Preparing yourself for the tough gig that is exams (be it ones for year 12, uni or tertiary courses) isn’t what most would deem ‘easy’. You know that there’s a lot of information you not only need to collate and absorb, but be able to apply critically too.
For most of us, and particularly in high school, we’re pigeonholed into learning things a particular way. The behaviourist model of, “Sit the hell down and listen to your wise leader’s opinion on the topic at hand,” isn’t exactly a groundbreaking concept. It’s kinda backwards, actually. So how can those of you who are in that situation ensure that you ace your leaving exams? And beyond that, how can y’all understand how your mind works so you’re in the best position to be successful?
Well, a tried-and-tested way to get around this roadblock to unlocking your potential across the board is to understand how your brain interprets information, and to subsequently feed it information in a way that it’s going to be most responsive to. In short: you need to know what your learning style is.
“There are multiple different takes on learning styles,” says Rebecca Shields, Academic Liaison/Head of Course for the School of Education and the Arts at CQUni. “There’s a whole range of ways people learn – it’s not just one stock-standard approach.”
Some of us need complete silence in order to achieve an academic Avatar state, while others prefer thrashing the bangers. People might get more done studying online at home, while others can’t handle the distractions and prefer getting things done on campus (which should be kept in mind for those heading to uni soon – enrolling at a uni that offers both is what you want). But in a more traditional/academic sense, there are a few learning styles worth being across to heighten your ability to retain information.
One that Ms Shields believes is hugely worthwhile exploring is the Soloman-Felder learning styles. Before breaking down the style’s categories, Ms Shields recommends undertaking a Jung Personality Typology Assessment (the psychological founding of which influenced the Soloman-Felder learning style itself) with a qualified professional to recognise what kind of person you are. Why? Oh, y’know, ‘cos the type of personality you have is naturally going to dictate how you learn. Additionally, that assessment will suggest careers you’re likely to succeed in, as well as more granular advice on how to interact with other people.
In regards to the below, it’s important to note that you (as Shields touched on before) won’t just be one style of learner. If you head off and do an actual assessment, your results will be a combination of these different styles. So on that note, have a look-see at these primo learning styles – adapting them to work for you is one of the best-known ways to gear yourself up for success.
ACTIVE & REFLECTIVE LEARNERS
ACTIVE LEARNERS
“Active learners work better if they’re actively engaging with the information they’re learning,” says Ms Shields. “They often like learning through discussing information or explaining it to others… They’re generally more extroverted learners who like to engage in group activities to solidify the information they’re learning.”
REFLECTIVE LEARNERS
“If you’re a reflective learner, you prefer to think about what you’re learning about first. You benefit from reviewing via reading, writing summaries – those types of things. They’re often the more quiet learners in a classroom.”
SENSING & INTUITIVE LEARNERS
SENSING LEARNERS
“Sensing learners like facts, and like solving problems using established methods. If you are a sensing learner, then [disciplines like health sciences or medicine] would be perfect for you. Whereas if you’re an intuitive learner, then you might be better off in arts or education. You’re more about exploring possibilities.”
INTUITIVE LEARNERS
“Your intuitive learners like discovering the possibilities. They don’t often like memorization or routine learning. Sometimes there’s no way to get around that, particularly if you’re studying a type of course that requires you have to learn facts like health sciences or medicine. Sometimes there’s no way around it and you need to know the factual information in order to know what’s going on.”
VISUAL & VERBAL LEARNERS
VISUAL LEARNERS
“Visual learners obviously remember better when they see in pictures, diagrams, flow charts, presentations, and those sorts of things. There are a lot of cool apps that you can use to transform really boring information into more engaging visual stuff.”
VERBAL LEARNERS
“Verbal learners get the most out of the written or spoken language or explanation. You get more out of writing out summaries, working in groups, to hear what your classmates are saying, those types of things.”
SEQUENTIAL & GLOBAL LEARNERS
SEQUENTIAL LEARNERS
“Sequential learners basically like to learn in a linear way… You like to learn whatever it is you’re learning in logical steps.”
GLOBAL LEARNERS
“Global learners are the opposite. They learn in large jumps and are often a bigger-picture type of person… they need to have the bigger picture first. Often skimming through a chapter and then going back will be beneficial.
Sometimes when you have sequential learners in a group of global learners – that can work really well because the global learners are thinking big picture and sequential learners are the step-by-step people who fill in the gaps.”
And speaking of filling in the gaps, regardless of how you go about stuffing ’em with the things you need to know, it’s obviously worth knowing the most effective way of doing it. Wanna know another hot tip when it comes to studying? Making sure you study at a damn-fine institution like CQUniversity.
Given that many of their courses are offered online, it’ll be a cinch to study in a way that best suits you – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the great reasons you should enrol there. Learn how CQUni is the university that knows you and can help you to be what you want to be by heading HERE.
