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15 Study Techniques that Students Should Use

for Better Study
September 17, 2021 by Saurabh barnwal

If you’re looking for study techniques or study strategies then make sure
you read this ar ticle till the end.

Study techniques work great to boost your learning, productivity, and focus

ability. There are many study techniques and all techniques teach you how

to study smar tly.

Many research has found that students who study with study technique not

only study better but also get better grades as compared to those who

don’t use any study techniques. Somewhere, that’s why those students

(who don’t use any technique in their studies) often get bad grades after

studying hard.

( Remember, you don’t need to just study hard, studying hard can be only
worth it when you have the right direction and techniques to study.)
So, in this article, we have listed 15 study techniques that actually work for
better study. Maybe some of the study techniques you already know before
and some of them would be new for you.

The article is going to be quite long, so hold your sit and be with me till the
end.

15 Study Techniques that Actually Work for

Better Study
Table of Contents
1. Reading Comprehension Technique:
2. Spaced Practice:
3. Leitner System:
4. Retrieval Practice:
5. Zeigarnik effect:
6. Pomodoro Technique:
7. 120/20 Study Technique:
8. The Learning Pyramid:
9. Feynman Technique:
10. Pre-testing before learning the new information:
11. Mind-Mapping:
12. Color-coding your notes:
13. Study with music:
14. Exercise before the study:
15. Surroundings for study:

1. Reading Comprehension Technique:

Reading comprehension techniques are great that help you to read a
chapter in the right way and grab most of the information by reading.

SQ3R, PQ4R, PQRST, and THIEVES all are reading comprehension study
techniques, however, here we will explain only the SQ3R study technique.

SQ3R is 5 steps technique that involves Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and
Review. Let’s discuss its all steps…

Survey: Instead of just start reading, rst focus on Title of the

chapter, Introduction and summary sections, Headings and
Subheadings, Graphics (like charts, maps, diagrams, and others),
bold, Italic, and highlighted sentences.

Question: After taking the survey now circulate questions around the
chapter. Turn the headings for each section into as many questions
as you think will be answered in that section.
 Read: After circulating the questions start reading the chapter
section by section with your questions in mind look for answers for
questions that you created in the second step.

Recite: After reading one section stop and try to recall the answer
that you nd while reading that section. If you can’t recall then again
go back to that section and nd your answer again.

Review: Once you’ve nished the chapter, now review the chapter to
understand it more deeply. Quiz yourself on the questions you
created and re-read any portions if you need to.

PQ3R (Preview, Question, Read, Re ect, Recite, and Review), PQRST

(Preview, Question, Read, Self-recite, and Test), THIEVES (Title, Headings,
Introduction, Every rst sentence in a paragraph, Visuals and vocabulary,
end-of-chapter questions, and Summary) present the same method to read
a chapter.

However, you don’t need to confuse yourself with all reading strategies, just
go with SQ3R or the strategy you are familiar with.

2. Spaced Practice:

With learning new information every day it can be dif cult to keep
remember what you learned in previous classes. So, to keep remember the
information for a long time and to revision effectively here is a technique,
called Spaced Practice students should use.

Spaced practice is a study technique where students review and revisit the
material in spaced intervals over time. When you hear a lecture you can
retain up to 80% if you review the material within 24 hrs and you can
retain up to 100% by reviewing and revisiting the same material 5 times in
the schedule below…

Day 1: Learn the material in class

Day 2: Revisit and review
Day 3: Revisit and review
After one week: Revisit and review
After two weeks: Revisit and review

The spaced practice technique works on the concept of the Forgetting

Curve where you identify how much knowledge is lost over time when your
brains don’t put effort to remember it.

Instead of cramming before the exams, use spaced practice technique that
will help you to store the information in the long-term memory.

3. Leitner System:
The Leitner system is a memorization study technique that works on using
ashcards and spaced repetition techniques. If you don’t know about
ashcards then let me rst tell you what it is…

Flashcards are small cards (physical or electronics) with two faces where
on one face you write the question and on another face, you write the
answer for it. Now let’s talk about how the Leitner system works…

In the Leitner system, you made 3 boxes, named Box-1, Box-2, and Box-3.
You can color the box for better identi cation. Whereas, Box-1 for reviewing
every day, Box-2 review every other day, and Box-3 for reviewing in a
week.

The second step is to create ashcards around the questions or concepts

that you often forget or nd hard to remember. After creating a bunch of
ashcards, put all the ashcards in Box-1.

(Watch this video for a better understanding of ashcard systems.)

Every ashcard will start in Box-1. As you answer a ashcard correctly,

move the card into Box 2. If you incorrectly answer a ashcard, place the
card back in Box-1. Follow this method for each ashcard in Box 1. At the
end of this round, you will notice that some concepts remain in Box-1 which
means that these concepts are more dif cult for you and require frequent
studying.

