The exams cause anxiety because the result of the evaluation can condition the qualification to take another subject, so it is advisable that you start studying well in advance
Far from being a universal method, the following tips work better than others. They are part of a new book by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III and Mark A. McDaniel, from the prestigious Harvard University.
It is called “Make It Stick: The Science of Succesful Learning” and focuses on how to learn how to retain that important data that we will need sooner or later.
Those responsible for the text condemn techniques such as underlining, highlighting with fluorescent colors and non-stop repetition as used less and counterproductive techniques.
In exchange for criticism, they point to the following recommendations as 100% effective:
1. Make notes by hand
Yes, we already know that writing on your laptop, on your tablet or on your cell phone is a thousand times faster. But guess that?
Harvard specialists say that the extra time it takes to write by hand influences how much you manage to retain knowledge.
Writing with pencil and paper requires more time but forces to reflect on what you do. That first instance helps you think and visualize the information; On the contrary, when you only transfer the information to your electronic device, you do not analyze it while doing it.
2. Take time to study several subjects at the same time
You have to learn to organize yourself so that you can learn different subjects at the same time. The authors claim that this way of studying alternating between a subject and promotes retention and facilitates the understanding of what was read.
At first it can make you think that you studied less than you really did and you will be pleasantly surprised when you realize how effective this method is.
3. Allow time between your study hours
Learning all at once in an eternal session of 9 hours in a row does not work. That information will disappear days or hours after the exam.
To retain what you have learned, have a couple of hours go by in your study moments to let the information rest and avoid unnecessary bingeing.
4. Do not read things a thousand times
Do not get confused: spending hours and hours rereading the same textbook will not record the lines in your brain. It is better to devote less time to reading and more to mental recollection; This way you can focus on the retention and you will remember it later.
5. Face challenges
Studying always simple and familiar exercises is more comfortable, but the real way to learn is when you are forced to solve a problem or answer a new question. In this way they will facilitate learning later. For this it is very useful to study in groups to ask each other questions to remember what they have learned.
