Exam Preparation

Learning & Study Styles

There is a song by Shinedown, “How Did You Love”. The key lyrics are:

‘You can't replicate or duplicate, gotta find your own way’

Study styles are: “How Did You Study”?

Everyone has their own unique way of studying and learning. Some people are visual learners, while others may prefer auditory or hands-on methods. It's important to find the study style that works best for you.

Just as there are many different formulas for certain calculations, there are as many different study techniques, but the key is using the one that works best for you.

Two examples from my family:

• I am a written & an audio learner.
  I can read something and it sticks in my memory.
  However, if I also write it down it reinforces it.
  When I write it down, I can then read it out loud and hear it.
  By that same token, I can also listen to it being read to me.
  That is how I learn best.


• My daughter is a visual learner.
  Her study styles are videos and flashcards.
  She needs to see the information presented visually in order to understand and remember it.
  Her favorite is the color-coded flashcards; she still uses them even in graduate school.
  She can read them, write them, and then quiz herself with them or have her husband quiz her.
  That is how she learns best.

One of the key tricks to good studying, no matter the style, is to set a dedicated time for studying. NO: interruptions, distractions, or squirrel and set a timer to stick to it.

Bottom line : do NOT waste your time studying in a way that you know you won't retain the information, even if this learning style works for someone else!