The 3 step study method is an age-old teaching strategy that has been scientifically proven to work. It includes a combination of strategies developed by learning scientists around the world that have been tested and proven successful.
First, thoroughly review your material and create summary notes for difficult concepts. Doing this will make it simpler to recall them on exam day.
1. Preview
The preview step is essential in any successful study plan. It gives you a good overview of what the material will cover, as well as helping determine what kind of notes to take during class. Furthermore, it helps create an overall mental picture in your head.
An effective example of this would be reading a textbook prior to attending lectures. You can also preview other study materials like PowerPoint slides or learning objectives, giving yourself time to prepare and make lectures more efficient.
Many students neglect this step, yet it’s one of the most efficient methods for learning and memory retention. Skimming text (such as a history textbook or anatomy study guide) to get an overview of what you’ll be studying is often overlooked. You can even use highlighters to make note of key words or concepts you wish to remember.
Another brain-friendly study method is using software programs, like UWorld, that offer multiple choice questions and cases. This is especially helpful if you’re prepping for a standardized test as it will test your memorization abilities.
Finally, developing a self-testing strategy is essential. Spending hours memorizing formulas or list titles that won’t help you on the exam isn’t fun!
To maximize efficiency, utilize a program that offers different question types like multiple-choice, essay questions and cases. This will give you an understanding of what kind of questions will appear on the exam as well as how many you must study in order to pass.
2. Study
Utilizing the preview step and actively studying material for your test is essential to success. Not only does this help you become acquainted with the content, but if you are an engaged learner, it will also help retain memory information during exam situations.
One of the best ways to study is reading aloud your text and repeating it back to yourself. You can do this in a quiet place or even your home office. Doing this helps focus on what you are learning while allowing for flexibility to recite at your own pace, which may be especially helpful if you have trouble reading or are an auditory learner.
Another effective study method is creating flashcards of key concepts from the chapter. Not only does creating flashcards help you retain key points quickly and easily, but it can also aid in long-term memory consolidation. You can create these on your computer or use a spaced repetition tool like Anki to make it simpler to retain information.
Once you have your list of flashcards, read each one aloud to yourself. Not only will this help reinforce memory of the information, but it will also teach you new words and phrases.
It can also be beneficial to read your flashcards aloud while listening to an audio book. Doing this will increase your attention span and make it easier for you to retain the information presented.
In addition to reciting your flashcards, it’s wise to try answering the questions created for each section of the text. Doing this will enable you to assess how much knowledge has been retained and identify areas where further study may be necessary.
If you don’t have much time for studying, breaking the material up into smaller chunks may be beneficial. You could do this by dividing each chapter into sections or breaking it up into distinct topics and keywords.
Finally, if you want to maximize your study efficiency, creating a study schedule could be beneficial. This will allow for dedicated times for study and also helps organize textbooks and other study materials.
Once your study schedule is in place, it’s wise to fill it in and start working through the material. Doing this allows for taking notes and setting checkpoints so that no important details get missed.
It is wise to practice exams on subjects you are studying. This could be in the form of a mock exam or simply doing an exhaustive brain dump.
3. Revise
The revision step of the 3 step study method requires repeating and summarizing what you have read. You can do this by speaking aloud, inventing scenarios or just writing down your thoughts about what was just read. Doing this helps lock in information while improving retention rates; therefore, you should do this after each reading session so that you can review it regularly.
Revision is critical when studying, as it helps guarantee you retain what you’ve just learned. Unfortunately, the human brain forgets information quickly, so employing an effective review strategy is necessary to prevent this from occurring.
This step can be a little challenging, but it can easily be accomplished by writing out what you’ve read, creating questions and then trying to answer them. Doing this helps determine whether or not you understand the content, providing an opportunity to use key words, questions, list titles and formula processes identified in Step 2. Additionally, doing this with someone else may be beneficial as they provide outside perspectives on what was just read along with an opportunity for discussion – making this step much more efficient!