Most efficient way to study?

RoRo979

hi, so my subjects are:
irish(H)
maths(H)
english(O)
business(H)
economics(H)
engineeing(H)
geography(H)

what is the best way to study for these subjects, so far i have been writing notes and am preparing to learn what i have soon, however people are telling me that they dont bother writing notes they just learn. I, luckily, have a good memory, so im wondering is it more efficient for me to just read a book and learn or to write my own notes and learn them? in the long run which one is actually most time efficient, the subjects im mainly talking about is geography, irish and business and i will need to write alot of notes for these subjects. Thanks

emersyn

For me, when I only read the textbook without making any notes the information generally sticks in my head for a day or two and then it leaves my memory, so I end up studying the same topics a number of times. That method works for cramming on the night immediately before an informal exam but I feel that for the proper LC exams it is a lot more efficient to write out notes as it makes the information stick a lot easier than reading does. However everyone is different, if you feel that you have properly memorised the information from simply reading the textbook you should stick to that rather than wasting time making extensive notes.

Peg14

If I ever learn something straight from the book, I am never able to recall it a good few days/weeks later. However, when I write in my own handwriting and get rid of the unnecessary info, I can recall it much better. I would write my notes for every subject -> English, Irish, German, Art, Music, Biology. Not so much for Maths, I think its a bit of waste writing notes while you could be practising questions. I would though make a list of all definitions.

For biology, there is ALOT to be writing down if making own notes... SO I only really make notes for hard topics which are mostly last year.

spurious

The most efficient way to study depends on you. There is no one size fits all. People learn in different ways. You need to find your own method.

RoRo979

spurious wrote: »

The most efficient way to study depends on you. There is no one size fits all. People learn in different ways. You need to find your own method.

while that is true some methods have been proven to be better than others. I dont have the time to test out multiple strategies so im hoping to find someone that possibly already has and get the results.

which of these scenarios would be more accurate do yous think:
lets say one big chapter in a business book
(A) 5 hours writing notes then takes 3 hours to learn
(B) No notes and 6 hours to learn
(C) 5 hours notes then 5 hours learn

i find that the only advantage i know of writing notes is that the answers will be top quality and i know they will get me full marks.

EoghanIRL

RoRo979 wrote: »

while that is true some methods have been proven to be better than others. I dont have the time to test out multiple strategies so im hoping to find someone that possibly already has and get the results.

Proven by who ?

Secondly , the part in bold . Study methods aren't universal . What works for me might not necessarily work for you . Other people can't tell you the best way for you to study . You will have to find that out yourself . It's worth it in the long run.

Tet2015

5 Words, 1 Acronym: SQ3R

Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review

Survey: Look over the chapters of your book or notes, check out how much you have to look over.

Question: This comes in two parts, 1) While surveying, ask questions, while browsing through your notes find things that jump out to you or seem like you'll have a hard time studying/learning. 2) Ask yourself, is what you're studying a load of facts or a concept i.e. Pythagorus or De Moivre's Theorem? If so, dedicate yourself to understanding the concept. Otherwise continue.

Read: Many people do this the wrong way, do you know how much of what you've read actually stays in your head? While there are exceptions, most people do not remember everything they've read. That is why you've got to find the underlying pillars of fact/theory/understanding/whatever and read it. Remember, you're reading with a purpose. This means you should read keeping in mind that you're critically evaluating what you're reading and putting it in your own words.

Recite: After 5 minutes of reading or doing the above, turn to face your wall, mirror or friend and explain to them what you've just learned so far. Then write it down, open your exam paper and test yourself on the topic. Once finished, check if everything you've wrote is correct and if not, re-write.

Review: Do this a day or two after reciting to see how much you remember, when reviewing do not make it last longer than 10 minutes, just browse through what you learned and recite some principle facts. Do this constantly so you don't lose track (google image memory matrix to see how this works, you'll find a table/calendar that can be filled in)

FINALLY: Study for no longer than 30 minutes and take 10 minute breaks between each session. Always have water around your area of study.

RoRo979

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Proven by who ?

Secondly , the part in bold . Study methods aren't universal . What works for me might not necessarily work for you . Other people can't tell you the best way for you to study . You will have to find that out yourself . It's worth it in the long run.

proven by a group of psychologists

http://psi.sagepub.com/content/14/1/4.full.pdf+html?ijkey=Z10jaVH/60XQM&keytype=ref&siteid=sppsi

spurious

But that is not what that study says.

It acknowledges and deals with ten different learning methods and suggests which ones are more useful in certain situations, not across the board.