Everyone learns differently, as is evidenced by numerous studies done on teaching and how our brains best receive information. In the age of technology, many students are coming up with new ways to study, ones that make it new and exciting. Still, some techniques are better and more effective than others, and some are so terrible that they are a complete waste of time.

1. Bullet Journaling

Bullet journaling is a great technique for people who love organization and aesthetically pleasing notes. It is different from simply writing stuff down, as with bullet journaling, you use varied colors, images and fonts styles and sizes to create easy-to-follow notes in a journal with preferably unlined paper. Making the notes follow an artistic format is helpful for students who would consider themselves to be more right-brained. Although this method is helpful with finding information, the process is time consuming and it’s easy to obsess over how it looks, making it frustrating.

Rating: 5/10

Would I use again?: Yes

2. Pomodoro Technique

If you’re like me, you procrastinate a lot. Most people do it from time to time. Even when I sit down to get work done, I find myself getting distracted and putting it off. This, though, is helpful to actually push yourself into working. You can manually set a timer or use apps or websites that do it for you, but it’s basically a series of 25 minutes of undisturbed work followed by a five-minute break. It really helps give an extra push and avoid distractions since I do have scheduled breaks. It easily became a study staple for me.

Rating: 9/10

Would I use again?: Yes

3. Outlining/Mind Maps

This technique’s effectiveness depends on how you use it. As a pre-test go-to, it might not be the best, but it’s a great thing to build off of for studying, It’s much more than a study guide since it’s created through your own process. You list and link things in a way that makes sense to you. You see how much you know, and you’re able to write out the topics to make them flow and connect without much trouble. I find them to be crucial for essays and projects, but also beneficial when studying tough topics. It lets you go at your own pace and check to see what you need to work on.

Rating: 6/10 for studying, 9.5/10 for essays

Would I use again?: Yes

4. Practice Tests

Although tedious compared to flash cards, making a practice test and retaking it until you know the material is the best way to know if you’re prepared. It isn’t as fast as other methods, but I find that I learn things much faster if I take practice tests, especially if you know exactly what will be on the test. It is even more beneficial to practice missed questions in between each trial. I think, depending on the test, this can be the best way to learn. It certainly makes a difference to go in confident.

Rating: 9/10

Would I use again?: Yes

      5. Mind Palace

Created by ancient Greeks and made famous by the fictitious Sherlock Holmes, the concept of a mind palace, or Method of Loci, has become a mainstream technique. It consists of building a place in your mind and planting information on the objects inside. To access the information, you enter the mind palace through deep focus. If you have the time, a mind palace can be really great for remembering information. For a time-restricted test when you only use this method? Not so much. Not only do you really have to put time aside to focus and create a visual room for storage, but it isn’t a guaranteed way to keep information. This may be better for presentations or speeches where you can access visuals and you don’t need exact pieces of information. It did help me to remember content, but I found myself glad that I didn’t only prepare this way.

Rating: 4/10

Would I use again: Maybe, but not likely