How to Study Efficiently and Get Effective Results?
Efficient Study Techniques highlighted from the book How to Be a High School Superstar
Housekeeping
Welcome back, everyone! This is the second post to my two-post series on effective note-taking and study techniques from Cal Newport’s book, How to Be a High School Superstar. If you have not read my previous post on note-taking, I suggest doing that before you read this post. This post will refer to the note-taking tips explained in the last post.
In this post, I will discuss efficient study techniques as discussed in How to be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport. Cal discusses these study techniques to reduce students’ study time and boost test scores. Enjoy reading :)
Studying
Just like note-taking, studying is an important facet of a high school student’s life. Studying separates students with good grades from students with excellent grades. Many students including myself, sometimes spend excessively long hours studying, which reduces our free time. The strategies explained in this article are aimed at efficiently producing effective results.
Let’s get to it…
Reject Rote Review
Cal’s study techniques are derived from his belief that “the absolute worst way to study is to reread your textbook and notes silently to yourself.” He calls this method rote review, which is how most high school student’s study. It produces mediocre results while taking an incredibly long amount of time. To set the stage, let's reject this lengthy study method.
Active Recall
The more efficient method to study is known as active recall. In this technique, you explain the relevant ideas out loud without gazing your eyes at your notes, as if lecturing a class. Active recall compared to rote review requires more mental energy, but in exchange, it allows you to grasp the content better and drastically reduces study time. If you can fully explain a topic in articulate sentences out loud, then you know you understood the material and will not forget it.
Non-math courses
Using the QEC (question/evidence/conclusion) method I mentioned in my previous newsletter post, you are going to study using all three entities.
First, hide the "conclusion" and "evidence" of a question.
Then, read the question and try to recall some of the conclusions and evidence that connect to the question. You do not have to get everything correct word for word, but just enough to make a compelling argument. Quoting Cal, “this recall should be completed out loud: speak in full and articulate sentences, as if lecturing a class.” For many of you, when you do this technique, it might be awkward at first, but trust me I have done it before, and it makes studying more effective and FUN. If possible, you can try to explain it to someone else.
If you get through the recall without many stumbles, then you are done studying for that concept. If you are not able to recall or experiencing difficulty with a topic, mark it and return to it later.
If you enjoyed reading about these strategies, please consider subscribing (its free!)
Math Courses
To apply active recall to math, rewrite the steps and answers for sample problems that you wrote down during class. If you followed the advice in my previous newsletter, you also took notes of your teacher’s explanations. When you do sample problems, narrate each step with the explanation as if you are writing on a chalkboard in a classroom. It is super important to do the narration part because it will help you understand the underlying concepts rather than just memorizing answers.
Memorization
For information such as dates, names, and labels it’s not practical to explain big concepts. You just have to memorize them using the flashcards, which I explained how to use in my previous newsletter post. It’s a tedious process, but you just need to work with these flashcards until you stop making errors. However, on the bright side, this method is more mindless and takes less energy than active recall. That means that you can do it at any time of the day. Cal suggests avoiding memorizing at the last minute. Instead, a smarter approach is to start early (1-2 weeks or more) and study the flashcards for ten to fifteen minutes every day. You can study at random times of the day when you aren’t doing anything like when you are waiting for the train, in transit, or on breaks between classes, etc. The point is that you don’t spend miserable hours on the night before the test.
Reflection
Although these strategies I highlighted proved successful to many students, they aren’t the final word. Everyone is different and everyone’s classes may be structured differently. That’s why it’s important to keep experimenting and improving your study habits.
To be clear, after every test, reflect on the experience by asking yourself:
“What preparation helped me?
What preparation didn’t help me?
What could I have done, but didn’t, that would have made a big difference?”
Take a few minutes to literally ask and answer these three questions after every test. Next, use your answers to craft your response to the next most important question:
“How am I going to prepare for the next test or paper?”
This five-minute process will yield important benefits for your studying techniques and yourself as a student. Over time, as you understand which methods work for you and which changes you need to make, you will develop study habits that match your school’s demands and your personality. As you improve, “your work times will continue to plummet”.
Thank you so much for reading! I genuinely appreciate it. I hope you learned something new and are able to apply some of these study techniques. If you found the ideas useful, please share this post with others and consider subscribing.