Three Ways You Can Use Science to Study Better
Chances are you’re not doing your college test prep as well as you could be, so why not use science to do it right? Here are a few tips to help you with your SAT test preparations.
Do Your College Test Prep at Night.
Put down your Goosebumps or your Harry Potter, and pick up your SAT prep book for a more pragmatic bedtime story. One of the best times to study, according to science, is right before bed when you’re sleepy. When we sleep, our brains strengthen new memories, which means that it’ll be easier to remember things we learn just before sleep.
Go Easy on the Highlighting.
You probably like to keep a highlighter handy as you do your college test prep review, because it helps you keep track of what’s important so that you can go back and study it more later. Believe it or not, such college test prep tactics don’t actually work as well as you’d think they do. Highlighting passages can actually get in the way of a student’s learning, because it makes students emphasize individual facts, which makes it harder to grasp concepts, draw connections, and think critically.
Don’t Study in the Same Spot Twice in a Row.
We all have our favorite spots to study — besides a bedroom window, on the library’s fifth floor, near the TV — but doing all of your college test prep in one spot actually impairs your ability to retain new information. There’s research that suggests studying the same material in a new place each day makes the material easier to remember. This is because we force the brain to make new associations with the same material every time we move, which makes it a stronger memory!
If you have any questions about these studying tips for exams, feel free to ask in the comments. Learn more about this topic here: ivyed.net