying for the exam. A win, win!
- Keep your homework/study sessions short. Focus on your work for 30-60 minutes, then take a break. Studies show that our brains are actually really bad at focusing on information for long stretches of time, so stepping away from your homework/study sessions to get a snack, play a quick game on your phone, talk to a family member, exercise, etc. can be really helpful for you keeping your brain fresh and ready to work
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Reach out to your instructor, or take your questions to a tutoring session to get extra support. YouTube is also a great resource – there are tons of channels designed to quickly provide information on all sorts of topics!
- Test (yourself) – Okay, you’ve been working hard, following the study cycle, and the big test day is approaching. Are you ready? Ask yourself “could I teach these concepts to someone else?” and try it! Get together with a friend from class and try to explain some of the more difficult concepts, or, just talk it through with yourself to see if you are comfortable with the information you’ve been working so hard on. This is also a great time to try to draw out concepts, or think about how you would explain this to someone who has never heard of the concept before. This portion of the Study Cycle also includes the actual test you’re taking in your course, which, you’ll be able to see how well your studying habits worked for you once you’ve gotten your score back. Happy with the score you got? Great! You’ve found a method that works for you, keep using it as you progress through your course. Not so happy with your score? That’s okay too! Use this to review how you studied and truly reflect on what you did to prepare.
- Could you have previewed the material before class differently? Are there tips a peer from class could share that worked for them?
- Did you attend all sections of your class? Were you engaged or just going through the motions? Did you ask questions during or after class on concepts that were stumping you?
- How active were you during the studying process? Were you just trying to get through your 30 minute block and finish your work as fast as you could rather than taking time to use your notes, outside resources, help from the instructor or tutoring sessions to truly understand the material?
Implementing the Study Cycle might be a big change from your normal approach to learning. And if so, it might take some time to get used to this new study method. Remember, habits take time to form! If you’re feeling uncomfortable with this method, or like it’s too overwhelming to change all at once, start small. Maybe you just start previewing material before class, or you try chunking your study sessions into smaller portions throughout the week. You don’t have to make big changes to see big results, but I promise that implementing some of these tips is a sure-fire way to start improving in your learning!