1. Best Practices for Learning and Retention
Empirically-based strategies for academic success

2. A Little Bit, All the Time!
Distribute your study time throughout the day
2,3,4 shorter sessions per day is better than 1-2 longer sessions.
Why does this work? Because learning occurs constantly and the more study sessions you complete in one day means the more engaged, and re-engaged your brain becomes with the material.
Essentially, you are able to re-visit what you already know, and then re-store it. This becomes longer term memory!

3. Every Subject, Every Day
Different settings and locations
Vary study routines
Why?
Because your brain engages the material in several contexts, enabling it to process the material more effectively. The more environments in which you rehearse, the sharper and longer lasting the memory becomes.
Following every study session, quiz yourself (this is the single most effective learning strategy there is for learning and retention!

4. Learn With Style Listen Read Write Type Recite Teach
Quiz yourself and others
Make charts, diagrams

5. Move to Learn
Studies indicate we retain best when we engage our learning styles while also moving our bodies.
Workout and recite
Run and review
Lift to learn
Swim and quiz
Teach your pet, while walking him/her

6. Actively Engage
Verbatim copying of notes does very little. You must engage the material deeply
Re-Write your notes without looking. Put them in your own words.
Teach the material to anyone who will listen!
Teach the material to your pet, the wall, the mirror, etc…
Quiz yourself often
Be quizzed often

7. Mix it Up! Mix Items Mix Skills Learn across the curriculum
Relate your learning to what you already know
The brain works subconsciously when it is a little confused, so challenge the material by asking critical questions. This leads to significantly better learning and is more effective than constant repetition (your brain becomes bored)

8. Turn It Off! Manage your interruptions
Studies indicate that when interrupted from a task, it takes us 50% longer to complete it.
Who needs that?

9. Go Big Early
Big picture learning occurs first. Engage your brain, and make it curious to know more. (it responds subconsciously)
Begin your learning playfully
Skip around- Overview entire chapter, or lecture.
Get the basic point, and know where this is heading
Read summaries, look at charts and diagrams

10. Own It!
Actively organize your notes to make them your own. Other peoples notes will not help you until you do this. Your words = your knowledge.
Re-write your notes and condense them each time.
Re-write your re-write! (and condense them)
Use pictures, maps, diagrams
Know what you need to know. Study that! In other words, do you need detailed notes, or an overview?

11. Boost It! Study a little, all the time Frequent review in short bursts
Study/review and move
Speak into a recorder. Play it back
Apply your learning at odd times
Explore ways to apply anatomy, neuroscience, biochemistry, etc…

12. 35 Minute Study Strategy First 20 minutes learning new material
Take a short break
Review what you learned in yesterdays 35 minute session
Review what you learned two days ago, last weeks, last months 35 minute session
Take the last 5 minutes to review what you just learned in the first 20 minutes.