Are you studying as efficiently as you could be?

When you face the challenges of balancing study with work, not to mention family or personal life, it becomes more important than ever to use your time as efficiently, effectively and productively as possible. Here are four examples of ineffective study techniques along with suggestions of what you can do instead.

Unfortunately, too many exam candidates still waste time on ineffective study techniques.

(Of course, the problem isn’t unique to those who are studying. Recent research has found that the average worker spends 51% of their typical working day on ‘unnecessary’ tasks.)

We thought we’d look at four ways to avoid ineffective use of time when it comes to studying.

Ineffective Study Technique #1: Being over-zealous with a highlighter pen

Whether you’re liberally spreading the lurid yellow, green or pink across your screen or stroking merrily away with an actual highlighter pen on real paper, it can seem a tempting way of making information stand out. However, and it’s been spoken about on this blog before, proceed with caution. It might feel useful – but it probably isn’t.

What’s wrong with it?

Simply highlighting facts doesn’t guarantee you’ll remember them when you need to. It’s almost too easy as a study technique, and too passive. What’s more, of course, if you highlight everything, nothing will stand out!

Why do people do it?

Precisely because it’s easy. It makes students feel they are doing something useful.

What to do instead

Go easy on the highlighter pen or function. Write your own notes, test yourself (or get a friend to), write out key points from memory, or use flashcards.

Ineffective Study Technique #2: Typing up study notes

Again, this feels constructive and productive, whether you’re writing up key points from a book, website or another resource, or just making your own revision notes. The obvious solution seems to be to just reach for your laptop – as we’ve shared here before.

What’s wrong with it?

Again, your brain doesn’t have to work hard enough, so the information won’t be stored properly in your long-term memory. Various studies have shown that people recall information much better when things are written down by hand.

After all, it’s easy just to type the words, without processing or understanding them.

Moreover, information retention aside, you’re likely to stay more alert, focused and engaged if you wield a pen.

Why do people do it?

It’s generally quicker to make electronic notes, especially if you can touch-type, and of course, you get a neater end result than with the handwritten alternative.

What to do instead

Handwrite your revision notes, ideally on plain rather than lined paper (see below). Using different colours for different points will make your brain worker harder, and keep the information for longer in the area of your brain where it needs to be.

Ineffective Study Technique #3: Working on lined rather than plain paper

When you buy a notebook, it almost feels as though you’re duty-bound to get a lined one, possibly because that’s what you were given at school. However, this may not always be the best way of recording information.

What’s wrong with it?

As it’s been said here before, having a page divided into horizontal segments can just be too limiting. The ruling can even become distracting. With lined paper, you can’t necessarily express your thoughts as efficiently.

Especially for calculations and diagrams, and particularly if you tend to learn visually, a blank page can be much better. It’s also easier to add new text in between things which are already written and to use different sizes of text.

Why do people do it?

For the above reason, and because they believe the end result will be neater on lined paper.

What to do instead

Simple! Just buy an unruled notebook and use that to get more creative with your revision.

Ineffective Study Technique #4: Revising by rereading

Rereading notes and assignments is clearly a go-to strategy for many. Yet it may not help you retain the necessary information ahead of an exam, and you may not be processing the information deeply enough.

What’s wrong with it?

It’s easy to lull yourself into a false sense of security and think that you already know the information well, even where there are gaps. A study of students at Washington University, however, found no improvement in learning on a second read compared with a single reading.

Why do people do it?

Probably because it feels like the obvious thing to do. And, if we’re honest, also because it’s easy and it may well have been the way you prepped for exams at school or college.

What to do instead

Use flashcards, ask yourself questions, write out information again from memory, use past papers and test yourself.

We hope these techniques will help you make the best possible use of your limited (and very precious) time.