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Study Hacks & Learning Techniques

The Smartest Study Differently

HACK MY STUDY is a free resource dedicated to teaching the

most effective study strategies and techniques. More tutorials:

hackmystudy.com

By Leo Fuchigami

Copyright HACK MY STUDY 2010 CC BY-NC [ No commercial reproduction ]

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How To Manage Your Time Effectively As A

Student

What really separates the highly productive from the rest? Learn the differences
between Classical and Modern students time management philosophies, and how you
may be doing the opposite of what you should.

Table of Contents

1. Results vs. Process .......................................................................................................................... 3

2. Study Session Length ...................................................................................................................... 3
3. Study Location .................................................................................................................................. 4
4. Study Times ....................................................................................................................................... 5
5. Memorization Schedule ................................................................................................................. 6
6. Information Prioritization ........................................................................................................... 6
7. Multi-Tasking .................................................................................................................................... 7
Learn More ............................................................................................................................................. 8

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1. Results vs. Process

The fundamental difference between Classical and Modern Students is their focus on
results vs. process. When Classical Students start studying, they set goals such as I
need to finish [task] or I need to memorize [thing], whereas Modern Students set
goals such as How do I maximize the next 15 minutes or What can I do to get the
most done in the next 30 minutes.

Heres why this is important.

If a Classical Students take 1 hour to complete a task that realistically takes 15 minutes
(because 45 minutes were spent watching cat videos), he would still regard the session
as a success, because the task was ultimately completed. However, if a Modern
Student takes 30 minutes to complete the same task, he would consider it a failure,
because more than half of the time was wasted.

Furthermore, the Modern Student will be driven to identify what went wrong and apply
the lesson to future sessions, resulting in a constant improvement in the process.

So, next time you start a study session, dont list what you will do. Instead, ask yourself
how much you can finish in that time, and how you will accomplish it.

2. Study Session Length

Modern Students often study in short bursts of intense focus, because they
understand their ability to maintain focus deteriorates after ~30 minutes. By taking
breaks between short and intense study sessions, they allow themselves to re-energize
and process the information they learned subconsciously.

Classical Modern

Description Studies in long sessions of one Studies in 20 to 30 minute bursts

hour or more

Example 60 minutes of studying 30 minutes of preview

10 minute break 10 minute break
50 minutes of studying 30 minute studying
Dinner Dinner
25 minutes of studying
5 minute break

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20 minutes of review

Both students spend 120 minutes total (including study + break time), but the Modern
Student will have studied more intensively by breaking up his study sessions with short
breaks.

Note: This doesnt mean that Modern Students dont do long sessions. In fact, they
may do intense 4-hour long sessions without any breaks when theyre particularly
engaged with their work. However, theyre much more sensitive to their ability to focus.
Once they notice a decline in their focus, they wont keep trying to study, because they
know theyll get more done by taking a break and coming back to it.

3. Study Location
Modern Students have a more open mind about when and where they can study.
Classical Students only consider certain places appropriate for studying, restricting
themselves from studying when the conditions are not met.

Classical Modern

Description Studies exclusively in a few Is comfortable studying in a wider

designated locations. range of locations and situations.

Example Library Waiting in line

Cafe Between activities
Study room Sitting in the car/bus/metro
While walking/driving/cooking
(listening to podcasts)

By being more open to studying between activities in unusual places, Modern Students
allow themselves to space out their studying, which is a proven method of storing
information in long-term memory. This also reduces the barriers to studying, making it
more difficult to find excuses to avoid studying.

Portable Studying
If you dont already use a cloud-based note or document application, start
now! Microsoft One Note (http://www.onenote.com/) is my preferred note-taking
application. Best of all, its free and can be synced between any laptop, cellphone and
tablet. In this way, you dont have to carry around your notebook and textbooks to
study. You can do it anywhere and anytime you have your smartphone.

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There are other many other ways to make your studying habits more portable.

Listen to podcasts onto your iPod or smartphone

Keep a cheat sheet of review notes in your wallet or pocket
Carry a copy of the key pages of your textbook in your wallet
Use the internet on your phone to do research on unanswered questions

4. Study Times
Highly productive people make sure to study and work during the most effective hours
of the day. If you examine the work schedule of famous businessmen and academics,
youll see a very high percentage wake up early in the morning and finish most of their
work before lunch. This is because they realize that they can get more done in 1
hour in a high-energy state than 3 hours in a low-energy state. They also understand
that certain periods of the day are high in stimulus and purposely avoid those times.
For example, between 6 pm and 11 pm, your friends are more likely to be active on
social media and may try to contact you and popular TV programs are likely to be
showing.

