Being in college entails a more serious behavior towards study than being in high school.  This is because subjects in college are generally major ones which are related to the specific career that you have chosen.  Here are some pointers on how to study effectively to get most out of your college education.

1.       Lectures

Lectures are given by instructors to facilitate learning.  They have expertise of their subjects so they know what topics to emphasize on.  They also enhance understanding of the subject matter by citing practical examples and synthesizing each chapter.  These are some of the reasons why you should listen carefully during lecture hours. 

When the instructor focuses on a certain topic, understand the concept he is trying to explain.

2.      Research

There are hundreds of books available for each subject. To understand the subject more, delve into these books. It is not enough that you take down lectures. You’ll have to do actual research because your instructors cannot discuss all the details of a subject within a semester only. 

When you research make use of all teaching aids, internet, journals, newspapers, books. Make sure your reference materials are legitimate and reliable.

Read and take down notes to ensure that you understand what you have outlined.

3.      Study

Studying does not mean memorizing. Memorizing is the least cognitive skill you should master; foremost should be analysis. Study your lessons daily by understanding and analyzing them.  How?

3.1.Read them at your normal pace.

3.2.Re- read them by writing keywords that you should remember. 

3.3.After you have understood each subtopic, synthesize the whole topic by writing   down  the summary,

3.4.Repeat this procedure until you can synthesize without looking at your notes/books.

Do not cram as cramming would cause you stress and may induce mental block during exams.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

4.      Post test

If there are any post tests after each chapter, answer them. These would help in the retention of the information gathered.

You could formulate your own questions.  Prepare objective, analytical and problem solving questions to help you remember key points.

5.      Audio-visual aids

You can prepare an audio presentation of the lecture and you could listen to it while you’re busy with other light chores.  Having a mini-recorder/walkman ready to tape lectures is also very practical. 

Do not allow the earphones though to remain in your ears for long periods of time as research have proven that constant use of this could cause hearing impairment.

Rest your ears every hour, for at least 30 minutes; 3 hours would be enough for the audio use.

Visual aids can make use of pictures/photos or power point presentations.  You could utilize codes for simple memorization, like names of people, places, dates and others. Codes should be words or numbers that you’re familiar with.

6.      Health

Maintain a healthy mind and body. A healthy body would house a healthy mind. Get enough sleep – at least 8 hours a day. Eat the right food – more of vegetables and fruits and less of fats and dairy products.

Vegetables and fruits have components that are essential to good health. Peanuts can help in memory enhancement because of these components.

Drink more than 8 glasses a day for proper hydration. The body is 60-80 % water and the red blood cells containing oxygen need water to survive. Oxygen is vital to brain function.

Coffee and cigarette are not advisable because they cause physical, mental and emotional addiction.  They may help you be awake for several hours, but in the long run, these will cause imbalance in your physiologic function which will eventually result to disease.

There are still many methods to study effectively. These would vary from each individual because of personal preferences. The most important thing to remember however is to observe a healthy lifestyle, so your mind would be healthy too.  Consequently, a healthy mind could do anything you want it to do.