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Reading a book at home
* NOTE: This article appears in the 2019 Private School Handbook.
Stress, distractions, limited time… Students have no shortage of reasons for not getting the test scores they desire. But there’s often another reason: They simply don’t know how to study effectively. “A common myth about studying is that it’s easy to multitask,” says Henry “Roddy” Roediger III, co-author of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. “Wrong. Do one thing at a time while studying. The results are astronomical. It’s impossible to retain the best amount of knowledge while, say, you have your phone out or you’re watching TV. While it may not bother you, indirectly it is affecting what you’re retaining.” In fact, electronics are a prime distracter. “Social media definitely has had an enormous impact,” says Roediger, a psychology professor at Washington University. Roediger shares five other tips for making information stick.
1. PRACTICE RETRIEVING WHAT YOU KNOW.
“Retrieving is about learning the material and getting the concept into memory, not just for the short term,” explains Roediger. “With retrieving, you are more likely to be able to take that concept out of memory when you need it in the future, not just the next day of your exam.”
2. KEEP A CLEAN STUDY ENVIRONMENT.
Roediger suggests that parents urge their children to clear their desks. “Tell them to put away their phone—don’t take it away from them, but just trust them to put it away, because that’s the No. 1 distraction,” he says. “Give them a quiet and uncluttered environment.”
3. SPACE OUT YOUR READING.
“Reading the right way increases your intelligence and studying ability,” Roediger says. After reading a chapter, it might be helpful to “close the book and summarize to yourself what you just read out loud, then write it out in your own words. If you can’t immediately do that, you sure as heck can’t do it in two weeks on the test. So keep reading, search for the critical points, and recite them to yourself. Learn them—don’t just memorize.”
4. DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE.
Cramming can take an immense mental and emotional toll. “It is not beneficial for the long run,” says Roediger. “Just don’t do it. It only leads to rapid forgetting. Give yourself a schedule of how many hours per week to study for each exam.” Quiz yourself more often than just the night before an exam.
5. MIX UP TOPICS.
“Refresh yourself and take a break,” says Roediger. “Switch between subjects every half hour to 45 minutes, and then switch back. Mixing things up is a great study tactic, so your brain has time to process and digest information periodically.” Taking a break between subjects—just a few minutes to stand, stretch, and come back—can be beneficial. “It resets you and helps you learn better when you refresh your brain that way.”
