How to Study Effectively

Read (Eyes)

People usually assume that reading material and information is going to automatically make them remember but this is usually not the case for non-geniuses and non-photographic memory people.

What I mean by reading is that you simply read and the information given but at the same time understand it as well. If you don't understand the material, you simply will not be able to effectively apply it during exams. You need to focus on re-reading, breaking down the material, re-wording it to understand the material. If you don't understand a word - DO NOT hesitate to use the dictionary. It helps so much to understand what is being said. 

Once you truly understand the material, then you may move onto the next step. 

Speak (Ears/Mouth)

Speaking means reading the material out loud in short sentences and remembering keywords to help you remember. This is usually the most important step and helps a lot. Speaking is really important as you are not only using your mouth but also your ears to move the material into your long-term memory. 

E.g. I have been re-reading this sentence for my psychology exam:

'Individualistic societies see themselves as "entities" and autonomous containing significant attributes and largely detached from the environment.'

The shorter a sentence is, the easier it is to remember. So I would highlight - 

'Individualistic societies see themselves as "entities" and autonomous containing significant attributes and largely detached from the environment.'

This makes the material a lot easier to remember and the keywords would be 'entities', 'autonomous', 'attributes' and 'detached.'

As I said before, if you don't understand - use dictionary. After that, you should re-word it into your own words to make it easier for you to understand. 

Such as - 

Societies such as the U.S.A and most Western European countries are individualistic and have an independent view of self. This means that they see themselves as entities and autonomous (independent) and have important characteristics. They are also separated from the environment. 

I usually skip the above step but if you don't understand the original sentence, then you should re-word it to make it easier. 

The last step is to say the sentence out loud without looking at the material itself. 

This bit takes the longest for me but it is the most effective of remembering the information in my head.

 Write (Body)

My mum used to tell me that since during exams/tests you are expected to write the information down - it is always best to write down the material after you've remembered it so you know what to write during the actual test/exam. So I find this step really helpful. 

This step is fairly simple but can take a long time. 

You simply just write out the material after completely the other two steps. Once you know which ones you have trouble writing down, then you will understand which ones you don't exactly remember in your head that well. 

The other step with writing is to use mnemonics! Use acronyms and chunking and whatever helps you with remembering!!

The mnemonic I used for this is:

For e.g. 

• Boundaries
• Emotional Safety
• Sense of belonging and identification
• Personal Investment
• Common symbol system