Studying is one of the most dreaded and procrastinated must-do’s in college. Nonetheless, many students have found different ways to accomplish this sometimes unbearable task in order to prepare for inevitable midterms and finals. True, there are many ways to study, but are they all productive and helpful in recalling information? If you’ve found yourself saying one of these sentences during the course of the semester, you’ve been following one of many studying myths.
“I’ll study right before the test, so I’ll remember everything and it will be fresh in my memory.”
Learning facts and information takes time. New coursework and subjects that you have never been exposed to before are hard to learn in the last crucial hours before a test. Studying right before a test puts all the new information into your short-term memory. This increases your chances of forgetting material and doing poorly on a test. It is better to study days to few weeks before hand and review the information frequently before the test. This will put the studied material into your long-term memory, making it harder for you to forget information
“I do a lot better on tests if I don’t study.”
It is unknown how this myth originated, but a lot of students believe it. Unfortunately for them, this can only get you a semi-good grade for so long. Eventually the coursework and information needed to get the A becomes too complex and specific, thus making it harder to guess on the test. Also, teachers are now starting to give their students essay question based tests. Refusing to study the required material can and will be the death of any good GPA. Although there are sometimes when you will get a bad grade on a test you studied for, it is more likely that you’ll get a good score on a test when you study.
“If I read my notes aloud, I will have a better chance of remembering the material.”
This myth, unlike the others, is true. When you read your notes aloud, you will remember the material better because the information is stored in a different part of your brain. According to the Penn State news website OnwardState.com, research has shown studied materials that are read aloud are stored in a separate location in the brain than read words, making it easier to remember and recall information. So, if you write down a vocab word or a lengthy definition, be sure to say it aloud and you just may earn that A.
