The student cafeteria has been converted into a library, the serving tables rolled away, the chairs lined up to face a wall. Everyone is bent over a Higher Education note. Big things are at stake – exams come up in a week. I am somewhere in the middle of this hall: Chemistry textbook on my table, paperback on my lap and swiping through the pages of the novel. Every now and then, I take a break to read from the Chemistry textbook too. It’s like juggling texts.
My friend, Itunu is on the next table. His earpiece is plugged in and he is bobbing his head slightly while flipping though some study material. And just down the aisle is Dammie, peering closely at his book. If you go closer, he is memorizing and trying to rewrite each line on a jotter. He will be pissed if you disturb him.
Which of us is studying better?
Truth is we cannot tell.
Research has proven that we all have varying attention levels, and while it is advisable for Student A to study with single minded concentration, Student B might be more retentive if he/she multitasks in the course of studying. In ‘David and Goliath’ by Malcolm Gladwell, students were given a test and some of them failed. When the font used in writing the test questions were made smaller and less legible, the failure rates reduced. This shows that some humans do better when they have to go through a greater effort to concentrate and perform a task.
Know the study pattern that works best for you. Study yourself: times you are most retentive and what study conditions are optimum for you. But don’t forget, you have what works best for you, and do not replicate another person’s.
Till next week guys!
