Study Hints and Tips
Here are some Hints and Tips, extracted from The Buzan Study Skills Handbook by Tony Buzan, to get you started.
Use the Buzan Organic Study Technique (BOST®) to develop strong study habits. It is divided into:-
Preparation
- The Browse - Browse through material you are going to study
- Time and Amount – Decide on periods of study time you have and what you will cover in each period.
- Five Minute Mind Map Jotter – Jot down everything you know about the subject to get your brain primed – 5 mins max
- Ask Questions and Define Goals – what do you want to get from the book.
Application
- Overview – Don’t start at page 1 – approach it like you would a jigsaw puzzle – find edges, corners and fill in bits as you go
- Preview – skim read the text first to discover the core elements
- Inview – Fill in those areas left – difficult areas or areas where knowledge is not complete.
- Review – reconsider those sections you marked as noteworthy – less han 70% will actually be used. Cover any further information to achieve your goals.
Three skills areas you need to develop to study effectively are Speed Reading, Memory and Mind Mapping. Here are some Tips on how to improve all three.
Speed
Reading
– Address the common reading ‘problems’ by:-
1. Sub-vocalising in your brain – hear the words in your head and SHOUT important words or concepts.
2. Using your finger or pointer to guide your eyes as you read – will make your eyes feel much more relaxed and efficient.
3. Breaking the habit of back-skipping. Re-reading material has been shown to make no difference to levels of understanding.
The problem is not your power of concentration,
it is the direction and focus of that concentration.
Tony Buzan
Memory – Supercharge your memory
The core memory principles are:
Imagination – The more you stimulate and use your Imagination, the more you will enhance your ability to learn. This is because your Imagination has no limits; it is boundless and stimulates your senses and your brain.
See the information you are learning in your mind’s eye. Close your eyes every now and then to imagine/daydream what you have learnt.
Association – Associate the information you are learning with something else that is already fixed and known to you. Association works by linking or pegging information to other information such as numbers, symbols, order and patterns.
Use the beginning and end of each study session effectively for revision and planning. We are more likely to remember things that happen or that are introduced:
- At the beginning – the Primacy Effect
- At the end – The Recency Effect
Make things stand out and associate with something we already know. We find it easier to remember things that are:
- Associated with items or thoughts that are already stored in the memory.
- Outstanding or unique – as this appeals to the imagination
Your brain is more likely to notice and recall something that has strong appeal. So link things to:-
- Your senses – taste, smell, touch, sound, or sight
- Your particular interests.
The more we learn, the more we remember.
The more we remember the more we learn.
Tony Buzan
The Ten Core Memory Principles are
1. Use your senses
2. Exaggerate
3. Incorporate Rhythm and movement
4. Use Colour
5. Number things
6. Use Symbols
7. Have order and see patterns
8. Attraction
9. Laughter
10. Positive Thinking and Images.
Mind Maps – The Swiss Army Knife for Your Brain
Mind Maps are a graphic, networked method of organising, storing and prioritising information (on paper or computers) using key words and images.
Mind Maps stimulate both sides of your brain by using Left cortical skills (logic, words, lists, lines, numbers, analysis) AND Right cortical skills (imagination, colour, daydreaming, spatial and Gestalt (the whole picture)
Use Mind Maps for your note-taking because:-
- The central idea is more clearly defined.
- The relative importance of each idea is clearly identified
- The more important ideas are immediately recognisable at the centre of the Mind Map.
- The links between key concepts are immediately identifiable – via key words –encouraging association of ideas and concepts and improving memory.
- Review of information is effective and rapid.
- The structure of the Mind Map allows additional concepts to be added easily.
- Each Mind Map is a unique creation – which will in turn aid recall.
Mind Maps will help you think pictorially and think in colour – the adage that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words is true’. A Mind Map is a picture of what you have studied and the points you want to get across in your essay or exam.
If you would like a cool Mind Map on the Laws of Mind Mapping and a one page overview of How to Mind Map, then email Derek@mindwerx.com.au to request a pdf at no charge.
How to Mind Map a Textbook
Using BOST is a sure fire way to blitz that textbook
Preparation
Browse the book and create the central image of the Mind Map (10 Minutes)
Set time and targets for amount to be covered in each session (5 minutes)
Mind Map existing knowledge on the subject (10 minutes)
Define and Mind Map your goals (5 minutes).
Application – using the table of contents and elements as you read
Overview – Add main Mind Map branches
Preview – Add first and second levels
Inview – Fill in the Mind Map details
Review – and complete the Mind Map.
Mind Mapping for Essays
Here are seven steps to do that essay.
1. Identify the essential elements of your topic in a Mind Map then use it as a road map to write your essay in a linear format.
2. Start with a central image representing the subject.
3. Add Basic Ordering Ideas (BOIs) as your major branches/subdivisions. Pay close attention to what the topic or question is asking you to do. The wording of the essay topic usually suggests what the BOIs need to be.
4. Let your mind range freely, adding items of information or points you wish to make. Add key points as you read using a colour code to cross reference.
5. Next, edit and re-order your Mind Map into a cohesive whole.
6. Now sit down and write the first draft of your essay, using the Mind Map as the framework. Write as quickly as you can and skip over any areas of difficulty – creating a much greater flow.
7. Finally, review your Mind Map and put the finishing touches to your essay, adding cross references, supporting your argument with more evidence or quotations and modify or expand your conclusions where necessary.
Handy Tip
| Take breaks from studying every hour. Juggle or do something different for 3-5 minutes to let your brain absorb the information you have been learning.
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Where to from here
We have a number of training programs coming up that will help you with your study skills – check them out now.
Or Grab a copy of Ultimate book of Mind Maps, The Speed Reading Book, Buzan Bites on Memory, Speed Reading, Mind Mapping or Mind Mapping for Kids
