When it comes to studying, opinions about how, when, where, and what to do are variable. TikTok, YouTube, and other media platforms are filled with opinions on how you should and should not study. The truth is, studying is unique. Some people are kinesthetic learners, which are individuals that learn best through movement and hands-on experience, other people are visual learners, and some people are a combination of a few different types, or something else entirely.
How do you know what type of a learner you are? Well, you can start by observing the ways you learn best. For example, if you find yourself reading the textbook and then writing down notes most of the time, you may be a read/write learner. If you find yourself physically using models of manipulatives, you may be a kinesthetic learner. Now the question is what happens if you have no idea how you study best? Then you may benefit from experimenting with different methods.
To give a few examples, you can take notes from a textbook, which is read/write learning, or you can watch a visual demonstration of a subject you are learning on TikTok, which is visual learning. Alternatively, listen to a podcast about your favorite subject. Ask yourself which one helps you soak in the material the most effectively.
If you find yourself enjoying multiple different study techniques, you may be a multimodal learner, which means you use multiple senses. If this is the case, here are three techniques designed just for your learning style:
Listen to a podcast or audiobook of the subject you are learning while also reading it. At the same time, highlight the sections you find interesting.
Brush your teeth while reading from slides. Maybe try using the opposite hand to brush your teeth. At the same time, listen to an audio version of the slides.
Record yourself explaining the topic you are learning, or explain it to a friend. Act it out like a skit or make your own script.
Try them out and see how effective they are. If they are not helpful, maybe try coming up with your own list of study techniques that are personalized to the ways you learn best. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to study, but rather individualized approaches that can vary in effect.
