As a working student, the biggest challenge you’ll face is to manage your studies and work. It is not unusual for students to work and study. According to an AAUP report in 2018, 43% of students who were in college are also working to make ends meet. However, students struggle to keep up with the coursework and their job.
That is because juggling two responsibilities is not an easy endeavor. You need to know what kind of learning strategy gets you optimal results in a limited time frame. But a troubling question arises, how do you find the strategy for yourself? You need to lay the groundwork by identifying what kind of learner you are. Are you an auditory learner? Does it help while you listen and learn? Or, are you a visual learner? Do you need to see the data in real-time? Are you a tactical learner? Do you need to know how the concepts work in real-time? You could even be a combination of all three.
To help you out, we have a list of practical learning tips. Here’s what you can apply for yourself:
1. Note What Confuses You
As you go through your textbooks, you should be mindful of what you are studying. When you encounter a confusing point, it is best to note down what confuses you. It will help if you are precise about where you face difficulty. Is it within the concept itself or with the numerical that comes with it? When you have your point of confusion, break it down into the information you have. Then all you have to do is connect the dots to understand your query.
2. Design Your Timetable
As a student, you need to have excellent time management skills. Fortunately, your education will instill various essential skills in you. Degrees such as a MEM degree develops transferable skills such as critical thinking, proactiveness, and time management. Although most of these skills are essential for engineers for on-the-job tasks, they can also benefit their personal lives. Regardless of an engineering or medical student, make sure you efficiently utilize those skills to make the most of your time. Always design a timetable for yourself, don’t leave anything for the last minute. You can visit Track Time 24 to learn more about the time management.
If you need extra help, use a study partner to help you design a proper timetable. Spaced practice gives you enough time to cover all the relevant coursework and then revise it. Therefore, everything you need to cover should get a slot in your timetable.
3. Prepare a Questionnaire for Yourself
When you cover a new topic, learn to question yourself. That means you should ask yourself about every critical concept found in the subject. You can even use teacher-designed question prompts to phrase your questions. When you manage to design a questionnaire for yourself, also make sure you answer every question. Through this method, you can make sure that you can identify any pitfalls in your learning techniques. Questioning yourself also forms the basis of critical thinking. You will get a chance to demonstrate what you understood and where you lacked.
4. Learn Through Visuals
Learning no longer needs to be an isolated process. You can incorporate visuals learning aid. When you go through new concepts, run them through a search engine. You will find tons of infographics and videos along with various interactive multimedia. It can help you visualize a concept better. When you can see the topics in action, you get a deeper understanding of what you learned. As a result, you perform better at school and on your exams.
5. Have a Study Group
The best part about making a study group is that you don’t need to see each other in real-time to study. Various applications allow you to video conference and start a study group session. Study groups are a great way to divide bulk work. You can ask each of your peers to cover one topic and explain it to the rest.
Through this method, everyone can listen, interact, and brainstorm to understand lessons properly. You can even cross-examine questions together and help each other when anyone is stuck. A collaborative study environment may be what you need to succeed.
6. Take Breaks
You may feel tempted to cover everything you need to study in one go, but that shouldn’t be the case. Every student can use a break once in a while. You need to decide how often you need some time off and how long each interval should be. While you schedule different breaks for yourself, find out what you can do during them.
You may reply to your friends, go over your work schedule or take a nap. When you come back to studying, every item you used while resting should be away from you. Don’t try to multitask unless you seem to perform better when you can do two tasks simultaneously. Such as listening to music while you read.
7. Take Notes
Note-taking extends beyond writing elaborate paragraphs on paper. They can even be bite-size information on flashcards. When you take notes, try not to copy the entire textbook passage onto the paper. It should be enough to supplement your learning.
You can try by summarizing what you learned in your words. Use different colors so you can mentally compartmentalize information. You can even make flow charts to see the correlation between topics. When you design notes, you effectively save time. They keep you from going back and consulting the textbook again. You can even take your notes to work. While on a break, give them a good run down. You can even use highlighters to highlight areas you would like to revisit.
Wrap Up
Working students need to learn how to manage their time for their education. Fortunately, there are many techniques available for them to try out. Always start by noting what confuses you so you know where you need to focus the most.
It would help if you design a questionnaire for yourself and cross-examine everything you learned. You may even look at videos and infographics to facilitate learning. Why not have a study group with your friends? Remember to also go easy on yourself and have breaks. Finally, learn the art of note-taking and take your notes, so you study on the go.