Danica Vermillion

If you can obtain and study the material in class over the semester, then you will end up doing much better on the final exam than someone who crams the day before the exam. But how can you get the most information from your classes?

Studying can be a daunting task for anyone. It becomes especially hard when you feel as if you haven’t learned anything during the class and then the final comes around and all of the procrastinating hits you at once.

It happens to the best of us. By understanding the way you learn best, you can find the best ways to study and obtain information. There are four main types of learning styles, and you could have more than one. Figure out which way works best for you. 

Visual: Being a visual learner entails thinking in pictures rather than in words. Visual learners learn best by observing graphs, tables, charts, maps, colors and diagrams. They also tend to learn holistically, instead of sequentially, or in parts. One of the benefits of being a visual learner is easily seeing the big picture and using it as connections to things.

Read and Write: Reading and writing learners learn primarily by reading and writing. They prefer to learn information by reading notes, handouts and textbooks. These learners make use of dictionaries and other reference materials to obtain information. They also benefit by rewriting notes and rereading notes silently again and again.

Auditory: Auditory learners are students who primarily learn more effectively by listening. They prefer listening to a lecture over reading a textbook, or hearing the instructions for a project instead of figuring it out hands-on. They do better when asked to describe something out loud than writing it down.

Kinesthetic: Kinesthetic learning’s primary premise is that a student learns best when shown simulations, presentations and videos or when moving around in a hands-on environment.

For long-term studying and class success, teachers agree that paying attention and actively taking notes can help you understand a topic better. By asking questions, you feel more engaged in what you’re learning.

If you don’t fully understand the topic that you are learning in class, have a set study time at home. Make sure that you give yourself a break between school and studying so that you don’t burnout, but have a designated time to study material from school. Get yourself into a healthy studying routine.

A study routine can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the workload you have. This study tip is also very useful if the teacher doesn’t teach in a way that you learn from. If they can’t accommodate your learning needs, you need to understand that you have to take it into your own hands to teach yourself.

One quick tips and tricks for finals is to do a timed form of studying. This method includes setting a period of time designated to studying in the way that fits your learning method best, then after the timer goes off taking a 10-30 minute break and then studying again. This method helps you study effectively without making you feel overwhelmed.

If you are also looking for a way to study notes that a teacher has given you, you can re-read and re-write the notes yourself, making any further notes that make you understand a topic better.

The last way to study that is very effective is to work with one or more people. By speaking and talking about the subject you can further your understanding by learning other people’s perspectives on a topic. You can also use this method to learn or practice a foreign language that you are learning by having a conversation with another person.