The Process of Studying - Essay Example

Process Analysis - How to Study Studying may be viewed by most as a simple ‘read a book’ process. However, this may lead to undesired results mostly as a result of misconception and the consequential usage of time wrongly. It should be taken seriously because it determines the student’s educational outcome and affects the later life mostly in the job sector. To ensure absolute success, a student should view studying as a systematic process that guides them on what to do and when as well as what to void at certain instances. Although the procedure may be daunting at first, with practice, it would become some form of a second nature in that it would be easier. First, the student must eliminate the overall inaccurate perception that education is boring and focus on ways of making it interesting. This is because one cannot succeed in something that they do not find pride and interest in doing. The student should try to find interest in the subjects that seem most boring. Most importantly, the student should be keen to associate what they are learning with the things that interest them. This is one of the most effective strategies of eliminating boredom in education. Creativity is crucial in this step. Specifically, the student can try to relate the furniture in the house or the trees in the park with certain aspects of learning such as chemical reactions. This can help the student in remembering certain chemistry lessons. Second, learning involves time; therefore, time must be managed appropriately. Here, one should not spend much time socializing and forget studying or study too much to affect their social life negatively. This balance can be accomplished if the student prioritizes daily activities (Gaugler vii). The most important activities should be allocated to the most effective times of the day. For instance, studying a complex subject such as mathematics could be done during morning sessions and allocating the simpler subjects such as English to afternoons. This would eliminate the possibility of becoming stressed out and improve effectiveness. Third, the individual should avoid lengthy learning to make up lost time. In fact, such learning improves levels of stress and deteriorates performance. Preferably, the student should study in chunks of between 20 and 50 minutes after which a 15-minute break would be of critical importance. These breaks may help the brain in freshening up and should involve some physical activities such as doing some jumping jacks. This helps in improving blood flow, which is critical to studying because it supplies blood to the brain that is responsible for storing information. When studying, it is recommended that the individual make short notes of the main points, which also help in remembering the key concepts and the overall session content (Tips for Effective Study). It is also recommended that the student ensure that they have allocated adequate sleeping time in their schedule. An individual should have between 7 and 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep for optimal performance. Fourth, the student should locate a good study spot. Although the spot should be comfortable for studying, it should not be too comfortable so as to avoid risking falling asleep. In addition, the spot should be free of interruptions such as siblings and traffic outside the house. Some of the most common mistakes made here include having the TV turned on or having music playing in the background (Column Five Media). For those who prefer to have low background music, they should only have instrumental music playing to avoid wordage distractions. However, a quiet environment is the best one for studying. Other distractions could include social media and e-mail notifications. While the student may have the option of turning their cell phones off, they may also consider using notification-blocking applications. Fifth, since psychological condition is paramount to the whole procedure, one should free their minds of any issues bothering them before they begin; otherwise, they would find themselves forgetting even the easiest detail. This can be accomplished by trying to write the issues on a piece of paper to help clear the mind (Tips for Effective Study). Additionally, the student may also try reading loudly, if the environment allows it, when they find their minds going deeper into irrelevant thoughts. This would help in recovering concentration. Moreover, during this step, it would also be advisable to undertake additional research on a topic to ensure that one does not over-rely on class notes but has a wide range of information. At times, this could be used to boost concentration as the mind becomes curious to find out more about something. Sixth, when having trouble with a specific subject that one has just learnt at school, it would be wise to try the strategy of re-writing the notes when one gets home. This method is effective because most people find it easier to remember re-written notes. This applies to hand written notes. For subjects that include anatomy, drawing the diagrams would make it easier to memorize them. To further help in memorizing, it would be effective if an individual would learn the important facts first. This can be realized by considering the introduction, headings, and chapter summaries first before going deep into the text. This gives the reader a general idea on what the text encompasses before the reader goes ahead into the wider text base. If one still experiences problems trying to understand certain concepts, it would be advisable to try to teach it to someone. Lastly, information retention can only be accomplished through making certain links and connections between what one is learning and what is already in their minds. This helps the minding in retaining this information because successful associations help the mind in making sense of the overall concept. Usage of representations could also help although meaningful rearrangement of the concepts is crucial. The results of these concepts include the establishment of a mind map, which is made up of a web structure that relates concepts to the mind of the reader. This is what comprises understanding. Studying becomes easier and more interesting through this process as stress is managed while the mind trained on how to retain information. Works Cited Column Five Media. How to Study: Studying tips for College Students.15 Nov. 2011. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. http://www.rasmussen.edu/student-life/blogs/college-life/how-to-study/ Gaugler, Vincent H. How to Study and Get Good Better Best Grades. Maitland: Xulon Press, 2010. Print. Tips for Effective Study. n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/study.htm Read More