A New How-to-Study Study

According to a new study, some of the most hallowed advice on good study habits is completely wrong. Parents are often told that the best ways to help their children study are to clear a quiet workspace, stick to a homework schedule, set goals, and set boundaries. But this approach was based on “sketchy education research” that does not offer clear guidance. The new study tips might seem counterintuitive at first, but recent findings suggest that they are more effective.

Rather than sticking to a single location, students should alternate the room or place where they study. Learning the same content in different surroundings improved retention, studies have found. Varying the study topics also leaves a more lasting impression than focusing intensely on one topic at a time. And while cramming sessions might lead to a good grade on a test, they do not help one to retain information. It turns out that spacing out the hours of study—even if it means forgetting some of what you learn – greatly improves later recall.

Although many parents object to the stress it places on students, frequent testing is the most powerful way of learning material. And difficult tests are the best because the harder it is to learn something, the harder it will be to forget it later. The last tip is just common sense: stay away from social media. New research shows that students who use social media while studying get significantly lower grades than those who do not use it. A university study found that Facebook users typically had a grade-point average of 3.06 while nonusers had an average GPA of 3.82.

Related Links

• Forget What You Know about Good Study Habits
  This article presents the new—and suprising—findings in cognitive psychology on what matters most to how individual students learn from what they study.
  (Source: New York Times, September 8, 2010)
• Why “Good” Study Habits May Be Bad for Learning
  This article explains why recent findings in cognitive psychology about study habits are turning the conventional wisdom on its head; includes six rules for the new how-to-study paradigm.
  (Source: The Week, September 8, 2010)
• How to Improve Your Study Skills
  This Web site provides particular how-to study tips organized by topic, including writing and math help, case studies, concentration and memorization, information mapping, note taking, preparation for taking specific tests like the ACT and SAT, and more.
  (Source: StudyTips.org; accessed September 30, 2010)