What is your study style?
Ever wondered why you don’t retain information by listening to a podcast, but on the other hand, your friend does?
Or do you prefer handwriting all of your notes and colour-coding each section, rather than typing them up – which is usually the faster option?
If there was one thing we could recommend to all students, is to identify the best way your mind can retain content from a young age. Not only does this make it so much easier for you to actually remember the content in the long-run, but it’ll make more sense to you. Especially in those high-stress situations where forgetting those crucial details might cost you a mark or two.
Don’t fall into one box? There’s no need to worry! You can pick and choose different aspects of these note-taking techniques and apply them to all of your subjects in school.
Some subjects such as languages might be more hands on and require an audible aspect, as opposed to mathematics which often needs to be practised through various Past Papers through logical learning – ensuring that you can understand and explain the mechanics of a question.
Visual
Visual learners are most common, especially amongst younger kids who use colours and illustrations as a way of remembering information. Write out and colour-code your notes, make graphs where necessary and use the free space in your room to pin up any notes which you can glance over throughout the day. This exposure will often help you to remember what everything looks like during exams.
Subjects which suit this learning style: Any subjects
Logical
Logical learners often need to understand the very mechanics of something they’re trying to study. This can be applied to mathematics which uses various equations to find the end result; logical learners need to understand why this formula is put into place, and then repeat this pattern by doing a plethora of past papers or questions to back this up.
Subjects which suit this learning style: Mathematics
Social
Social learners retain information best by being around other students. Once these learners have understood the basis of a theory or a formula, they find it easiest to explain it to someone else who has little to no knowledge on the subject. This is often the best way to test yourself on a certain topic, and also to have someone else understand exactly the point of view you’re trying to convey.
Subjects which suit this learning style: History, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English
Physical
Also referred to as kinaesthetic or tactile learning, this is where students do physical activities to help them retain information, rather than listening to or watching a teacher lecture the classroom. Instead, students depend on their sense of touch as a method for revising information.
Subjects which suit this learning style: Mathematics, Drama
Audio
Audio learners retain information best when listening to something such as a podcast or audio book. Not only is this the easiest way for these students to stop and collect notes, but they’re all conveniently filed and stored so they can go back and listen to them over and over again. But besides that, an auditory learner also likes to take part in this study technique by listening and speaking to completely retain information.
Students studying languages in the HSC will find it useful to practice with an audio recording – not only to analyse texts, but also to record themselves and hear how they speak. This is fantastic for the oral speaking exam which comes before the written HSC, and makes up for a large percentage of the final HSC mark.
Subjects which suit this learning style: Languages
Verbal
Verbal learners will typically enjoy writing and speaking in order to accelerate their learning at school and beyond. Not only can this be interwoven into a plethora of other learning styles which we’ve already mentioned, but it can actually help you to express yourself better using the written word – a fantastic benefit for writing those endless amounts of practice essays in English and extension subjects.
Reading a variety of different books including prose, articles, blogs and poetry will also increase your vocabulary, and speaking verbally will help you to use the right words in the most appropriate context.
Subjects which suit this learning style: English, Languages, Ancient History, Modern History, Extension Courses, Drama
Solitary
Solitary learners love nothing more than one thing – learning alone and at their own pace. This allows them to retain information better without the distraction of other students around and make the most of their study time, without being influenced by external factors which could deter them.
How do these learners actually study? Through a combination of visual, audio, physical and logical learning!
Subjects which will suit this learning style: Any subjects
Just because you associate with one learning style more than another, doesn’t mean you should exclusively bind yourself to those rules and regulations. Try a few things out and see which one is more effective for your learning style. This will also differ, especially if you are taking a broad range of subjects across all disciplines. The challenge will be finding the best learning style for each subject, and really maximising on your study time.
Still need some assistance when it comes to studying for the HSC examinations?
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