Study myths busted!
Tanisha Dhamrait
It is well into week seven of the fall semester and everyone knows what that means . . . crunch time! As mid-term exams quickly approach and many have already passed, people are left struggling to find out the best ways to get the best grades. While some students are able to concentrate on their work, others can't even seem to crack open their textbooks.
As this is my first year at university, I wanted to figure out what strategies worked for me and which ones I should avoid. I also wanted to get to the bottom of all those "study myths" out there and answer the questions we are all bound to ask, such as: "What are the best strategies to keep from becoming distracted? Is it true that it's not a good idea to engage in certain study habits?" To help me figure out the answers to my many questions, I sought the advice of Donna Thompson, SFU's learning skills coordinator from the Health, Counseling, and Career Centre. Some of these questions you might already know the answers to, and some of them you might not have heard of, as this list includes some "common" myths as well as the discoveries I've found to have worked best for me.
Is it true that you shouldn't study or read in bed?
I've always suspected this to be true and Thompson confirmed it by saying that it is a terrible idea to do this. Your body is "in an overly relaxed state" when you're in bed. You are used to falling asleep in that location and bringing a textbook to that environment disrupts your sleeping patterns. Have you ever read a book in bed at night and then you found that you couldn't go to sleep? This is believed to be because your mind becomes used to "thinking" while in bed and is therefore quite alert, although your body might be super-tired from the day's work. Also, if you read a particular textbook night after night and continuously fall asleep when reading it, you begin to associate that book with sleep. Consequently, when you open the textbook in the library, your mind immediately thinks it's time to sleep, and you might feel drowsy while studying.
Is it better to divide study time into chunks?
Although each person has his or her own individual way of studying, it has been found that most people study better when they divide their homework into periods of 50 minutes with 10 minute breaks following each period.
Is it true that people who go into a test with a positive attitude do better than those who don't?
You might not have heard this one come up as a myth, but I've found from personal experience that going into an exam with a positive attitude reduces my test anxiety, and as a result I am able to do better on the exam. Repeating phrases such as "I know this" or "I'm going to pass" in my head improves the way I feel. I heard that people who go into tests with the thoughts "I know I'm going to fail" end up doing worse on tests than people who don't have that attitude. However, if you choose to be a pessimist and have a cynical view, you can always go into a test repeating the phrase "I know I'm not going to pass." That way, the last word your mind thinks of is the word "pass." I haven't heard of any research done on this, but it doesn't hurt to be optimistic!
Is it true that the first answer you think of on a multiple-choice test is always a better choice than your second guess?
Actually, up until a few weeks ago, I thought that this was true and never changed my first answer on a multiple-choice test. However, my psychology TA told me that research has shown that students do better when they change their answers to their second guess. Psychology has spoken, folks.
Is it helpful to discuss the material you're studying with others?
Thompson says that when you speak aloud about the material you're studying, you can practice putting your thoughts into sentences. Quite often, people just take notes, but are unable to put their thoughts together coherently, so talking about what you've learned can help.
Is it better to take notes by hand or by computer?
Again, speaking from personal experience (and rumours I've heard floating around), it is more beneficial to take notes by hand. This way your mind recognises your writing and finds it easier to memorise certain facts than to memorise them from a computer screen or a textbook. It is also a good idea to study by writing notes down from your textbooks. Thompson figures that it's better for some people because "taking notes is much better than highlighting and [is] more actively engaging."
Some other pointers you can use for studying and keeping organised:
* Make schedules and prioritise your to-do list.
* Do two to three hours of homework for every hour of class (a general rule-of-thumb).
* Give yourself rewards.
* Get a good night's sleep the night before a test.
* Eat healthy.
Although many exams may have already passed, finals are coming up faster than you think, so put these strategies to use and figure out which ones work best for you! Good luck on any remaining midterms you might have, and remember the best study tip of them all: Don't procrastinate!