Reading, revising and blackholes

This is a very busy time for students; are you using your study time well?  A lot of us fall into the trap of reading page after page only to realise that the information hasn't really "gone in" or that we cannot remember very much of it at all.

Here are 3 quick tips that may help:

1. Take notes
As you read, write down key phrases and definitions so that you can read through them quickly as you revise.  Bullet points are often more useful that paragraphs when writing revision notes.  Consider using colour, highlighters or images to annotate your notes; visual cues like these often help us to remember.

2. Have a dictionary close by
Use a print or an online dictionary to look up the meaning of any words that are unfamiliar.  Most academic topics contain jargon or new words; it is very very hard to remember something properly if you do not fully understand it.

3. Close the book and repeat
Every few paragraphs, close the book or turn away from the screen.  Try to summarise the passage that you just read in your own words.  Repeating information strengthens memory; recapping information in your own words reinforces your understanding of that information.