Study Methods and Techniques
As a third-year dental student, I deal with exams quite often. Not a week goes by without me giving at least one viva, and study stress is a forever constant. Now, like any common young person, I find myself googling—or asking ChatGPT—about the various study methods that promise to make learning a little easier.
Here's a list of methods i came across:
The Pomodoro Method - The Pomodoro method involves studying for a fixed period of time, traditionally 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. Some people prefer longer cycles, such as 50 minutes of studying and a 10-minute break. It helps break overwhelming study sessions into smaller, more manageable periods of focused work.
The Feynman Technique - The Feynman technique involves explaining a concept in simple words, as though you are teaching it to someone who knows nothing about the subject. If you struggle to explain a concept simply, it may reveal a gap in your understanding that needs revisiting.
Flashcards - Flashcards are useful for rapid recall, especially when studying facts, definitions, classifications and other information that require memorisation. A question or prompt is placed on one side and the answer on the other, encouraging you to retrieve the information before checking it.
The Blurting Method - The blurting method is a form of active recall where you close your notes and write down everything you can remember about a topic. Comparing this “blurt” with your notes helps identify what you know well and which areas require further revision.
Apart from these, I also came across various methods that can be used to make notes.
The Cornell Method - The Cornell method divides a page into three sections: a large notes section, a smaller cue column and a summary section. It helps organise information while making it easier to revise and test yourself later using keywords and questions.
The Outline Method - The outline method organises information into headings, subheadings and bullet points in a logical hierarchy. It is particularly useful for topics involving classifications, definitions and structured information.
Mind Mapping - Mind mapping is a visual technique in which the main topic is placed at the centre of the page and related ideas branch out from it. Keywords, arrows, diagrams and connections can help simplify complex topics and show how different concepts relate to one another.
But of course, the internet being the internet, studying has also acquired a few less conventional techniques. TikTok and Instagram Reels have somehow managed to turn studying into a challenge, a meme and occasionally an entire aesthetic.
Study Until the Ice Melts - This involves placing a glass or bowl of ice beside you and studying until it melts. The disappearing ice acts as a physical timer, giving your study session a visible endpoint—and occasionally leaving behind a puddle as evidence of your productivity.
Study Until the Candle Melts - Similar to the ice method, you light a candle before beginning your study session and continue until it has melted or burned down significantly. It makes studying feel a little more aesthetic while giving you a visual indication of how much time has passed.
Study Until He Texts Back - Perhaps one of the most Gen Z study techniques to exist: instead of staring at your phone and waiting for someone to reply, you put it away and study until they text back. Best-case scenario, you finish a topic and receive the text. Worst-case scenario, they never reply and you accidentally complete the entire syllabus.
The Study Playlist - For many students, studying is incomplete without the perfect playlist. From lo-fi beats and classical music to movie soundtracks and playlists with oddly specific names, background music has become an essential part of many study routines. The only danger is choosing music that turns your study session into a private concert instead.
The Dress-Up-to-Study Method - A technique I personally use is dressing up well, even when I am studying at home or in my hostel. Changing out of my pyjamas and putting effort into my appearance makes studying feel less like a chore and more like an activity I can actually enjoy. More importantly, it helps shake off my drowsiness and puts me in a more awake and productive mood.
So, which one of these is the perfect study method?
The one that works for you. Or perhaps the one that is best suited to your subject. Or the type of examination you are preparing for.
A technique that helps one person study for six uninterrupted hours might be completely useless for someone else. As someone with a very low attention span, for instance, the Pomodoro method does not always work for me. A five-minute break can very easily turn into scrolling, and before I know it, I am distracted and never quite make it back to studying.
And perhaps that is the point: there is no universally perfect study technique.
Sometimes, we need flashcards for rapid recall. Sometimes, we need to explain a concept to an imaginary student. Sometimes, we need a mind map to make sense of a complicated topic. And sometimes, we simply need to light a candle, put on a playlist, dress up and convince ourselves that studying can be an experience worth looking forward to.
It is safe to say that romanticising studying can be a good way to go about it. Especially when studying is such a fundamental part of your life.
We spend years preparing for examinations, attending lectures, making notes, revising chapters and sitting through vivas. If something is going to occupy such a significant part of our lives, perhaps we are allowed to make it enjoyable.
So whether you study using a scientifically backed technique, a colour-coded set of notes, a perfectly curated playlist or until he finally texts back, the perfect study method might simply be the one that gets you to sit down, open the book—and come back again tomorrow.
- Rtr. Brinda Pokala
#raahat #kairos #magicalvibes #rid3142
