Reading, re-reading, and re-reading your study notes in a quiet study spot might seem like the best way to learn, but it is more likely to send you to sleep than to a higher plane of knowledge.
Get creative with your study approach by exploring which memory retention techniques get your brain moving and shaking. Not only are you guaranteed to have a bit of fun, you will also better engage with the information that you are learning.
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1. Get Colourful
You can make your study notes a whole lot more interesting and fun by making them more visually appealing with colour.
In fact, you can even associate certain colours with various topics or study material to help you remember your points. Just make sure you don’t get too distracted planning how beautiful your notes are going to look that you forget to do the work!
2. Make Up a Story
Turning the details you need to remember into a crazy story helps make the information more meaningful. For example, remember the Early Education learning handbook ELYF this way: The Elephant(E) went to the Leopard (L) and said Yes (Y) to Frappuccinos (F).
3. Make Your Study Space Portable
We may be creatures of habit with a favourite study spot, but information retention actually increases when you change the places you study. That’s because, every time we move around (from our study desk to the coffee shop, or the coffee shop to the toilet seat), we force the brain to form new associations with the same material so it becomes a stronger memory.
4. Pretend You’re Taking Notes for Someone Else
Have you ever tried to explain something to someone else and you realise there is a massive flaw in what you are saying? Taking notes for someone else prompts you to really think through what you are learning. Einstein famously said “If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
5. Listen to Classical Music
