Think About How You Learn
In the 'Active Learning' section, we touched on the fact that we each have different learning styles, depending on our personality type. Some of us learn best by reading words. Some prefer visual information such as pictures, graphs, charts or even doodles. Others like learning with the help of sound - or by talking things over with other people.
The good news is that it's not hard to discover your personal learning style. For instance, think about how you remember a phone number:
- Do you see, in your mind's eye, how the number would look if written down, or how it was displayed on the actual screen of the phone? If so, you might be a visual learner
- Do you 'hear' the number, as though you or someone else was saying it out loud? If so, you might be a sound-based learner
- Do you recall the number by imagining your fingers actually tapping it out? If so, you might be a tactile learner
These aren't the only possibilities, but they should have got you thinking! If you're a word-based learner, (good with words and letters, enjoy reading and playing word games such as Scrabble or taking part in discussions), here are some study strategies that may be of particular benefit to you:
- As you read, take LOTS of notes and try and summarise what the author's saying in your own words
- Create 'flash cards' on which you write down key ideas
- Keep a journal of what you learn.
If you're a new student, we recommend that, whatever your learning style, you study in short bursts. Good luck and enjoy your studies!