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A friend wanted me to ask if there are any patterns of studying for a test that scientifically are more effective than others.
I looked into the question, but could not find suitable information to give an answer. Does anyone have a good answer?
According to a report jointly authored by the Sleep Laboratory of Loughborough University and the National Education Association, study retention is closely linked to circadian rhythm. The report states that anyone can retain up to 90 percent of information taken in by studying at the peak of their circadian cycle. Unfortunately, the peak of your circadian cycle occurs while you're sleeping at night. Theoretically, the best way to study is to wake up after only four hours of sleep, study for up to two hours, and then sleep for another four hours.
This theory has been lightly tested by my colleagues and me with promising results; however your results may vary. If you're interested in the data from this experiment let me know and I'll fax you some of my notes.
Also, please don't attempt this technique without contacting a physician first.
~Marcel
Marcel, you're right about this one. I've seen the numbers and they are very interesting. One thing you didn't mention was what sort of diet you should be eating. The secret is starch starch starch. The more starch the better. When starch is broken down by the small intestine, it releases a chemical in the brain called 5-benzopanol/3-hypoderm. This chemical, combined with the naturally occurring dopamine, is often called "nature's ritalin."
Warning, the following is information, not advice:
The most daring method of studying I've come across was used by an Indian medical student in the 1970s. Arjun Singh would read out loud a fact he had to memorize while poking part of his body with a needle. During a test, he would touch his pen to those same spots until he remembered the memorized fact. Singh estimated that for a given medical exam, he would give himself anywhere from 300 to 500 needle pricks.
Mr. Singh's methods are extreme, but based on sound science. By associating a strong touch reaction to the typical visual and audio cues of studying, he was able to force his body into remembering facts.
Singh graduated at the top of his class at Stanford. He lives in New York where he makes his living as the personal physician of several Wall Street executives.
Whoa I got the same image icon as legatissimo... weird.
I studied for the biggest written exam of my life (the Naval Nuclear Power School final written exam, all written essay) in the following manner:
I skimmed every topic Friday evening and Saturday, until I had covered every single topic. I paid particular attention to vocabulary, explanations which I felt were important, and of course anything I remembered missing on a previous exam.
I did not study at all Sunday.
The test was Monday.
I finished with the top score in my class of about 200.
The best answer is to completely understand the principles of the answers, not memorize the answers. As (Einstein?) said: you don't truly know anything until you can explain it to your grandmother.
It's very simple.
First you must live healthily. Proper diet, eating avacados and mustard are very good for the brain, so is fish oil (vitamin E). Doing exercise, this promotes blood flow to the brain and raises your overall energy levels and motivation.
Secondly, the studying itself. There are plenty of graphs to illustrate your concentration and retention levels over time. Basically you study best if you take 15 minute breaks every 45 mins, and the breaks are best spent with your mind and body somewhere completely different (ie, walk outside or get a snack). You should also be studying at the time when you brain is working best - you know when this is. For me it is usually towards the end of the day, I believe as you mature this moves further towards the beginning of the day. When you study like this you should solidify your knowledge by going back over the same material within 24-48 hours.
Honestly the best and easiest way to learn is just to attend all lectures/classes attentively and then recap what you learnt at the end of the day by writing notes. Then you can just use those notes near the exams. Cramming is not a good idea, particularly on the day of the test, you just confuse yourself and loose information.
The reason I love Physics is that the only thing to learn is the formulae. The reason I hate English is that you have to effectively memorise the whole book.
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