5 Examples of Study Methods

The first point to always keep in mind is that the study method is an aspect extremely personal: each student has their own peculiarities and for this reason has every right to find the most congenial way for them to assimilate concepts. But since there is no universal method, what is the right one to find the mechanisms to adopt?

The guiding thread that will guide your research is experimentation. Once you have informed yourself about the various possibilities available to you, try to understand which one can be more suitable for you and then do not hesitate to put it to the test immediately. If you realize that it is not the method that suits you best, know that you will have total freedom to change: your goal must be to find what is functional for you, listening to your needs without prejudice.

It is important to remember that there are golden rules that facilitate memorization regardless of the chosen study method:

• Try to pay attention and take notes as much as possible during lessons: the time you spend in the classroom is mandatory, so making it worthwhile is the smartest strategy to optimize the time dedicated to studying at home;
• Reading the material, even repeatedly and possibly using text-to-speech tools (also available on Algor Education).

Remember that every study method can be customized by each student, who over time can shape its steps, eliminating unnecessary ones and adding others based on individual needs.

Trying to pay maximum attention during lessons can make a difference even in homework.

The method of multiple underlining is based on the mere reading, underlining, and repetition of the material covered. The steps to follow are few and easy to remember:

1. ‍Read the text carefully, trying to understand the general picture it paints;
2. Reread the text underlining it with a highlighter of your choice, but maintaining the same color throughout the topic;‍
3. Review the text by working with other materials, circling keywords and underlining central concepts. The signs and symbols you decide to use in this step are entirely individual and will probably vary over time, creating a true personal language;
4. Complete by repeating aloud.

Underlining the text multiple times and in different styles, possibly even changing colors based on the topic or subject matter, will stimulate you to understand the various parts of the text and rework them in such a way as to make them your own. In addition, at each additional step, you will have to reread the content, gaining more and more confidence.

A second study method that is particularly intuitive and extremely effective was devised by Nobel laureate in physics Richard Feynman. The scholar discovered that the level of mastery of new concepts and the related explanatory skills are greatly enhanced when trying to explain them to a person who knows absolutely nothing about them. After reading your text, you will have to imagine explaining the topic to another person: by doing so, your brain will be forced to rework and make the concepts your own, also realizing the weaknesses in your preparation.

Organizing study groups is one of the best ways to enhance your explanatory skills.

The Cornell method is probably one of the best known and most widely used because it allows you to combine notes taken during lectures with personal comments, creating quick but comprehensive summaries to refer to. To put it into practice, you will need to:

1. Take a sheet of paper or a notebook and divide it into three sections;
2. In the first, larger section, take notes as you normally would, trying to have understandable and as much material as possible;
3. If you have any questions or comments on what you heard in class, write them in the second section. This way, you can try to resolve them calmly once you get home, or you can interrupt the teacher at the most appropriate time to seek clarification;
4. In the third section, summarize the notes you took in class, reworking them and capturing the main concepts.

By using this method for all the material covered during school hours, you will end up with as many summaries as there are topics covered, always being able to delve into the details thanks to the original version always at hand.

The penultimate learning method we illustrate is based on concept maps, based on the idea that visualizing content (summaries) stimulates visual memory, allowing you to fix both individual concepts and the connections between them. After reading the reference text, you can create your own concept map (also online):

1. Start by placing the reference topic you are approaching in the center;
2. Then proceed by choosing the type of map you prefer to create, trying to use the best layout based on the type of objectives you have. If you have any doubts about the best way to organize your personal map, you can consult our article dedicated to five examples of concept maps;
3. Ask yourself the main questions related to the topic you are studying, trying not to leave out any key elements and customize the style so that it is visually stimulating for you;
4. Once you have completed the map, try to repeat it out loud first by keeping it nearby and going over it with your eyes as you speak, and then move on to a second repetition phase without any support.

Example of a concept map on the theme of Globalization created with Algor Education.

This method is particularly effective and versatile because it allows for a unique level of customization; moreover, concept maps encourage students to create connections between the various elements studied, also improving oral expression skills thanks to the two recommended repetition steps.

The "Pomodoro" study method, named after kitchen timers, was designed for those who want to manage their time effectively in the learning process. This method involves setting 25-minute study sessions, interspersed with five-minute breaks to relax and clear the mind. After four study cycles, you can take a longer break of 10-15 minutes before returning to the previous rhythm.

Managing time with the "Pomodoro" study method can be particularly helpful for students with ADHD, who often struggle with time management.

Thanks to these interruptions, you will be able to avoid unpleasant feelings of tiredness or work overload, optimizing concentration through cyclical brain rest. Of course, as you use this method, you can modify the time intervals indicated by the timer, but try to always maintain proportions similar to those of the original model. The strength of this study method is indeed its regularity, the creation of a routine that relieves the student from time management tasks.