You can use both types of ashcards- physical or electronic but try to prefer
physical more.

4. Retrieval Practice:

Retrieval practice is a great strategy that forces your mind to recall the
information. The research found that recalling an answer to a question
improves learning more than looking for the answer in your textbook.

Bringing information to mind by hard recalling boosts your learning. It

examines exactly what you know and how much information you can
recall.

Here is why retrieval practice works…

The best methods to use retrieval practice are Quizzes, Clickers,
Flashcards, Practice Tests, and others. You can also use retrieval practice
after the class by writing down all the information that you learn in your
previous class, this will pass the information into your long-term memory
and you won’t forget easily what you learned in the class.

5. Zeigarnik effect:

The Zeigarnik effects allow students to take breaks while studying or we

can say it allows students to take study breaks in the right way.

The Zeigarnik effect was named after its founder, Russian psychiatrist
and psychologist Bluma Wulfovna Zeigarnik. In one of her research,
she found that when we leave the task in the middle then we
remember all about the task for a long time but when we leave the
task after completing we can't remember much.

Now, let’s talk about how the Zeigarnik effect is useful for students…
The Zeigarnik effect suggests that students who stop their studies in the
middle, during which they do unrelated activities (using phone or enjoying
snacks), will remember material better than students who complete study
sessions without taking any break.

It is because, when you stop your studies in the middle, your mind gets stick
to it and you keep thinking about your studies, even during breaks
sometimes you nd a new way to solve your problems.

So, improve your productivity, learning, and memory with the Zeigarnik
effect.

6. Pomodoro Technique:

Pomodoro is a great time management technique developed by Francesco

Cirillo in the late 1980s. This technique allows students to study in small
chunks while taking short breaks. It uses a timer to break your work or
study into intervals traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short
breaks (5 minutes).

Each 25 minutes study session is called a Pomodoro (an Italian word for
Tomato). When you complete four Pomodoros while taking breaks then the
Pomodoro technique allows you to take a long break (20 minutes). This
technique works great if you have to study for long hours effectively.
Make sure while following your Pomodoros must avoid your phone and
other works while studying. After 25 minutes of studying effectively, you
can take a look at your phone for 5 minutes.

If you have read the previous technique (i.e. The Zeigarnik effect) then you
have understood how you can utilize your study breaks.

7. 120/20 Study Technique:

This is also a time management technique and quite relevant to Pomodoro

Technique. It is made for those students who are not comfortable with or
having some trouble with the Pomodoro technique.

I know it’s hard to believe but the Pomodoro technique also has some
cons.

For students who like longer study sessions and don’t want to take a
break soon, the Pomodoro technique is not applying for them.
Many students also found that sometimes Pomodoro interrupts their
ow and train of thought more easily with the breaks where the
natural tendency is to continue.

Because of these cons, I changed some Pomodoro durations with 120/20

study techniques that can beat Pomodoro cons and those students can use
it who are not good at Pomodoro. Let’s tell you exactly what the 120/20
study technique is.

According to the 120/20 study technique, students who like

continuously study for long hours can study for 120 minutes
continuously and then take a break for 20 minutes and again repeat
the cycle until they complete their task.

The reason why I choose the 120 minutes is that 120 minutes is an
optimal period in which students can maintain themself for continuous
study and after taking 20 minutes break is enough to refresh their mind and
prepare it for the next study interval. This assumes to be the healthiest
intervals for continuous study for long hours.

8. The Learning Pyramid:

This is not a study technique but a great theory that every student and
learner should know.

The Learning Pyramid is sometimes also referred to as the ‘cone of

learning’ developed by the National Training Laboratory which tells you
exactly how much you retain information by getting through different
mediums. For instance, if a teacher uses only a lecture method of
instruction, their students will only retain 5%-10% of the information while
the teacher retains 90%.
This theory suggests that most students only remember about 10% of what
they read from textbooks, but retain nearly 90% of what they learn through
teaching others.

Take a look at the below image of the learning pyramid theory and its
retention rate.

Source: educationcorner.com

Now you better know how you can retain more information. So, what you
learn make sure you do practice by writing and teach someone or yourself.

9. Feynman Technique:
The Feynman Technique was developed by theoretical physicist Richard P.
Feynman, who has also won the Nobel Prize. He is also known for his
learning process that makes the process extremely simple and effective.

The Feynman technique not only helps you to learn a concept very well but
also helps you to retain it for longer times. According to the Feynman
Technique, explain what you’re trying to learn in simple terms, and notice
the gaps in your explanation.

It is a four steps process:

1. Pick a topic and understand it properly

2. Explain the topic to someone in an easy way (from basic) so that the
other person can easily understand what you want to teach
3. Identify your knowledge gap where you can’t explain clearly
4. Organize+ Simplify the concept (if you can’t return to the literature to
understand better)

Don’t you think it’s an interesting way to learn and understand a concept
quickly?

