Ways to make learning easier

HAVE you ever thought about how learning works? If you’re just hitting the books, you may be missing out – even if you have an excellent memory for text. Here are some useful tips.

1) Listen in class We remember what we hear but to be honest, aural memory for most people isn’t perfect – especially if you’re not sure of the subject or if the lecture goes on too long.

The trick is to look at the learning guide before you go in and to focus on listening to the most important part of the lecture. If you’re not sure, ask your teacher to always present a “what you should take away from this class” section at the end of class.

2) Read the book Read over the material as soon as you can after the class. Even if it’s a quick read, it will still reinforce what you’ve just heard. This helps “fix” information in your long-term memory. If you have a highlighter, and the book is your own, highlight important sections. This will boost your visual memory.

3) Talk to someone about the subject Discussion aids memory, especially if it promotes understanding. It will also help you work through different approaches and to bring in background information that may be pertinent.

Ideally, this discussion should be someone who’s getting slightly better grades than you so you get a bit of an extra tutorial while you’re talking.

4) Test yourself by pretending you’re writing an answer to an exam question You may or may not want to write it out. For some people, walking through it verbally is enough to pinpoint areas where you’re still a bit shaky about the subject.

5) Teach what you’ve learned Seriously, when you’re standing up and giving a presentation and having questions thrown at you, you will know your limitations. Don’t be shy – but ask your audience to be kind and remind them it will be their turn next.