How do you learn?

How much do you know about your learning style?  People understand information and learn information in different ways.  Understanding your own learning style can be helpful when you are studying and revising for exams.

Myers-Briggs devised one method of understanding our own personality.  She measured our preferences on four different scales, and devised 16 main personality types based on the findings.  The four scales are:

1. Extraversion -- Introversion
Where we do get our energy?  Extraverts are energised by other people; they are social beings and they prefer to engage with other people than to be alone.  Introverts re-energise in their own space; after spending time with other people, introverts prefer some peace and quiet while they recharge their batteries.

2. Sensing -- Intuition
How do we see the world?  Sensing people are factual; they focus on current realities and they are concrete thinkers.  Intuitive people are abstract thinkers; they consider all the possibilities in a situation and they read between the lines.

3. Thinking -- Feeling
How do we make decisions?  Thinking people base their decisions on logic and facts; they are  objective and led by their heads.  Feeling people base their decisions on principles and values; they are subjective and led by their hearts.

4. Juding -- Perceiving
How do we behave?  Judging people are not the same as judgemental people!  Judging people prefer to plan things and be organised; they are ordered and systematic.  Perceiving people are flexible and spontaneous; they like to keep their options open and adapt to circumstances as they arise.


Each of us have a preference on each of these scale, e.g. ESFJ (Extraversion Sensing Feeling Judging).  You can measure your place on these scales with Texas Tech University's free Learning Style Test.  And once you have your four letter code, Naomi Rockler-Gladden outlines some of the main traits of students in each of the 16 main personality types.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of your learning style as you revise!