10. Pre-testing before learning the new

information:
One of the research of The University of Chicago Learning Lab found that
even failing a test or taking a test before learning new information, can lead
to stronger memory for that information than spending the same amount of
time studying.

According to this technique, when students take a test before studying a

new topic (doesn’t matter what they score) not only can understand better
after studying but also they don’t forget easily what they studied. Because
of pre-testing before the study, students can able to connects the
information while studying after.

So, before studying any new concept take a pre-test and then study next.
And, don’t feel bad if your pre-test gets poor, focus on types of questions
and keep remember them so that you can easily relate when you study
next.

11. Mind-Mapping:
Visual learning is one best learning mediums nowadays. Many studies and
research has shown that with visual learning not only students can easily
understand what they study but also they can retain it for a longer time.
And, one of the best visual learning resources is Mind-map.

Mind maps use words and images to create strong associations that help
you remember what you’re studying.

How mind-maps can help you?

There are many bene ts of mind-mapping. Some of the bene ts and
reasons of using mind-map, I’m listing here…

It helps you to improve your memory with visual cues, words, and
images
It helps you to make and Identify relationships between different
topic
It makes your study more interesting and develops your subject
understanding
Helps you to explore subjects broadly and in-depth
It helps you to organize your thoughts to plan and structure
assignments

If you want to make a mind map around any subject or topic then you can
easily get it from Google (pre-made) but I’d suggest you create mind-maps
by yourself that will also improve your creativity. You can create mind-maps
in both versions – Online (with tools or applications) and in your notebook.
12. Color-coding your notes:

Do you also use different colors while writing notes?

According to NCBI, color plays an integral role in our visual

experiences. Colour helps us in memorizing certain information by
increasing our attentional level. It’s able to relay information and can
be very effective in learning and memory performance. That's why
your professors/lecturer suggests you to different colors while note-
taking.

Now using colors in your notes doesn’t mean you should use any color and
many colors in your notes. You don’t need to design your notes, you have to
use colors and highlighter in such a way so that you can identify easily
what this color indicates in your notes.

Let me guide you…

Use warm types of colors such as yellow, red, and orange have been
found to have a greater effect on attention
Use Red colors for key points
Use Yellow color or highlighter to highlight something important
sentence
Remember, you should use a color for a speci c purpose not only to make
your notes beautiful.

13. Study with music:

Study with music, what do you think is it good or bad?

Well, studying with listening to music sounds interesting but what if I tell
you there are many bene ts of background music while studying?

(Background music refers to any music that is played while the listener’s
primary attention is focused on another task or activity.)

Many research and studies have shown that background music tends to
improve performance over no music and white noise, but not always in the
same manner and it doesn’t affect everyone in the same way. However, it’s
certainly true that some types of music can boost concentration and
memory as well as increase alertness.

Now it doesn’t mean you put on a playlist of your favorite song and it will
help you knock out a mathematical problem set? You should listen to music
that should be different from your genre and have a repetitive pulse.
Choose classic music, instrumental music, or any music that has no lyrics
and you won’t have a strong feeling or any emotions with that music.
14. Exercise before the study:

If you like to do workouts then this study technique you must like. Because
this technique allows you to do exercise before the study. Research shows
many bene ts when students do exercise before the study.

Oregon Health & Science University have discovered a single session

of exercise can enhance the expression of a gene that promotes
synaptic growth in the hippocampus. And, when you do physical
exercise, it releases proteins in the brain that can actually help improve
your memory and increase your cognitive performance.

[Hippocampus is a complex brain structure embedded deep into the

temporal lobe. It has a major role in learning and memory.]

Here are some major bene ts of exercise before the study:

Improve your memory

Give you a better concentration while studying
Improve your mood and motivation for study
Increase energy levels in your body

You don’t need to go for GYM before the study, just do 20 minutes of
physical exercise at your home every day before study and then see the
result.
15. Surroundings for study:

The place or the surroundings play a vital role in your effective studying and
learning. Just like the other study techniques a good study environment can
make your mood for study and give you a better focus. Research con rms
that many factors can affect your learning ability, including seating, light,
background noise, and more.

Your learning environments and surroundings not only should be

distraction-free but also supports you and motivates you while studying. No
matter where you want to study, be it your study room, coffee shop, park, or
library, but make sure you’re comfortable there and can focus well.

If you like to study with friends or others then arrange a group study
someday or join in a library.

Now It’s Your Turn:

So in this article, we have introduced you to the 15 study techniques that

you can use in your study and study smart. All study techniques tell you the
right and best ways to study.
I hope you enjoyed this list of best study techniques or strategies that
actually work.

Now, I’d like to hear from you:

Which study techniques have you been already using? And, are you going
to try all of these study techniques in your study?

Let me know in the comment…

Sharing is Caring

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