Classical Modern

Description Mostly studies in the evening. Often studies early in the morning,
late at night and at odd times.

Example After school Early in the morning

After games and TV Before eating
After other tasks are completed Right after class
After eating Before sleeping

This doesnt mean that the best time to study for you is also early in the morning.
It depends on your lifestyle, schedule and personality. Take a moment to think about
when you have the most energy and youre the least likely to get distracted. If you
typically start studying after 6 hours of school, 2 hours of sports and 2 hours of video
games, you are sabotaging your productivity.

Optimal Memorization Times

Early Morning It is much easier to memorize things early in the morning,
because your mind has not yet been burdened with all the information and
stress you accumulate throughout the day.

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Late at Night Information obtained right before sleep is much more likely to be
transferred into your long-term memory.
Right After Class Reviewing the material that was covered shortly before
solidifies the concepts in your mind. Its also the best time to review since you
dont have to deal with re-learning things you might have forgotten if you delay it
until later.

5. Memorization Schedule
Modern Students intuitively understand the Spacing Effect
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacing_effect). That is, the proven concept that
humans learn things more easily by studying them repeatedly over a long span of time,
rather than studying them intensively over a short span of time.

Classical Modern

Description Studies the material deeply once, Previews the material shallowly,
then reviews the material when then reviews the material
required (for an exam). periodically.

Example Day 1: Studies a new chapter Day 1: Skims the chapter 30

comprehensively and completes
the end of chapter review
questions 90 minutes
Day 7: Reviews the chapter
before the exam 30 minutes
minutes
Day 3: Reviews chapter and
completes chapter review
questions 60 minutes
Day 5: Reviews key points 15
minutes
Day 7: Final review 15 minutes

Both students will have spent 120 minutes studying over the course of 7 days, but the
Modern Student will have a much better understanding of the material at the end of the
7 days.

6. Information Prioritization
Modern Students intuitively understand that its better to spend more time on difficult
concepts instead of reviewing easy concepts. It may seem obvious, but actually
ignoring information you dont need to study is more difficult than it sounds.

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Classical Modern

Description Studies linearly Allocates time based on

importance and efficacy

Example Reviews material from beginning Skips questions or sections that

to end, in the order its written are already well known
Identifies problem areas and
spends extra time reviewing them

Review for a Test

Lets say you want to review the course material for a test. A Classical Student will go
through all their notes, from beginning to end. However, a Modern Student may skip
half of the question, because theyre too easy to waste time on, then will spend the
remaining focusing exclusively on the most difficult and important questions.

7. Multi-Tasking
Modern Students are mono-taskers. That is, they dont multi-task when they study,
because they know it dramatically reduces productivity and memory retention. In fact,
they actively prevent micro-distractions (e.g. a Facebook message) by taking measures
as drastic as temporarily blocking distracting websites (http://hackmystudy.com/how-
to-temporarily-block-distracting-websites/).

Classical Modern

Description Switches between tasks Only works on a single activity at

frequently a time, without the distraction of
other things

Example Studies for 10 minutes Studies for 25 minutes without

Checks Facebook for 5 minutes any distractions
Studies for 10 minutes
Checks email for 5 minutes

Here is a list of the main reasons why multi-tasking doesnt work:

Concentration You may believe you can do two things simultaneously just as
well, but this is a myth. Most people think they can text and drive safely, but
statistically texting and driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving.

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Set-up cost Every time you switch, you have to set yourself up again for that
activity (e.g. find your place in the book and recall what you just learned)
Momentum By abruptly switching, you lose your train of thought and any
momentum you may have built up
Speed Your ability to process important information is reduced by constant
interruption
Stress Having multiple things on your mind at the same time leads to a sense
of uneasiness

Learn More
For more free tutorials, visit hackmystudy.com.

Topics include:
How to speed read
How to memorize more effectively
How to manage your time
How to beat procrastination
How to take notes in class
How to memorize textbooks
And more!

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Copyright HACK MY STUDY 2010 CC BY-NC [ No commercial reproduction ]