STUDYING TACTICS THAT SUIT YOU [ARTICLE]

Doing the same thing over and over again does not stimulate the mind, it reduces the brain’s activity to grow and develop.

Note this:  To strengthen your brain, you must go out of your comfort zone. This makes the brain learn something new. It is quite strange that most people read and don’t understand. They read their head out but yet they don’t seem to understand what they have read. The reason is; you have not chosen your study technique.

student reading in the library

Every person has a tactic, a study technique that actually suits your style/brain. Discovering this technique is a powerful tool that involves tenacity, courage and consistent trial. The more you try to discover your thumbscrew, the more you get closer to the solution.

It is discouraging and sometimes annoying to read and don’t understand. It is quite pitiful. Motivation is a part of reading, when you read and don’t understand your motivation depreciates. When something turns out successful, the motivation to keep doing it is increased.

Students practice different mantra when reading like;

• Chewing gum
• Playing a light music in the background
• Drinking coffee
• Drinking water
• Reciting and cramming etc

This mantra fit into the lifestyle of different people. It is not a general phenomenon to studying; it might not work for you.

Strive, work hard, and take time to study yourself first so you can discover the studying strategies that fits you. Most people like reading books with diagrammatic illustration, others don’t. Some prefer prose, drama and poetry.

Discovering what stimulates your mind and focus entails how you pay attention to what you’re reading.  This helps to enhance your brain. 

SEEK THINGS THAT INTEREST YOU

Find time to discover things that catches your fancy.  When we read or study things of interest, the mind is stimulated, the brain is open and the memory is aroused to grab and store new information. At this point, nothing distracting will take the attention off you. The mind becomes focused to every detail. 

AM I READING AT THE RIGHT TIME?

Another factor to put into consideration is knowing when to study. Studying has its own time, though, there’s an exception.  Some persons pick up anything at anytime and apply focus immediately to what they’re reading.

To get what you want you must strategize. Studying during the hot hours of the afternoon is not advisable; the noise in the atmosphere can be so grueling. Have you ever wondered why the school libraries are always located at the extreme area of the school where there is no much disturbance? State libraries are always located at the less busy area of the state?

It is advisable to study in a serene area and in the late hours of the noon day, the night or the early hours of the morning. Knowing when and where to study plays a huge role in getting what we want.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU READ EXTRAS?

Do you study whilst getting the main point? How often do you read extras? It is time wasting to read things which are not necessary. Pay attention to details because it gives you an extra edge to getting what you want.

Mostly, we read things not in line with what we are supposed to study. We pay too much attention to extras. We get distracted by pictures, storyline and catchy headlines and before you know it, you have gone out of point and context to what you are supposed to study. Read the needful, take note of the necessary and make research on the main points.

STATE OF THE MIND?

The brain, memory and the mind works together. The mind has its present state. There’s never a time the mind is idle or subconscious. It must be pre-occupied with something. Happy, sad, relaxed, worried, guilt etc.

At what point in time and at what state of the mind should you study?

Studying takes focus. Focus relaxes the mind, a focused mind limits distractions and enables the memory retain information. Knowing the present state of the mind is very important. Do what you wish but when the mind is not at rest, you cannot be focused.

The more reason it is proper to take breaks-in-between our busy schedule in school or the day’s activity to regain our lost energy, refresh the brain and renew the mind.  The brain consumes energy. Studying after a choked up day’s schedule is a killer. It is a waste of time.

READING WITH PATIENCE

When you read and try to study having other activity and next agenda in mind, you become impatient. Make up your mind.  We want to get this routine of our life over and done with so we can move to the next item on our day’s schedule. Trying to engage in a moment to study when the mind is fidgeting leaves you with nothing.

This subjects you to read the most interesting part of the book and forget the other side; we lose details when we don’t read through sentences, lines and paragraphs. We skip pages because that section is boring and dry. Details and points can either be at the beginning, middle or the end of the page. Quit skipping pages. Quit reading in between pages. 

TRY THIS:

•        Enhance your ability to retain information
•       Limit distractions

N: b: The brain takes 8seconds of focused attention to be able to store information.

•    Use visual imagery         
•   Rehearse
•   Build off what you know   
•   Be mindful of your lifestyle.

Motivate yourself, set a target and checkmate yourself if you’re practicing the above. Watch your improvement and eat healthy. 

Tags:  Brain, Mind, Rest, Study, Read, Stimulate, Target 

Article was written by our correspondent Williams Chibuike.

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