In the era of online education, students' learning patterns have advanced drastically, and it is necessary for the self-study approach to be updated and polished. So, if you are a student looking for tips to enhance your self-study skills, then check out the top seven most accessible and effective tips and tricks for self-study.
Top 7 Effective Tips and Tricks for Self-study
- Make a routine – A routine or a structured approach towards any objective is helpful while planning and achieving the set targets. So, the first and the most crucial step towards self-study is planning a structured routine map or timetable for yourself. While planning a routine, you should keep in mind some crucial points:
- Calculate your available time wisely.
- Set SMART goals for yourself to achieve the learning objective. The SMART goal must include the following pointers:
- Specific – Ensure that the learning goal or objective must be specific concerning the final result or accomplishment, the importance of learning objective and priority, and the resources involved to achieve the learning objective. This step is essential to plan an effective routine.
- Measurable – Once you have created specific learning goals or objectives, then as a next step, you must ensure that the learning objective must be measurable. Goals must be measurable to track the progress made so far and ensure that deviations are addressed.
- Attainable – Ensure that the set learning objectives or goals are attainable or realistic to achieve. It must have realistic targets to cover within the achievable time duration.
- Relevant – Once you have ensured that the set learning objectives or goals are attainable, then as a next step, you must ensure that it is relevant. So, ensure that your set learning objectives or goals drive you forward, and it doesn't include any irrelevant learning objectives.
- Timely – You must have a set deadline or target time to achieve set learning objectives or goals successfully. This step helps focus on planning the priority and reaching the target faster.
Once you have created a structured timetable or plan for the week, ensure that you comply with the learning and break hours to maintain the structure of your day. If you overlook any section or exceed any time frame or interval slot, you will not achieve the set routine decided for the entire week.
- Plan regular gaps – Once you have successfully created the SMART learning objectives or goals. You must plan regular intervals between long study hours as the next steps. The regular intervals help refresh and retain the complex topics and logic quickly. So, ensure to plan realistic breathers or gaps for a practical learning approach.
One of the best ways to plan regular intervals is by following the Pomodoro Technique. It is a Japanese time management technique that encourages people to work efficiently and plan their schedules better.
To practice this technique, you will have to chunk the learning schedule into 25-minute blocks separated by five-minute intervals. In simpler words, you must plan out your learning schedule in 25-minutes of learning time and then take a short five-minute breather. Pomodoro is the five-minute intervals in a learning schedule. It is an effective time management technique to improve productivity by relaxing the brain muscles, reducing eye strain, and decreasing the adverse effect of prolonged and continuous learning hours.
2. Practice extensive research – In self-study, you must have the updated and the latest learning study material with you. Practicing extensive research for critical sections or unknown vocabulary will help you understand the topic in a better way.
3. Make notes – The blended learning approach is one of the most effective approaches to learning and understanding any subject or topic. Reading and making notes will help you quickly understand and retain the complex topic in this learning approach. While writing, the brain receives feedback from the motor actions and the sensation of touching a pen and paper. This type of feedback is significantly different from those you receive while just reading or memorizing topics.
4. Revise daily – As per old English saying, "Don't practice until you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong." You must daily revise the concepts or understanding gained in the entire day to retain the learning achieved.
5. Practice yoga – It's okay to take a rest or take a pause from your hectic and monotonous learning schedule. Practicing yoga is one of the best ways to rejuvenate yourself without distracting from the self-learning approach. Several trained and certified yoga trainers organize free yoga and meditation classes online. You can enroll in webinars and online sessions that offer beneficial yoga or meditation classes. Take a pause, plan a soothing yoga or meditation activity for yourself to rejuvenate and heal yourself mentally and physically. At the end of the day, health is wealth.
6. Assess your understanding – Assessments are one of the beneficial approaches to test or validate your learning. It will help you identify the weaker sections or the areas you need improvement. So, you must take weekly assessment tests to validate your self-learning achieved in the entire week. Several online assessments are available for free.
Conclusion
Do try to practice the seven tips and tricks mentioned above. Consider all the tips and tricks, set SMART targets, and keep your spirits high while practicing self-study for complex topics or subjects.
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