Have you heard of the study cycle? If you haven’t, you’ve come to the right place. Following this process is a great way to enhance your grades!
The study cycle is designed to help students study more efficiently. It’s made up of five parts:
● Preview
● Attend
● Review
● Study
● Check
In today’s guide, we go over each of the five stages of the study cycle and how you can use them to boost your grades and learn better.
Preview
The first part of the study cycle is the preview. This is when you read any new material before you go to class.
If your professor gives you reading materials ahead of time, make sure you read them before you get to class. As you’re reading, note down any important points or new ideas from the text.
You don’t need to spend a lot of time doing this. It will depend on how quickly you read and digest information and how much material you’re given, but you could aim for 5–15 minutes.
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Attend
The attend stage is – you guessed it – attending class. But this involves more than just attending. While you’re in class, engage as much as possible! Listen carefully, take notes, and ask questions when appropriate.
Review
The review stage happens after class. You don’t have to do this immediately after class or even on the same day, but the sooner you do it, the better, as the information will be fresh in your mind.
During this part of the study cycle, look over your notes. Are there any gaps? If there are, do your best to fill them in. Do you have any further questions? If you do, note them down and find the answers, either through research or by asking a classmate or professor.
Study
The study stage is when you revise your notes, do further reading, and test yourself. Everyone has methods of studying that work best for them, so find out what works for you. We recommend that you have regular study sessions per class every week. These could be from 30 minutes long to 50 minutes long.
Check
The final stage is the check stage. It’s important to check in with yourself regularly because you might find that your study methods aren’t working for you.
A great way to check if you’re studying and understanding your classes properly is to ask yourself if you could teach the topic to someone else. If you can, awesome! If you can’t, consider changing tack.
Proofreading and Editing
And that’s it! Those are the five parts of the study cycle. Hopefully, this technique will help you up your study game and reach those top marks.
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