THE TOMATO TECHNIQUE

In general, study sessions should be short and intense, with breaks in between. This means that it isn’t effective to study for 5 hours in a single sitting; otherwise you will get burnt out and not remember any information. Thus, whenever you’re studying, these two rules should be followed in order to maintain a healthy body and mind. One of the most famous studying techniques out there that incorporates both of these rules is the Pomodoro Technique (Pomodoro meaning tomato in Italian). This technique involves you working for 25 minutes on a specific task and then taking a 5-minute break. After 4 Pomodoro sessions, take a longer break(usually 15-30 minutes). However, you are not only limited to the 25&5 min constraint; another combination could be 45 minutes studying and then 15 minutes taking a break

CAN YOU TEACH IT TO A 5 YEAR-OLD?

When it comes to studying, many people tend to reread their notes multiple times over and over. This, however, is very ineffective and a waste of time because it is almost as if you’re jamming all the information into your brain, hoping it will retain them. Though it might work, it will take much longer than the technique I’m about to introduce to you, which will completely revolutionize your way of studying. This next technique is called the Feynman Technique, named after the Noble Award-winning American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman. The instructions for the Feynman Technique is quite simple: to check and reinforce your understanding of a topic, pretend that you must explain it to a 5-year old. This means you will have to simplify the topic into very concise and simple thoughts. If you can teach it to a 5-year old, that means that you have understood the topic thoroughly enough. These are steps you have to take when using the Feynman Technique:

1. Pick and study a topic.

2. Pretend you are explaining it to someone, like a child, who is unfamiliar with the topic and remember to use very simple language when doing so.

3. Identify gaps in your understanding.

4. Return back to the text to understand it better.

RECALL&REPEAT!

Other than the Feynman Technique, there is a very popular duo of techniques that also tests your understanding: Active Recall and Space Repetition. Whenever you hear about one technique, you also hear about the other because they go hand in hand alongside each other. To start, Active Recall requires you to test yourself after you finish reviewing. You could do this either by closing your textbook and trying to pull the most important details and concepts in that chapter, or you could use flashcards as an alternative method. To get the full benefits of Active Recall, people usually also utilize Spaced Repetition, which is a memorization technique with which you see the facts you're not very confident more frequently while the ones you are sure of won't show up. Basically, if you’re having trouble with a specific topic or question, you will repeat it more often than those which you already have a firm grasp of. Spaced Repetition will require you to use flashcards, either online or a physical set.

FINDING THE RIGHT PLACE

Lastly, you should pick an environment where it’s quiet and you know there will be no interruptions such as your room or in the library. One of the most common distractions that you have is your phone, so put it in another room or shut it down if you can’t resist the temptation to look at it every few seconds. Even if you turn off notifications, if your phone is near you on the desk, you will still be distracted by it regardless. Studies have also shown that it is often best to work in silence when studying because it will stimulate the actual exam; however, if you can't stand it, listen to music without lyrics. Another thing to keep in mind is that highlighting and underlining isn’t as useful as you might think. Rarely, does it ever make a difference in your studying because you’re tricking your brain into thinking it’s being productive when in reality nothing is being retained. The final tip is to create a study group with a small circle of friends because what’s better than studying with other people right? If you’re ever stuck on a problem, chances are your friends could help you with it. Make sure that you understand the process and not just the answer because you need to know how to arrive at the same conclusion when the actual exam comes.

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