Studying: make it unique

Everyone has their own studying methods, such as making diagrams, taking notes, or using flashcards. To change things up, here are some interesting studying methods for you to try. 

Exercising

Exercising keeps our bodies and brains active, allowing us to memorize information more effectively. I would recommend using stationary bicycles or treadmills, but if none of them are available, you can always pace around your house while studying. 

In a recent study by University Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Italy, researchers divided a group of people in half, and tasked them with memorizing a set of new vocabulary and grammar structures. One group learned while riding stationary bikes, while the other group sat in a normal classroom environment. 

After two months, the results showed that the students on the bikes did better. After attempting this method, I discovered that moving around helps you stay awake and focused on your studies. Even standing up can help raise your activeness. In this case, I would recommend using a standing desk instead. 

Eating Sushi

There are many different types of food that can enhance your memorization skills, including sushi. Each type of sushi is different in terms of the nutrients it includes, but overall, they produce a similar effect in enhancing your memorization. 

Common recommendations include certain types of fish such as salmon or tuna.Another one would be the California roll, as it contains other ingredients which also helps with improving your skills. This is because sushi contains omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for learning and memorization. 

Commonly known as “brain food,” these acids can both improve and aid in the maintenance of your memory along with your physical health. 

Although sushi, along with other foods, have been scientifically proven to improve memory retention, these methods do not produce immediate effects, but it is always nice to have a little snack. 

Laughing

Laughter helps with memory retention. Although your subject material may not seem very funny, see if you can make a joke about it. It doesn’t matter what kind of joke, it could be puns or just irony, anything to make it stick in your head. 

This method is effective as laughter can help you better remember the materials for future references. Coming up with the jokes and puns might be a bit challenging. 

Under timed conditions or if the sentence really isn’t sticking in your head, do not bother to waste more time trying to memorize it, just move on as sitting there thinking will make your studying time inefficient. I won’t recommend using this strategy for everything as this strategy is not guaranteed and can be a bit time consuming sometimes. Therefore, you can try this method occasionally but don’t completely rely on this, use some other methods to guide you as well. 

Exam Mode

All you need is a quiet space with a table, chair, and a timer of some sort. The goal is to get yourself into exam mode so you get work done more efficiently. Get yourself in the mood by dressing in your school clothes, and get uncomfortable such as sitting on a chair instead of your bed. Set a timer from 60 to 90 minutes depending on your workload and start working. 

Under exam conditions, students tend to focus more, getting work done since exams are automatically more valued in our brains. Though this might be boring, out of all the other methods, this is probably the most productive one I have come across. This allows you to sit down without any distractions to be efficient with your work time. This would not be the method to use if you know you are too tired and not in the mood for an hour of work since your productivity might be low affecting the result.