Better Ways to StudyImagine you have a test at school. It could be a history test, a math test or, even worse, an English test. How should you get ready for it? Many students read their books again. They also underline important words and sentences, often with a marker. You can see these two ways of studying in schools all over the world. But are they really the best ways? Mary Pyc is an American scientist who studies the human mind. She says that reading again and underlining are better than not studying at all. But other ways of studying work better. Why? When you read something again, it feels like you already know it, because you have read it before. But you are not really asking yourself, “What do I actually know?” Underlining has the same problem. There is also a second problem. Students do not always know which information is the most important. So they sometimes underline small details, not the big ideas. So what can you do? One idea is to test yourself. Simple flashcards and practice tests can help you to check that you have really learned something. Another idea is called “spaced practice”. This means that you practice remembering the new information over time. You do not do everything all at once. Good learning takes time and work. Before your next test, plan your time well. Then you can try different ways of studying. And remember: reading again and underlining are better than nothing, but there are better ways!
