How to Study

Haecheol Jang |Staff Writer|

Midterms are over, but finals are right around the corner.

There are many students, so there are various ways to study.

Did you try to skip sleep to study? Did you eat some food to help you concentrate? Are you cramming for an exam?

The most common study strategy is re-reading notes or the textbook, according to Purdue University’s statistics.

Eighty-four percent of students use this strategy but 43 percent of students use the “do-practice-problems” strategy.

Forty percent of students use flashcards, 30 percent rewrite notes, 26 percent study with friends, and only 19 percent use memorization as a study strategy.

What about CSUSB students?

“Actually, I never study until exams start. A week ago, I started to study [for] the exam. Cramming is the way to study,” said student Wongu Kang.

He recommended skipping sleep before an exam, because he can study more when other students are sleeping.

On the other hand, some students use their planners or schedulers to study.

“I think planners helps students concentrate. It is really helpful way to prepare for midterms. I made some plans of study,” said student Jinseon Yu.

Studying with other people is another study skill.

“I like to study with other classmates. I can ask something I can’t understand. We can also go over important parts of the exam,” said student Brandon Clark.

Some students have a different viewpoints.

“I don’t like to study with other people. I like to study alone, because I can focus on my studies. I don’t like noises, and some people don’t arrive in time,” said student Jaeho Han.

Some students recommend teaching others the study material.

“Teaching is a great studying skill. It is really helpful skill to check what you learned,” said student Tiffany Lynn.

“While you teach, systematization occurs in your brain and it helps long-term memory,” according to Learning Psychology professor Do of Sungkyunkwan University.

Another students recommends studying just the important parts.

Teaching others is the most effective strategy, according to U.S. National Training Laboratories.

Teaching has a 90 percent recall rate, while listening is the least effective study skill and it only has a five percent recall rate.

“Practicing by doing” is the second effective and its recall rate is 75 percent.

Discussing in a group has a recall rate of 50 percent.

Teaching demonstrations are 30 percent, audio visual is 20 percent and reading only has a 10 percent recall rate.

There are many study strategies and they are all very important.

Even when someone knows the most effective study strategy, it is all in vain when he or she does not study.

The upcoming finals are simply another set of exams, do not be afraid of them. Apply any study strategies that work for you.