Many people think that the best, and only way to prepare for exams, is to repeatedly study the content. Although learning requires that the material should be studied, studying repeatedly is not necessary the best way to retain information.
Recent studies have found that testing yourself, while studying, is the best way to off-set forgetting.
A study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology determined that studying and testing (using practice papers) is far more effective at off-setting forgetting than just studying.
In this study, students were given material to study and everyone completed a formal assessment after three weeks.
- Group 1 studied the material four times, and then did the formal assessment at the end.
- Group 2 studied the material three times, did a practice paper and then the formal assessment at the end.
- Group 3 studied the material once, did three practice papers and then the formal assessment at the end.
The results of the study showed that Group 3 out-performed the other two groups by far.
This study has proven that continuous assessment of your progress in the long run benefits your retention of information.
It is important to note that the students in Group 3 did not just complete the papers, they also checked their answers and basically learnt from their mistakes.
Want to know the habits of successful students?
- Remove all distractions from the area where you study and keep your desk clean from clutter.
- Study with practice papers and check the answers to learn from your mistakes.
- Teach what you’ve learnt to a friend. Teaching someone is the best way to off-set forgetting.
- Make sure you get quality sleep. Information learnt is processed and stored during deep sleep.
- Get sunlight and exercise daily.
- Successful students put in the hours.
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Reference:
https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/optimal-protocols-for-studying-learning
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