10 Learning Tactics You Wish You Know In School
Learning can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be mysterious. Ample research shows that there are better ways of studying, not just for passing the test, but for creating deep understanding.
Below are ten essential strategies you should keep mind any time you need to learn something important.
1. Practice on Questions From the Test
All skill depends on practice. So too, with memory. If you want to remember something, you need to practice remembering it, not just looking at it.
Retrieval practice — where you shut the book and try to recall what you’ve learned without looking at it — is one of the most effective studying techniques.1 It beat fancier techniques like concept mapping in head-to-head trials.2 Retrieval also works even if you can’t get feedback.3 The value of actively trying to remember goes beyond simply correcting mistakes.
The best questions to test yourself on are those most similar to the test. But, if you don’t have access to those, it’s better to practice harder forms of practice — think writing an essay and not multiple choice. These desirable difficulties lead to more efficient studying over easier tests.4
