Ditch the stare-down with your review sheet because these scientifically proven study tips will make you work smarter, not harder

By M Kazmi 

CSI students are handed a time quota for weekly studying leading up to their finals, but who’s teaching them how to? Many A+ students rely on study techniques like spaced-out studying and the Pomodoro technique. With these techniques students can rely more on their brains and less on caffeine… but with any academic endeavor, effort is always part of the equation. 

Students typically receive review sheets from professors, but it’s up to them to decide how to use this material. After going through years of education only a handful of college students have mastered productive studying through trial and error of what works and what doesn’t.

“Scientifically proven study techniques are quite similar to the techniques students would normally use as in flashcards and studying over a span of days,” said Unaiza Nizami, a fourth-year CSI student studying computer science. “Students should absolutely know about these techniques and experiment with them to see what is the best fit for them.”

Nizami herself had to go through trial and error to find a studying technique that significantly bumped up her GPA. She tried actively recalling information, spaced-out studying, and peer studying but she found peer studying to be the most effective as she was able to understand the material more effectively when taught by a peer. Others, however, prefer other techniques that are just as effective.

Pomodoro is another well-known study technique used by many for its spaced-out studying and time management components. The learner sits down for a 25-minute window to work and then takes a 5-minute break as a reward. 

“Pomodoro was by far the best for me,” said Faraha Aslam, a psychology student at CSI. “I get to finish my study session as well as socialize with others during the break which allows me to get everything I need to get done by the end of the day without the unnecessary stress.”  

Implementing a break not only mitigates procrastination as it instills the sense of working for a limited amount of time but the break also maximizes performance and focus for the next Pomodoro session. 

According to The American Psychological Association, there are research techniques that make the learner feel as if they have absorbed the information and then there are techniques that are backed by decades of cognitive psychology showing that the learner has actually absorbed the information. In order to study smart, students need to adapt techniques such as spaced-out studying and testing themselves. 

This means that cramming before an exam is not going to get you that A+ but techniques that make you recall information such as index cards will because they mimic the active recall that is the same required by the brain during an exam.

“Personally index cards are the best study method for me because they help me remember the information as I would on an exam,” said Ruson Begum, a psychology student at CSI. “Especially when memorization is a priority, it can help me apply the information acquired from the index cards to questions on the actual exam.”

Regardless of the various science-backed study techniques that students use they all agree that these techniques alone will get you nowhere. There is a fuel of hard work and consistency that powers an active stream of studying regardless of which science-backed technique is used. This means showing up and working when you feel like it and when you don’t. 

“Working hard and being consistent is far more important than following any study technique,” said Nizami. “If you don’t put the work in what you are doing you cannot truly achieve your goal.”