Thinking deep thoughts in Seattle

When teetering between the prospect of decades of poverty or, conversely, servitude as a lifelong student (still not sure what the difference is), I had to make some hard choices before my life got out of hand and I turned forty, still waiting for my career to start.

But before I get to attend networking events and participate in team-building exercises as an M.B.A. student (there we go, now it makes sense), I get the opportunity (again) to flirt shamelessly with standardized testing and middle-school math.

I just dropped over one-hundred dollars on test prep material – that’s not counting the toner and paper costs from printing online study prep materials – and in the process abused twenty acres of endangered South American rain forest I’m sure.

I hope the koalas were safe.

Since this all began about a week ago, it’s been a trifle odd. I’ve found a certain intrinsic pleasure in the repetition offered by standardized multiple-choice exams, resembling, in a way, my coffee addiction. It gives me some sense of satisfaction knowing I’ve developed a palette for rote memorization and a substance that tastes like bitter charcoal.

What surprised me is that while I haven’t studied for an exam like this in years, the methods I used during graduate school to study share the same principles as the methods I’m using right now. I thought readers might be interested in how I go about relearning methods and information.

For your perusal, I present The Definitive Guide to Studying.

1. Plan your studying down to the daily and hourly level, blocking out time slots using fixed-time productivity.

I’ve found that the best way to ensure studying gets done is to schedule appointments with myself using Google Calendar and then block out those times. I put my phone on silent, log off all networked services except for a browser window, and lose myself in the crowd at a local student-friendly cafe or coffee house.

Based on pure numbers and material covered, haphazard studying never comes close to the efficiency of planned study. Identify specific targets for your study sessions (say, complete two large sets of practice problems in an hour, identifying mistakes and correcting them) so you don’t just waste time. Nail this and you’ll be well ahead of your classmates from the get go.

2. To better absorb material, introduce novelty by changing your environment.

In my experience, preparing for an exam tends to be an exercise in routine. If you’re utilizing the quiz and recall method you’ll no doubt be covering the same questions a number of times. To help offset the inevitable monotony, set yourself up for success by studying in a novel environment.

I prefer loud, echoey coffee houses that create a wash of white noise, the perfect background for any serious academic. Your particulars may be different, but I urge you to break the routine of studying in the same place you do your more mundane tasks, like Facebook, e-mail, or what have you. The change in environment will reinforce synaptic pathways and help you avoid classically conditioning yourself to performing in a particular environment, only to find yourself at unawares once put into a less-familiar setting.

3. Seek insight.

Your goal in studying shouldn’t be to just refresh your understanding of the material – it should be to master it. By aiming beyond what is necessary, you’ll gain something very special that few of your peers will likely ever achieve – insight.

This is what separates the 4.0 students from the the 3.8 students.

Having a comprehensive understanding of your coursework enables you to adapt and exhibit flexibility in otherwise highly stressful situations. Prepare for the inevitable test jitters by automating your responses.

By the time you sit down for the exam, while challenging, none of the content should be surprising. Like a concert pianist whose movements are automatic, your responses and answers should operate at the same level of fluency and proficiency. This means starting early with your review.

4. Quantify your improvement over the course of your studies through the regular, objective assessment of your progress.

Make regular check-ins with your studying to make sure you’re actually progressing and not just spinning your wheels. This means improving on provided practice exams or sample problems, or increasing your ability to illustrate concepts.

As mentioned earlier, I utilize the quiz and recall method, which is just what it sounds like. Generate questions on your own or solicit sample questions from your instructor. Research your notes and provide the most complete answer you can. Now, memorize the question and requisite answer as a set, no different than when studying vocabulary for a foreign language.

Conceptual questions can be tackled with this method as well. Develop a prompt that demands you elicit a comprehensive answer. An example from my field would be “what similarities do the political theories of classical realism and neoliberalism share with respect to the international system?” Generate an answer key for these sort of questions using your course notes, and again, memorize the question and answer as a set. Come test time, even if you can’t recall your passage in full, you’ll still prove more eloquent and well-read than those who haphazardly prep for such a prompt.

5. Eliminate negative internal dialogue and transform any of those self-limiting beliefs into a positive study experience through mindfulness.

I’ve found this to be the most critical factor in study success. Don’t, under any circumstances, walk into your study session believing you won’t succeed. Be mindful of your internal dialogue; this includes the inevitable pull you’ll feel to distract yourself from the task at hand. Be aware of any undue stress you take with you into your studying. When we’re stressed our brains can’t function and we’re unable create new memories. Bad news for test prep indeed.

Do everything you can to set yourself up for success. Wear your sweats, pop in your headphones (music without lyrics please), and rock out with some Foucault, Hobbes, or calculus derivatives.

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If this discussion piqued your interest, I encourage you to check out Cal Newport’s website titled Study Hacks. He and I share similar philosophies when it comes to studying, and his articles well worth the read.

Until next time.