Everyone has their own ideas on how to study or what makes one study more effectively. While there certainly is no one size fits all when it comes to retaining information, we can all agree that effective study is led by organisation and being prepared. Let’s go through some proven techniques that can help you be more strategic when it comes to studying and retaining information.

We’ve all had those moments when we read a few pages of a book, and realise we have zero ideas of anything we’ve just read! This is why active engagement is such an important part of studying to retain information. Let’s go through a few ways you can practise active engagement whilst studying for your next course.

Use the quizzes included in your course units or modules to help you test and retain knowledge. These activities form an important part of our teaching and learning plans as they help you build long-term recall. Pay attention to the questions you struggled with and go back to the learning content to revise it.

You can also take your course material, and formulate questions and write the complete answers. You may want to do this for particular content you think you need more time to learn and retain. You could create your quiz in advance and come back to it a few weeks later, you’ll be surprised at how much information you can remember, and each time you’ll be striving to better yourself.

When going through course materials, embody being the teacher. Once you’ve read through a particular piece of information, in order to retain it and be more effective with your studying by saying the information out loud, in your own words, as if you were explaining it to someone else or teaching your own class.

You’re more likely to remember information if you can relate a particular theory or situation to a personal experience. Use this method while studying by finding examples in your own life that relate to the concept being discussed.

When finishing a particular focus of study, look at it in this formula: What is the question given by the course? How are they proving it? What is the evidence and what is the conclusion? This is a great way to summarise every chapter of a particular area of study, all the while helping you to retain the information you’ve learnt.

We’re all guilty of trying to cram as much information as possible at the last minute. As we all know, this is not a good way to study. Make sure you’re distributing your studying over a period of weeks or months evenly, so you’re learning and retaining more each day. That is where our teaching and learning plans come in, each week and month is mapped out for you and it includes key dates for assignment submission. You will also have access to an integrated programme calendar in iCan, which makes sticking to your learning schedule even easier. We also encourage our students to remember the importance of a work/life balance. In addition to your teaching and learning plan here are a few more tips to remember:

Five-hour study sessions rarely retain much information. Instead, set yourself up with an hour or two daily. Set goals for each week and break up your study time daily for more productive study sessions. Your teaching and learning plan is set up for you with each week and month mapped out.

Procrastination is all too familiar with studying. By having a set schedule, you’ll eliminate the urge to procrastinate and set yourself up for failure. Instead, make sure your dedicated study times are adhered to. Shorter study times over a longer length of time is much more effective than a day of cramming.

The Pomodoro method essentially strains your brain for focus. It’s a time management technique that breaks your work into 25 minute intervals with a 5 minute break between each 25 minute set.

Distance learning has long been the go-to for professionals who want to grow their skills without needing to attend a university or campus-based classes. Distance education offers flexibility that allows you to study on your schedule and keep your family and work commitments while pursuing your career goals. Let’s explore two of the most important requirements when looking to enrol in a distance learning online course.

By having an understanding of exactly what your outcome of any given course would be, you’re likely to be more invested in sticking to the schedule and investing your time into completing the course. Luckily, all our courses come packed with information before registration to make sure you’re fully aware of what the outcomes will be and what to expect. 

Of course, if you’re planning to study one of our fully online or internet supported courses you’re going to need a laptop, computer or smartphone with a steady internet connection at home as well as an active email account.

At iQ Academy, an accredited distance learning institution, we make sure you get best in class course content and academic support. Our courses include comprehensive teaching and learning plans, access to our innovative student portal iCan, a convenient online calendar, support from an expert lecturer and technical and administrative support from our student experience teams – all ensuring you’re set for success!

Our course fees include all learning material and we offer flexible payment options to suit most working individuals. Fees can be paid in various monthly instalment plans or in full on enrolment.