Mahit's tips on studying more productively
11 April 2022
Hi everyone, my name’s Mahit and I’m a second-year Software Engineering student here at Macquarie.
As students, we have a lot of assignments to do, tests to study for, and notes to catch up on. We also need to make time for those other activities and commitments and our social lives. However, there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day or in the week to study those long hours while making time for other things.
Implementing ways to study smarter can help you learn faster and more efficiently. It is a crucial step towards achieving a balanced lifestyle as a student. Here are a few tips and techniques to try out:
Divide your study into sessions
Studying in chunks of 25-30min sessions and then taking a 5-10min break is a great way to make the most of your study sessions. This is because studies have proven our efficiency tends to go down after 20-30 minutes of focused studying. During your break, try doing something fun and unrelated to your studies, such as grabbing a snack or coffee or even a quick stretch.
Teach what you learn
After learning a new topic or concept, grab a friend or even a sibling who has no idea about the content and try teaching it to them. This is a great way of testing your understanding of the content, as it forces your brain to recall all the information you’ve learned. Teaching a complete beginner about a topic will help you to understand complex concepts in simple terms.
Take effective notes
Go back to your notes as soon as possible after every lecture or tutorial and try adding some more of what you learned to them. This technique can help in solidifying your understanding of the concepts. If you’re unsure of anything you can try asking a friend or classmate for notes or assistance (make sure to always help others in your position too!). You can also always email the lecturer or tutor for any further assistance or queries.