According to an educational model by psychologist Benjamin Bloom, being more aware of, and understanding how we think plays an important role in how we absorb information while studying.
This has been adapted into the One Hour Study Cycle that can aid students in learning more effectively, and committing knowledge gained into their long-term memory.
5 Minutes – Plan Your Study Session
You’re just warming up, so take some time to take a look at the headings of what you will be covering and get a general idea, without having to commit the details to memory yet.
35 Minutes – Commit to Memory
Read the information and take time to understand the concepts. Also, take notes! One tip would be to take down notes using your own words to help you remember the information better. Note taking can even come in the form of visual aids like graphs, mind maps, pie chart etc. Basically, organise and simplify the content that you learn in a way that you best understand it. Translating content into your own words and concepts is useful in helping to retain information.
Lastly, remember to take down questions that you may have. Note down parts that you may be unsure of so that you can ask your friends or your teachers later on. Simply telling yourself that you’ll keep it in mind to ask later is not enough, and it’s highly likely that you’ll forget. So, in order to prevent that from happening, write it down!
10 Minutes – Test Yourself!
Now it’s time to assess how much you’ve learnt! One question to ask yourself, can you teach whatever you have just covered to someone else? Make use of active recall in order to test yourself. Close your book and do your best to recite whatever you just covered without referring. Then go back again and check to see what you’ve missed out and try to recite the content again without referring. This helps to better retain the information in your long-term memory.
You can also take a bit of this time to assess your study methods. Was the way you studied effective in helping you better understand and remember content? Are you going to do the same thing in your next study session? Or should you try something else?
10 Minutes – Break!
Finally, give yourself a break! Allow your brain to take a breather and relax. This would be a good time to walk around, get a snack, maybe reply a few text messages. However, do this for 10 minutes only! After this break, your mind will be refreshed and you’ll be ready for another hour of learning!