4 Study Methods to Boost Your Learning

We know how difficult it is to study. It’s a skill in itself but we have put together a list of effective study methods to help you prepare for your exams. Here are 4 methods which you can apply to your study routine to make studying easier; the Protégé Effect, the Pomodoro Technique, the Feynman Technique and the Auditory Learning Technique. 

The Protégé Effect

The Protégé effect is where you learn the material by teaching it or pretending to teach it to others. It improves your learning process by increasing your metacognitive processing. Teaching can lead to increased use of learning strategies such as organising the material and seeking out key pieces of information. It can lead to increased motivation to learn as people often put in more effort to learn for those they are teaching rather than themselves. Teaching improves your communication skills, confidence and leadership ability, all of which are desirable traits when looking for employment.

The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management and productivity technique. It involves 25 minutes of focused work and rewarding yourself with a 5 minute break. This is called a Pomodoro. After completing 4 pomodoros you take a 15-20 minute break and begin the process again. The benefits of this technique are short breaks to help stay focused and prevent you from losing control of your thoughts and tracking daily progress improving self-awareness and productivity. 

Here’s how to use the Pomodoro method:

1. Plan your daily tasks and write them down in a to-do list or a daily diary.
2. Set the Pomodoro timer for 25 minutes.
3. Start working on the first task.
4. Finish working on the task when the timer rings.
5. Take a 5 minute break.
6. Repeat 3 more times.
7. Take a 15-30 minute break after 4 Pomodoro sessions.

The Feynman Technique

The Feynman Technique is a simple way of approaching anything new you want to learn. This is where you learn the information and are able to explain it in simpler terms or in a variety of ways. There are 4 steps to the Feynman method and are as follows:

1. Pretend to teach a concept you want to learn about to a child.
2. Identify the gaps in your explanation. 
3. Go back to your notes and textbook to better understand it. 
4. Organise and simplify.

Auditory Learning Technique

Auditory learning is when you retain information when it is presented throught sound and speech. There are 8 learning strategies and are as follows:

• Find a study buddy. Having a study buddy and verbally reinforcing will help retain the information and memorise details.
• Record classes or grinds. Before recording, always make sure you have permission from your teacher or tutor. Being able to go back over the content covered in the class will help you process the information better and take notes on the important information. 
• Sit near the front. Sitting at the front ensures that you can hear the teacher better and minimises distractions.
• Listen to lyric free music. Listening to lyric free music while studying limits distractions and allows you to focus on the information you are studying.
• Participate in class discussion. Voicing your questions will help increase your understanding of that topic. 
• Record yourself reading key terms and definitions out loud. Then listen to that recording while you are exercising, on the way to/from school or cleaning your room.
• Repeat facts out loud with your eyes closed. This helps you focus on the auditory process rather than visual stimuli.

Read your homework out loud. If you’re given an essay or a reading to do, it’s better to read it aloud. It will verbally reinforce what you are reading.