The below are excerpts from an article first published in the September/October issue of Connect to Northern Westchester magazine.
You’re likely familiar with “cramming” to make a deadline with only a bit of time to spare. However, “Your brain can only process a certain amount of information at once, and there is a whole process where that information gets coded in a pathway,” says Samantha Epstein, M.D., a neurologist at White Plains Hospital. “Then it’s stored in various parts of your brain so you can retrieve it later.”
Your brain’s ability to form new neurological pathways and retain information (known as neuroplasticity) is at the heart of learning, from a neurological standpoint. But it takes time and repetition to build and strengthen those pathways so they stick in your mind. “That’s why cramming can work for a certain amount of material, but not everything,” Epstein notes.
There are no shortcuts when it comes to studying. “Real learning takes place when you’re engaging with the material over a longer period of time,” says Jane Emmer of Emmer Coaching, which works with students from sixth grade through college in Westchester and Manhattan. “And what I mean by engaging with the material is not just looking over your notes, but engaging in a multi-sensory way.”
That approach can include rewriting your notes and reading them aloud, or recording yourself summarizing a textbook in your own words and listening to the playback while out on a walk.
Another effective strategy is self-testing with the material you’ve studied. “It’s a forced retrieval that consolidates a memory,” Epstein explains. “By strengthening that memory and that pathway, you form an even more robust memory you can retrieve later.”
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can help you learn more efficiently by personalizing instruction to match your level of understanding, and can be adjusted to each person’s needs. If you understand the concepts but want to make sure you retain the material, try inputting what you’ve learned into an AI model and ask it to generate a practice test.
Timing Is Everything
Taking short breaks during studying – rather than trying to do it all at once – can also help. Epstein says a good rule of thumb is to study in 30-to-45-minute intervals with breaks in between, noting that the older you get, the longer you may need, as neuroplasticity diminishes with age.
Taking such short breaks is especially effective for those with ADHD, who also benefit from minimizing distractions and creating low-stress study environments. Those students “don’t want to be in a room with a lot of things on the wall or have too many screens” in front of them, Epstein says. “Figuring out what is comfortable for each individual is important.”
One Study Tool Doesn’t – And Shouldn’t – Fit All
“It’s really important to organize information in a way that that makes sense to you so you can retrieve it intuitively as one unit versus separate, distinct facts,” she says. Educational YouTube videos and text-to-speech apps that read content aloud can be very effective.
Ultimately, the goal is to create a personalized, flexible approach to studying – one that keeps you engaged and helps you make meaningful connections with what you’re trying to learn.
Dr. Samantha Epstein is a board-certified neurologist whose specialties include Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology. To make an appointment, call 914-849-7900.