Five Tips to Improve Your Learning Productivity

Learning is a fundamental part of the education process, and learning through life experiences is simply part of being human. You will have noticed that it is far easier to learn the lyrics of a song than fifteen pages of Business Management. This can be explained by psychological and biological theories; the human brain finds some kinds of information easier to retain than others. 

Many UNYP students struggle with the learning process during midterms and finals, and while the internet is full of study advice, not all of it is effective and much of it is conflicting! Naturally, we want to help you learn faster and more effectively, so we have summarized five of the best study tips.

1. Eliminate as many distractions as you can

Put down the phone and nobody gets hurt! All joking apart, it is important to reduce distracting factors at the very beginning of study and revision. We recommend turning off the notifications on your phone (no TikTok!) and going to a quiet place to study. The UNYP Library has a calming, studious atmosphere, and is an excellent resource. 

2. Take notes by hand

Taking notes on a computer or tablet has become very common in recent years. Unfortunately, this method is not as effective as taking notes by hand – strange as it may sound, writing down the information by hand enhances comprehension and retention. Sometimes the old-fashioned ways of learning are the best.

3. Each one, teach one

Teaching somebody else (or pretending to teach them) can also be helpful. If you talk about your subject out loud and try to explain it to someone else, this will have a positive impact on your own understanding of the subject. After all, you can’t teach what you don’t understand!

4. Get some sleep

Sufficient sleep is an important factor for effective learning. Studying 24/7 may sound like a great idea, but sleep deprivation will not help the learning process. However, you do not need eight solid hours of sleep; a brief power nap can help the brain to relax and improve productivity. 

5. Multitask your learning

It may sound counterintuitive, but by learning more than one subject at once, the human brain remains focused and can remember more information. It follows that during the revision period there is no need to allocate a day to each subject – it is more productive to learn many subjects in the same day, being sure to keep track of what you have studied. Use a schedule to stay on top of your subjects, and make sure to take some breaks in between.

Of course, there is no need to implement all five tips at once! Pick one or two that you think you can easily fit into your study routine, and then slowly add more. Learning how to study more effectively is a process, but once you get the hang of it, your thoughts will be more focused and you will be better able to grasp and retain knowledge.