Effective Learning - Part 3 of 3

Once more – learning requires a variety of study approaches, repetition and time.

The final piece of the learning puzzle is to space your learning out over time – sometimes called Distributed Practice.  Information needs time to become firmly embedded in your long-term memory, and this does not happen after just one exposure.  This is why cramming for an exam does not work.  No matter how much you work with the material, it is within only one study session and there is no time for the information to settle in.

Here are some ways to space your learning over time:

* As mentioned before, review all information for the exam at least once a week.  This is above and beyond the class-by-class review and learning.

* Take particularly difficult material and condense it onto study cards. Then review those cards 20 minutes at least 5 days a week.

*Use extra 15 to 20 minutes you have during the day to review class information.

*When preparing for an exam, start at least a week in advance and study every day.

* For a foreign language, practice every day.

* For math, do a few problems every day.

Remember – all three parts are equally important for successful learning: variety, repetition, and time.

First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.