How to study

The title of this page is not as daft as it seems. There are well-known techniques which will help you retain and understand more of what you study. And that’s kinda the point of studying.

There are tons of books on the subject and if you’re serious about achieving the grades you want, then it might be an idea to read a few. But be warned – the techniques that work for me won’t necessarily work for you and vice versa. You will need to try out a few and find the one(s) that work best for you.

Write stuff down

One really easy method that certainly works for me is to write stuff down. I find that if I just read something, then I will forget it very quickly. The act of writing something down seems to trap the idea in my brain. It’s probably because I have to think about what I’m writing and that extra little effort helps the idea stick.

Mind Maps

Some people are better with lists and neat writing in lines. Others aren’t.

If you aren’t then you could try mind maps. This is a way of gathering ‘stuff’ together and helping you to remember it. (Just what you need for an exam)

I’ve used these very successfully when preparing a talk, writing an article, mugging up for an interview – lots of different applications.

You can get free apps for your smartphone to help you do a map, or you can use a simple piece of paper.
I’ll put some examples on the site soon.