Apply These Strategies To Your Studies And Watch Your Grades Soar!
This list is focused at Middle and High Schoolers
Ten great study hacks for teens that can significantly improve learning efficiency and retention:
1. **Pomodoro Technique**: Break your study time into 25-minute focused sessions followed by a 5-minute break. This helps maintain concentration and prevents burnout. This is one of the reasons the classes at PVMAA are structured as they are.
2. **Active Recall**: Instead of passively reading your notes, actively try to recall the information. This strengthens memory retention and understanding.
3. **Spaced Repetition**: Review your study material at gradually increasing intervals (e.g., after one day, one week, one month). This technique leverages the psychological spacing effect for better long-term retention.
4. **Mind Mapping**: Create visual representations of your notes. This helps in better organizing and remembering information, especially for visual learners.
5. **Teaching Others**: Explaining concepts to someone else forces you to clarify and articulate your understanding, which reinforces your own knowledge. We invite students to help on the floor, it’s very rewarding to see them excel at helping others. We also encourage students to teach a technique to a parent at home from time to time. It’s a great bonding experience and it also allows the parent to measure the students level of understanding.
6. **Use Analogies and Mnemonics**: Make complex information easier to remember by relating it to simpler concepts or by creating acronyms, rhymes, or associations. We also incorporate story telling into some of the training at PVMAA to make some of the concepts easier to grasp.
7. **Healthy Lifestyle**: Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep can significantly improve cognitive functions like memory and concentration.
8. **Use of Technology and Apps**: There are many apps and online tools designed to aid in learning and organization. Tools like Khan Academy for learning, Quizlet for flashcards, and Trello for task management can be very helpful.
9. **Goal Setting and Time Management**: Set specific, achievable goals for each study session. Use a planner or digital tool to manage your time effectively.
10. **Practice Tests and Sample Questions**: Take practice tests under timed conditions. This not only prepares you for the format of the test but also helps in identifying areas that need more focus.
While teaching and learning has changed significantly over the years, the brain still works the same way. Incorporating these hacks into your study routine can make a significant difference in how effectively and efficiently you learn.
Master Bill DeGrafft is an active member of the United Tang Soo Do Federation and is a Certified 5th Dan Master Instructor, having also trained in Sun Mu Sul, Chen Style Taiji, Tai Chi Gung, and Wing Chun. He is the owner at Ponte Vedra Martial Arts Academy. He is also COBRA Self Defense Certified and the Academy is the areas only Authorized COBRA Training Center. Learn more about the academy at https:pvmaa.com, “Like” us on Facebook at PonteVedraMartialArtsAcademy and follow up on Instagram, pontevedramartialartsacademy.