Five Study Techniques That Really Work

There are many study techniques to choose from, as not everyone learns in the same way. What works for you doesn’t necessarily work for someone else. Some people learn by seeing and others learn by taking notes, reading, or listening. In this article you will discover five study techniques that really work. You can even combine them!

Five study techniques that really work

1. Highlight all important parts

An article (Spanish link) from the National University of Distance Learning in Spain states that highlighting words helps you remember the most relevant parts of the information you read.

This makes it easier to manage the time as you can focus on what you have marked in a second reading. This way you can skip the unimportant.

Highlighting is a way to see through the most important things in a paragraph. Then, when you do a second reading, you will pay more attention to the marked parts.

2. Read out loud

The second study technique that works is reading aloud. By doing this you will focus your attention if you are bored with what you are studying. In addition, reading aloud helps you understand what you are studying and can be helpful if you need to remember something.

Overall, reading aloud allows you to repeat what is most difficult for you to understand, making it easier to explain with words. This is a very effective study technique that produces great results.

3. Write a summary

Many people study by making summaries of their studies. They love studying through these summaries. However, sometimes they find it difficult to know what is important and what is not. Therefore, our third study technique may be less successful than the first two.

After you’ve written a summary expressing in your own words what you’re studying, take the time to highlight the important parts of your text. This will make your summary more concise and easier to study.

4. Outline the outline of your study

Some people find it difficult to study through summaries. They believe it’s a step they can skip because aligning their study subject works better for them. This is the case with people who learn visually. If this is the case, you can see more clearly what is important and what is not.

All in all, outlines can help you understand important concepts in a short time. This way you can explain in your own words what you have learned. To make this possible, you have to read the entire program.

5. Use mnemo techniques

If you’ve found that outlines work best for you, but you still find some concepts difficult to learn, you can use mnemonic techniques. While this requires some training, they are extremely helpful.

For example, the Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism has a great testing strategy called PIRATE. This also works for people without autism spectrum disorders.

The PIRATE mnemotechnical method goes like this:

• P fix to succeed. (Prepare to succeed.)
• I nspect the instructions. (Read the instructions.)
• Read, remember, reduce. (Read, remember, reduce.)
• A nswer or abandon. (Answer or skip.)
• T urn back. (Go back.)
• E stimate. (Estimate.)
• S urvey. (Look after.)

When you have to take an exam, remember the PIRATE method, which is easier than memorizing the rest of the information. This last research technique can be used in many ways and it is great for remembering lists, for example when you go shopping.

Which of these study techniques that work do you use? Have you tried combining them? Try studying with any or all of these techniques or just know that you have other options if the techniques you are using don’t work for you.