Efficient learning is the cornerstone of academic success, and the ability to master effective studying techniques is what would go on to aid productivity and retention. In other words, this is essential for overall productivity after reading, and although traditional means such as reading, taking notes, and continuous revision have been proven to be helpful, that can be enhanced even further. We've come to see that unconventional approaches can play a huge role in enhancing learning output, and today I'd shared a few unconventional approaches that have helped me in the past, and hopefully they'll come in handy to someone else.
Before I delve into those approaches, I'd first love to share some of my experience with reading, learning, and trying to assimilate as a student back then. I could remember being below average in my first year at the university, and one reason for that is probably because one of the pieces of advice I got while going to school was to imitate the brilliant students and learn from their reading techniques. I did just that, following that later based on the habits of some of my brilliant friends, and it ended poorly for me.
At first, I thought I was probably too dumb and wouldn't amount to anything in the university, but after seeing my first grade, I knew something was wrong because I wasn't that bad during my high school days, so I sat myself down to know how to go about it, and one thing I discovered was that most of what I read while imitating those brilliant students never sticks, but those I read while following my previous reading technique in high school work, and there and then I decided to prioritize my approach for productivity, and the outcome was mind-blowing, so without further ado, let delve into my unconventional reading techniques:
- Self-Reflection and Metacognition: While imitating the brilliant students, one thing I find out is that most of them sleep at night and wake up in the middle of the night to study, and immediately I found out about that, I delve into it as well, only to realize nothing I was reading sticks. I was disappointed, and then I decided to switch to my own approach from high school, and that's the idea of me reading at night before going to sleep while everyone else sleeps.
This approach helped me a lot because I got to read without distractions or dizziness, unlike I do experience when I wake up in the middle of the night to read, I'm mostly still clouded by sleep, but the same isn't the case if I haven't slept at all before picking up my book, and after this realization, my academic performance improves.
- Teaching others: This is another unconventional approach that has enhanced my understanding of whatever I've read. I've come to realize that after reading, gathering my friends together to explain further to them grants me a deeper understanding of the subject matter, and in a situation of mistake in my explanation, once pointed out by others, I get to easily learn, understand, and as well find out the correct details. And once it's time for a test or exam, my mind easily gets refreshed as I reminisce about my teaching experience.
- Gamification: sometimes last year when I was preparing for my promotion exam at my offline work, all the materials I needed to study for the exams and likely questions were saved in my phone, and during that time the phone screen got damaged, leaving me with nothing to study with and days to the exams. Luckily for me, a friend lent me his phone, and I downloaded educational apps related to my professions. In the app, there are loads of test questions designed to time my answering.
And after reading through most of the materials available in the app, I decided to try the test assessment section. On the first trial, I failed woefully, but after continuous reading and attempting the test, I got a significant score. The app became my go-to source through my two-day reading before the exam, and fast forward to exam day. I was privileged to have almost similar questions to those I went through in the assessment in the app, and I can't help but be grateful for that feature that got me prepared for the exam.
As I bring this writing to a close, it's understandable that traditional reading approaches work, but in order to enhance our chances of efficiency and productivity, incorporating unconventional reading techniques is the best way forward. My experience is a living testament to that, and I'm sure the same can be the case for you and many others who long for academic excellence.
This is my entry for #aprilinleo day 28 for the Inleo initiative. You can also join us by reading all the details in the announcement post.
Thanks so much for your time, have a wonderful day and stay bless.
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