If you've ever left a lecture and wondered why you couldn't remember anything your teacher just said or wished for an illustrated textbook to help some information sink in, you're not alone. We all learn in various ways and knowing the different learning styles and where you fit into them is crucial in receiving a good education.
Most people will fall into one of the learning styles, visual, auditory or kinesthetic. If you do not know which of the learning styles best fits your needs, you will waste both time and energy trying to learn in a way that is not conducive to you. Once you do know which of the three learning styles will work for you, you can start altering the way you do your studying to help increase your comprehension.
If you're a visual learner, you like to watch the way your teacher expresses themselves when they talk and learning from visual displays will work best for you. Each of the learning styles come with their own set of suggestion on things you should do to help your mind absorb information faster and with newfound ease. You might want to try illustrating your notes with pictures and images relating to the topic you're learning, study in a quiet place, sit in the front of the classroom and used color to highlight important information.
Another one of the learning styles is auditory. This type of learner is best able to listen to information rather than read about it. They will do best in a discussion, lecture or debate atmosphere and they may have trouble absorbing information when it is read. The auditory learner should tape record lectures, read text out loud and create musical jingles to help them memorize information.
The third of the different learning styles discussed here is kinesthetic. This means that moving and touching is essential. This type of learner just can't sit still and they really need the hands on approach to studying and learning before they can take in any information. Out of the three different learning styles described, this person will need to take more frequent study breaks and possibly even work in a standing position. Listening to music while studying could be helpful for this type of learner as well.
If you aren't sure which of the three learning styles applies to you, don't worry. It's very simple to find out, but you can do a basic analysis on your own as well. Stop and think back to your time spent in class and studying. You probably can recall times when you felt extremely frustrated and stressed out, right? Now, try to figure out the reason for these emotions and see if they had anything to do with one of the different learning styles. Think about the differences between all three and the descriptions each one has. Which one most aptly describes you?
You can purchase books on learning styles or search the web for additional info. Another great idea is to talk with your school counselor to see if they offer any free tests or questionnaires that could help you determine which of the different learning styles best fits you.
Jean Morgan is a Lecturer at a large academic institution and is widely experienced in teaching adults. Jean also has an interest in Internet Marketing and is the driving force behind Honest Review
