Learning Styles Turned Study Habits: 3 Learning Styles with Study Tips to Match

Do you study?

Were you taught how to study?

Were you successful in high school never having to study?

These are all questions to ask yourself as you are beginning college. If you were the kid in high school that never had to study and still got good grades, you may need a new strategy in college. Of course, there are those students who don’t ever have to study to do well in school no matter what (I was not one of those students). If you’re anything like me, then you had to work a little bit harder in college to get that A you’re shooting for.

So many times when we hear “study tips” we think of flashcards right away. This is definitely one method of studying and it certainly is one that works for some. But to me, it makes sense to figure out how you learn the best and find study methods that go with your learning style. This week I’ll break down three different learning styles and give you study tips that work best with that way of learning.

How do you learn?

Visual Learners

Individuals who prefer to take in their information visually (seeing it). Visual aids like maps, graphs, diagrams, charts, etc. are all things that appeal to a visual learner.

• Study Tips for the Visual Learner

  • Note taking-write things down. You'll remember them better that way. A trick that I learned a long time ago: Writing something one time is the same as reading it seven times.

  • Create flow charts with information to connect ideas

  • Probably best if you work alone to focus better

  • Make your study area visually appealing

  • Study graphics and pictures found in textbooks

Auditory Learners

Individuals who learn better when they take in information in auditory form when it is heard or spoken. These learners learn best when information is presented to them through talking, lectures, and group discussions.

• Study Tips for the Auditory Learner

  • Study in groups (Use with caution-make sure you pick a good group of fellow students that are as serious about studying as you are!)

  • Record lectures and listen to them again later (Get the professor’s permission first)

  • Instead of just reading to yourself, trying reading aloud

  • Study in quiet areas if you are studying alone

Kinesthetic Learners

Individuals who prefer to learn by doing. They usually enjoy a hands-on experience. The best way to present new information to a kinesthetic learner is through personal experience, practice, examples, or simulations.

• Study Tips for Kinesthetic Learners

  • Try explaining/teaching things to other people. This is a good way to gauge if you have a good understanding of something

  • Flashcards

  • Move around while you’re reading or flipping through flashcards. I literally used to pace around my dorm room reading books and doing flashcards all of the time. That may have just been my anxiety but either way, there’s no shame in it!

So…

Do you feel like you fall into any of these categories?

Are you a combination of all of these types of learning?

Have you tried any of these tips? Did it work?

I can tell you that I am a combination of all three of these and have used tips from all three categories. Some of you may be combo students and that’s okay! The key is to find the strategies that work for you. This won’t always happen overnight either. It may take for you to try different things until you find the method (s) that work for you.

Finally, I feel that the following tips are universal for everyone on their study journey:

• Get organized

• Plan ahead

• Set goals and deadlines for yourself

• Hold yourself accountable. Accountability buddies can help too

• Get rid of distractions. Put your phone on “Do not Disturb” if that’s what it takes

• Take breaks during your study sessions

  • Pomodoro technique: work for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break

• Set boundaries for those around you. Don’t allow others to distract you and get you off course!

Written by Gabrielle Sims, Founder of Secondary Success and Beyond (SSAB)