Good study habits for Long term memory
By Odili Ogochukwu –
The study/Reading habits of majority of students can be illustrated with a narrative that went viral on social media.
The educating folktale gives an account of how a Pastor stole a $25,000.00 open bank cheque during a dinner with one of his church members.
It was said that the couple invited the Pastor of their church for a dinner in their home in California, United States of America. After the departure of the Pastor from their home, the cheque vanishes into the thin air.
“I think our Pastor has stolen the $25,000.00 open bank cheque that I kept here on the table of which I had the intention to give to him,” said the man.
Infuriated by the act, the wife heaved and responded: “Hmmmm, all of them are just the same. If they are not fake, they are thieves. There is no need to invite him again. Thus, we shall attend another Church.”
A few months later, the woman met the Pastor on a particular street and confronted him with confidence.
“Good day Pastor, I guess you are aware that we no longer attend your Church to prove our anger with you. The day you ate in our house, there was a $25,000.00 open bank cheque on the table but unfortunately it disappeared while we were eating,” she said.
She further told the pastor that he was the only person who visited their abode at that time.
“Yes,” the Pastor replied politely. “I took the cheque. I put it in your Bible to avoid spilling the sauce on it.”
The woman who was devasted by the Pastor’s sobriety asked him for forgiveness. She went home to see that the bank cheque had been there for two months; an indication that for two months, she had not read her Bible.
The same way majority of students stay without reading their books for months. This supports Malcolm’s claim that “if you want to hide something from black people, put it in a book.”
Some students remember their books when examination timetable is out. Hence the student reads to pass exam, not to acquire the nitty-gritty of the field of study.
Consequently, the society have a doctor who would cut off a woman’s fallopian tube thinking it’s an appendix. A lawmaker that cannot move a motion or make useful contributions during the plenary.
Reading, not just for test, assignments and examinations helps to prepare students ahead of future challenges. There is invariably a discrepancy between a student who studied and that who did otherwise.
Some Good Study Habits include the following:
1. Locate a serene spot to study: As a learner who wants to internalize the content of your materials, your position determines your possession. Discovering a good area to study is one of the most important components of studying well. Though, study habits differ, there are individuals who can study anywhere.
In order to avoid distractions, it is indispensable to look for a hush place where your concentrations, reflections will not confront distortion.
A school or public library is not a wrong choice. Other comfortable and quiet intersections are highly acceptable as long as some studies require periodically changing study environment to retain assimilation.
In his words, Gorge Choga said by changing study locations, the brain create multiple associations with that material and at the same time, facilitates retrieval strings.
Findings, however, suggest that getting three or four conducive environments to study and interchange locations when necessary is an added advantage.
2. Avoid semantic Noise: Reading/Studying calls for total submission of the body, soul and spirit for cogent understanding. It needs total concentration. One’s mind and thoughts must be channeled to the spectrum of study. Minimize unnecessary distractions by not thinking outside the box.
For instance, can one be reading the meaning of Agricultural Science and at the same time, thinking of pot of soup? Truly, this is a confusion that needs comprehension. Focus your mind on your study.
3. Study with friends: Experience ascertains that attending tutorials or studying with a friends can alleviate learning difficulties. Make sure you are on the same page about studying and keeping one another distraction-free.
There is gain in forming a study group. Professor Ajaja, in his reflection noted that group members can help one another work through difficult problems, provide encouragement, hold each other accountable to studying goals, provide different perspectives, and make studying more enjoyable.
He added that explaining difficult concepts to others can help with comprehension and retention.
4. Respite: There is need for peaceful relaxation after a long study for better retention, increased attention, and boosts in energy.
It is not a magic. Engines are put off for a rest for a while after a long work. Footballers observe 15 minutes break (half time) in a game of two hours before commencement of second half. You need a break to avoid overcrowding of brain.
Research demonstrates that working for around 50 minutes, then giving yourself a 15 to 20-minute break, can lead to optimum productivity. Remember the saying: ‘all work and no play makes a Jack a dull boy.’ You can give yourself a break by spacing out your study.
Note that Cramming can still help you get a good grade on a test. Learners can not be tossed out cramming completely. There are definitions, particularly by scholars in the field of study that may be replicated in certain circumstances.
Above all, there are historical figures, expressions and date of occurrences that must be presented the way they are. Cramming may stand as the last resort. Though, one must be conscious of plagiarism.
Meanwhile, studies portray that one is likely to forget the information as soon as the test or exam is over. Really holding onto the material you learned (and making exam seasons less stressful) requires consistent and well-spaced study sessions.
Rather than procrastinating your studying to test or exam, carefully and briefly review material you learned once a week.
It is better to space out your studying up to several weeks, months, depending on the test leading up to the exam day. This can help you retain the information long term.
5. Have established Plan of study for every session: There is an adage which says that “one fails to plan, plans to fail. Establish a study objective for each session you have. This should be guided by your time and content of study.
For example, you can target to study for two hours, or review three chapters of your textbook or both.
6. Appreciation: Appreciation, they say, is an application for more. Appreciate and reward yourself no matter little you have achieved. Sometimes, learning can be difficult.
Blaming yourself for not doing well can not reposition your study habit but commitment and adjustment will. Desperate action calls for desperate measures. Take a well spaced break and reschedule another learning session.
Appreciate yourself with a reward for a long day of studying or getting done with an exam can include getting your favorite meal, spending some time relaxing with friends, or making time for your favorite activity.
7. Accept procedural questioning: Use few minutes of your study to entertain questions from your scope of study.
Your propensity towards practice questions is valuable, hence, allows students to learn and retain information.
Also, reflecting upon study questions makes it easy for the learner to retrieve information from the memory. You can “test” yourself after reading to attest to your volume of knowledge on the subject matter.
8. Diction: While evaluating yourself, expressing valid points in your own words enhances your awareness on the content. It enables the brain to turn on to particular information.
To achieve this mandate, it is advisable to wrap up noteworthy points by rephrasing as you round off your study.
9. Exercise: One’s health status must be given sufficient attention before embarking on academic journey. The body system needs regular exercise for functionality.
Exercise brings oxygen to the part of the brain responsible for thought. It encourages the development of new nerve cells, and boosts brain cell connections, lower blood pressure, reduced mental stress, and weight control.
It is fruitless to sit for two hours reading with nothing to show for it. According to Matthew Kampert, exercise gives more energy, improves your mood, helps you sleep better and live longer.
10. Support Materials: No one lives in isolation. You need a ‘support’ to succeed in your field. Dwell away with pride to ask for assistance if unable to understand the explanation in a textbook, notebook and so on.
Your teacher or fellow students who are deeply ingrained in the area may provide some relieves. We all need one another to succeed in various fields of human endeavor.
Approach your teacher, professor, boss, teaching assistant, friend, or study group member for new ways to comprehend the subject, course, topic or craft squeezing life out of you.
In addition, familiarize with varieties of online instruments such as the Khan Academy. A quick search through Google or YouTube that can exposed you to articles or videos on troubled subjects.
11. Conservation: You must take care of yourself. You take care of your brain by taking care of yourself. Eat well, sleep well and relax well for good mental wellbeing.
Incorporate more fruits, vegetables, plant sources of proteins, nuts, and unsaturated oils like olive oil into your diet, all of which have been linked to better cognitive performance.