Feature Post

By 8th-Grade Blogger Soleil Antle 

We’re in school; we all have had to study. But, how do you study? Do you take notes or read? And, does studying actually work? Do you actually remember the topic after a short period of study time? 

There are certain studying techniques that help get the information in your head better, like taking notes on paper rather than on a computer. Things like rereading the information aren’t actually as helpful as you might think because details don’t stick in your brain; whereas hand-writing notes is a more deliberate process, and you really have to be able to listen, summarize, and prioritize the information you are learning about. 

A lot of people take notes. It is one of the most common ways to study, but did you know there is a big difference between taking notes on a computer opposed to on paper? When taking notes on a computer it is very quick, and you are most of the time able to copy word for word, which doesn’t help you in the long run. People tend to focus on just writing everything down and don’t take time to listen to the information. When you take notes on paper, it forces you to listen and comprehend what is being said, so you are able to summarize it in your own words. According to Corissa E Haury, a data QA engineer, this engages your brain a lot more than typing because it interconnects more brain work activity by using motor, visual, and sensory muscles (“Why writing by hand is still the best way to retain information”).

In 2012, a study was published by ScienceDirect that explains how writing by hand makes for better reading comprehension. 

“When children begin to print, their motor output (of a letter) does not conform to prototypical lettering: each output (which is also the perceptual input) can be said to be noisy relative to the model” (“The effects of handwriting experience on functional brain development in pre-literate children“).

Despite the fact that the children’s recreation of a letter was messy compared to the letter model, their brains still accurately recognized that the letter they drew was the same one they attempted to copy (“The effects of handwriting experience on functional brain development in pre-literate children“).

When it comes to typing, all you do is click a number of buttons to form a sentence. My brain works better when I slowly think about the topic and write it in words I understand instead of just copying off a paper or a slideshow onto a Google document. 

Another studying technique that works is practice tests. By verbally answering questions it forces your brain to recall information and be able to process it so you can explain it verbally. This strengthens your neural pathways and helps to convert those short-term memories into long-term knowledge, which ultimately helps you on a test (“What is active recall and how it can help you study“).

Whereas just rereading information tricks your brain into thinking you have the subject mastered; this is called “false familiarity” (“What is active recall and how it can help you study”).

Overall there are many ways to study and get information in your head, but there are certain techniques that are believed to help you better. It depends on the person of course, but taking notes on paper and going over questions and practice tests are the best way to drill a topic in your head.