Alfredo Cruz
11/16/08
Studying Techniques

            Studying can be a difficult task for anyone looking to get good grades, yet studying can be broken down into easier forms to help understand the material better. For example you can study alone, study with people, listen to music, use graphs, and even use the internet. Most people don't use the resources they have around them for studying but more for a reason not to study.
            When someone gets it into their head that they cant study or don't want to it pretty much takes them a step back in their level of studying. If people were to find the best technique to use when studying they can greatly improve their grades and expand their knowledge. People are classified as visual, audio, or hands on learners so to find out your learning style is key to finding your studying technique. But that’s not what I’m going to write about you can find that out by searching it on Google. Instead I'm going to write about the types of studying techniques there is and how to use them to help you best.

Some good techniques for visual learners are to create flash cards, use graphs, and highlight. Flash cards are a great tool because it’s quite fun and your mind thinks of it more as a game than learning task. Graphs are also a good way to learn using shapes and colors,  then we have highlighting, it’s quite useful because you can select certain parts of the reading that you want to remember. This technique is helpful due to the fact that you can highlight what you think is important then going back later and memorize it.

            Most people find it boring to study for long periods of time, yet they don’t have to study for long amount of time. You can easily learn the same material just as good in short bursts. For example you can study for half an hour and then take a break for five to ten minutes. Studying with no breaks can lead to rushing through the material and not really taking it in. When studying, it can be a good idea to stand up, walk around, or anything else physical to keep you awake.

            You should fit your schedule to include studying time not just when you have free time. As Fry, Ronald W. from the book of Ace Any Test. “Find a way to study when you are normally more awake and /or more efficient.” I will usually study around five p.m. in the afternoon due to the fact that I know I’m most awake and it’s the first amount of free time that I have. To find your best study time, you should make a chart of your day and/or week depending on when you need to know the material by. Then plan out when would be the best time to study for you.

             It’s not necessarily a bad idea to drink caffeine, but it can lead to being too hyperactive to study. Instead try taking small amounts of your energy drinks or coffee just to stay alert as you study your material. Also, you can eat small treats as you study. Say you just memorized the definition of meaning of word or metaphor, well then reward yourself with some candy. Just a small piece should do since the idea is reward for learning. Thus, getting you into the zone of learning has its rewards in the literal sense.

These are just some basic techniques that could help anyone study for a test or midterm. You don’t have to do all of these techniques if you fond one that works, and you can do all of these if it works for you. It all depends on what kind of learner you are. There are plenty more tips you can research. These are just the basics of studying.

Work Cited Page

Fry, Ronald W. Ace Any Test Publication: Franklin Lakes, NJ The Career Press, 2000