Students – Want to know how to ace your next test? There’s new research that shows that you might not need to spend more time studying, but you do need to study differently.
Let’s take a quiz. James and John are identical twins taking the same Biology class. In fact, they even study for the same amount of time, yet James earned an A on the exam last Friday and John got a C+. Why the difference? Here’s what happened:
John–
- Studied diligently for three hours on Thursday night.
- Reread his notes, read the text book, and reviewed the study guide.
- Conscientiously studied in his room for the entire block of time.
James –
- Studied for three hours, but parsed the time out over four evenings, Monday-Thursday.
- Used his notes, an old quiz, and the study guide to create a practice test for himself.
- Conscientiously studied in different locations, including Starbucks and the library.
Have you figured out why James outperformed John? Here are the reasons:
Eighty-four percent of students study by rereading, just like John did. That’s a high percentage of kids! The problem is that rereading is the most ineffective way of studying there is. Why? Because reading is visually taxing and is the hardest way in which the human brain learns information. Reading is also passive. It’s kind of like learning to play basketball while watching your coach play. It won’t work. Research shows that the number one way to study is to make a practice test. Try to predict what your teacher may have on the exam. Look at your study guide, pull out old quizzes, find important parts of your notes, and ask others in your class what they think is important. Then, create a practice exam.
Okay, so now we know that James’s studying was far more interactive, but what else did he do right?
James used a concept educators call “distributed practice.” In other words, he did not cram. He spread out three hours of studying over four days, 45 minutes per night. This works for two reasons. The first is that James likely reviewed the material multiple times gaining more familiarity with it. Secondly, and most importantly, he slept on it. That’s right, sleep helps you learn. Your brain is actually more active at night than during the day. During sleep, you replay the day’s events in your head. You rehash the information you learned. In James’s case, he cemented Biology in his brain through sleep FOUR times, not just one, like John. He remembered more on test day because he reviewed it more often and had far more memories stored in his brain from sleep.
John worked very hard to study for his exam and even skipped soccer practice on Thursday evening to put in extra time. He sequestered himself into his room, studying for three hours without a break. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is! But although John tried to make himself focus, he found that the things in his room (laptop, phone, music) got him off task. James, on the other hand, knew that when boredom set in, he needed shorter study periods or a different place to study. He found, through trial and error, that he was more focused when he studied at locations other than his own house. In other words, James had the concept of “metacognition” (knowledge about when and how to use particular strategies for learning) down pat. He knew what helped him to focus and what hindered him. In the end, it wasn’t more time that John needed to perform better; he just needed to use his time differently.
Review Right Before Bed
Studies show that you remember more when you take 10-15 minutes to review what you studied or learned earlier in the day just before you go to sleep. This doesn’t mean that you should do all your studying just before bedtime, but it does mean that reviewing those notes again just a few minutes before bedtime allows you to process the information as you sleep.
Exercise Improves Focus
Thirty minutes of cardio a day, 4-5 days a week is an optimal strategy to improve learning. Aerobic exercise can improve focus as much as a low dose of a stimulant medication to treat ADHD. If you are a student athlete, study on the bus or the car as you travel home from an event. Consider studying right after practice, too. And if you don’t play a sport, run with your dog or shoot some hoops right before you sit down to do schoolwork.
Use a Scent While Studying and Sleeping
Smell is a powerful study tool – it’s true! Research shows that if you have the same smell when you study and sleep, you’ll remember more. When you’re studying, plug in an Airwick or have some type of scent nearby. Put that same scent by your bed while you sleep. Your brain will associate the scent to the material you studied earlier in the day. You will encode that information as you sleep.
Napping, Breaks, and Memory
Most people need to sleep 7.5-9 hours per night in order to encode memories, but teenagers typically need more, about 9.25 hours. Thirty minute afternoon naps can help, because your brain actually goes into a sort of sleep pattern in the early afternoon. Be sure these afternoon siestas aren’t too long since extended naps can interfere with sleep at night.
Breaks also help. In fact, studies show that students remember more when they have breaks between study sessions that when studying straight through for an extended period of time. Having downtime allows your brain to review information even when you don’t think you’re really processing it!
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