Hi everyone, it’s finally happening: I will be making an entire series of posts that will be entirely dedicated to studying and studying effectively. So, to start off with, here are some actual working tips on how to make sure that what you read out of your textbook will stick with you!
For every paragraph/section that you read, formulate a question to which what you read will be the answer
Use flashcards by writing your previously formulated question on one side, and a shortened, summarised version of the answer (so the text that you just read) on the other
Highlight important terms, explanations of terms, and key sentences in you textbook; but don’t overdo it, because that may lead to you only reading the highlighted parts of the text, and not the other parts that may be equally important as well
Find patterns within different sections: could the two be combined and/or related to each other, and if so, how?
Use sticky notes to write down important processes, use them as tabs or provide your texts of further information provided by your teachers/professors (or yourself) that might be relevant
Make a mindmap for every chapter that you read: start off with one guiding principle and then work out the rest of your chapter’s sections around your guiding principle in your own words; this will help you visualise what you just read
Interpret what you read an develop your own opnion on the material (especially in the social sciences) so that you can understand the texts you’re studying from your own perspective
Discuss your interpretations and opinions with your teacher/professor; not only does it show to them you studies the material well, but it also helps you to see things from yet another perspective (in this case it would be your teacher’s) and therefore be beneficial to what you’re studying
Take your time to read; if you’re like me and you find textbooks to often state the obvious or not seem as very in-depth, you might still want to read it carefully and take your time on reading, asking yourself the following questions: what did I just read? and how does it relate to what I’m studying?
Hopefully this could help a lot of people out. If you still want to ask me questions about this post or just anything else, feel free to do so!
