The transition from school to university is not only a change of environment, but also a challenge of adapting to new ways of learning. Unlike the school system, which often depends on in-person classes, specific assignments and more frequent evaluations, the university requires greater autonomy, planning and knowledge management. Students are often faced with extensive reading and solving more complex problems independently.
The time and number of exams overlap and causes, in certain cases, that the students experience stress and pressuresince, in addition to learning, they must develop time management, organization and concentration skills.
In this context, many resort to traditional study strategies, such as rereading texts or underlining important passages. However, these techniques, although very popular, They do not always turn out to be the most effective. Otherwise, it can become a superficial task that does not help you really retain the information.
To improve these methods, the focus of study sessions must shift toward more active and organized techniques. Experts suggest that, instead of spending hours rereading a text or studying intensively the day before the exam, it is more effective to take short and spaced study sessions.
“The important thing is how you use your study timenot its duration. “Long sessions cause loss of concentration and, consequently, less learning and retention,” said Matthew Bernacki, professor at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Education, in dialogue with BBC Brazil.
The short-term approach allows the brain enough time to process and consolidate information. Instead of studying everything at the last minute, The ideal is to divide your study time into blocks of 30 or 40 minutes..
Memorization and learning strategies are useful tools, but they require motivation and concentration. Studying while watching television is not effective. These techniques They are not magical or miraculousits success depends on key factors, assures on its website the Carlemany University from Andorra.
Not all techniques work the same in different cases. It is necessary to find the most appropriate and comfortable one for each person’s time and ability, even if it takes several attempts. Once found, the study will be easier.
It is important Do not imitate the methods of your colleaguessince each person learns differently, the university said. While rote learning may serve some, others prefer visual and schematic approaches.
However, in general terms It is not recommended to study by heartsince it only implies short-term memory and forgetting can cause the entire thread to be lost.
One of the widely used techniques in time management is the so-called “Pomodoro technique”. This strategy consists of organizing study in focused blocks of time, where the student dedicates himself exclusively to a task for a specific period, usually 25 to 35 minutes.
After that time, takes a short break of 5 minutes to relax, stretch or attend to any distractions, such as checking messages. This cycle is repeated several times, allowing the brain to stay focused and motivated, knowing that it has a short reward after each study block.
The Pomodoro technique prevents loss of concentration, but above all improves efficiency and motivation during study sessions, since it allows the student to rest before facing the content again, as explained BBC Brazil in your article.
During these pauses, the brain “recharges”which facilitates greater retention of information when the study is resumed. This way of working, structured in intervals, proved to be much more effective than trying to cover all the content in a single marathon session.
Instead of relying solely on rereading and underlining, active learning It proved to be a much more effective alternative. This approach involves greater interaction with the material studied, rather than simply passively reading it.
The UNC Learning Center recommends the practice of reacquisitionwhich consists of creating questions or problems about what has just been read, Bernacki explained to BBC Brazil. By attempting to answer these questions on their own, students reinforce what they have learned and achieve greater information retention in the long term.
Another strategy within active learning is explain the content out loudin my own words. This process, called self-explanationallows students to ensure that they understand what they have read, and helps them identify areas that need revision or clarification.
Another way can be with mnemonic rules. This method is based on associating concepts and words with mental images or key words. By making these connections, memorization is facilitated, since these associations help activate memory more efficiently.
This method enhances the ability to retain informationstimulates brain plasticity and improves understanding of concepts, especially when they are presented in lists or specific structures, stated the Carlemany University.
