Learning to learn

by Sara

If you are seeking to develop or improve your study skills, a private tutor can provide you with a great variety of formats and approaches. Learning how to manage your study time, scheduling and setting goals, prioritising tasks, planning assignments or improving exam revision techniques are all tactics that most private tutors are very familiar with.

There are many different methods and you may find that one particular method suits you more than others. Below are just a few common techniques often used by tutors to aid learning.

Flashcards are visual cues on cards. Many students make their own flash cards on which short summaries are written. For example, when learning a language you may use pink cards for feminine nouns and blue cards for masculine nouns.

Spider diagrams are mainly used for planning or creating and provoking ideas. They can be useful for planning essays. They start with a central idea then branch out.

Visual imagery for those of you who have a visual learning style, visual memory techniques will be your best aid. There are various methods but the Loci method is a system of visualising key information in real physical locations.

Mnemonics are memory techniques that usually associate key words with numbers or vice versa. Every Good Boy Does Fine is an acrostic to remember the order of the treble clef notes on sheet music. E.G.B.D.F.

First Tutors has a study skills category so why not contact a few specialised tutors today-You won't regret it!