Five Smart Ways to Improve Your Social Study Style
Nikki Clarke • April 15, 2021
Do you communicate well with people? Do you learn more easily when interacting with others? As a student with a Social Study Style you need to share ideas to improve your studying at High School.
Can you remember things more easily if you participate in a group discussion?
Do you find it helps to bounce ideas off other people and listen to their feedback?
A student with a Social Study Style learns best when communicating and engaging with other people. If you are a social learner, these five study strategies will help you improve your studying at High School.
1. Form a study group
You learn best when you are with other people so form a face-to-face or a virtual study group that meets regularly to review and revise the work you are learning. You can ask your teacher which topics to prioritise and select these for discussion. Because you are stimulated by dialogue, you concentrate more keenly and are therefore able to remember the information better when discussing it with others. When you share your understanding of a topic out loud to others, it improves your understanding and thus ability to remember it. And, as you are a sensitive listener, you can reflect on other people’s contributions, which further improves your understanding. Because of this, this style of collaborative learning helps you to remember information more easily.
Read this article from wikiHow on how to form and establish a study group to get great tips on recruiting members, structuring your study group and conducting the study sessions.
2. Ask your teacher questions
When you must study on your own, always have a page ready to write down questions that you can ask your teacher the next day. Formulating the questions will help you to organise your thoughts and make the process of studying on your own feel less lonely. When you discuss your questions with your teacher the next day, both your understanding of the topic will be deepened and the memory of the work you studied increased.
It is also important that you ask your teacher questions during lessons especially if you do not understand something or if you want to know more information about the topic. It is often important to a social learner to find out how the topic can be applied in the real world and how it can be used to help people. You need to interact with your teacher and fellow students during the lesson so that the work you are learning is retained.
3. Tell someone what you are learning
Ask a parent, grandparent, older sibling, or set up a study buddy who will set aside some time every day to listen to what you have been learning. Telling someone what you have learned helps to strengthen the memory pathway. As a social learner, it is also one of the most enjoyable ways of revising.
Before tests and exams, you may wish to ask this person if they would be willing to ask you questions or test you on the work you have learned. This might be especially important if you are feeling tired as you will then need the energy boost you get from being with someone to help you to continue working.
4. Share your notes and ask for feedback
As a co-operative learner, you know how important feedback is if you want to improve. You also like it when everybody benefits, and so sharing your notes and comparing your work with others is an excellent way to ensure everyone has the best quality information to study from. By reviewing each other’s notes, comparing them, and deciding what to include in the final copy, you will also start the process of learning the work. Remember, sharing your notes does not simply mean lending your notes to someone so that they copy them. It is a collaborative exercise in which you all try to reach consensus to establish the best resource possible.
5. Teach a fellow student
One of the most effective ways to study is to teach someone else. As a people-person, you have strong verbal and non-verbal skills, and your empathy for others makes you an ideal mentor and teacher. Explaining topics and concepts to another person is an excellent way to make sure that you really understand the work, and because you quite often have to repeat difficult sections, you will soon find that you have the work memorised. In fact, studies have shown that teaching is a much more effective way of learning than simply studying. So, not only will you be benefitting your fellow student, but you will gain tremendously.
If you have a Social Study Style, try out these five study strategies and adapt them so that they work best for you. These study strategies will make learning easier, more fun and improve your studying at High School.
https://www.wikihow.com/Form-a-Study-Group/
https://getatomi.com/blog/should-i-share-study-notes/
https://digest.bps.org.uk/2018/05/04/learning-by-teaching-others-is-extremely-effective-a-new-study-tested-a-key-reason-why/
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As the preliminary and final examinations approach, both students and parents or guardians often experience heightened anxiety and stress. This guide provides practical strategies to help parents and guardians support their children through this critical phase of their academic journey. 1. Foster Effective Organization Create an environment conducive to studying by providing a quiet, well-lit study space equipped with essential stationery. Collaborate with your child to develop a structured study timetable to set clear expectations and promote disciplined preparation. Encourage the use of resources such as past question papers, which serve as valuable tools for revision and practice. 2. Maintain Daily Check-Ins Schedule regular, intentional conversations, such as during dinner, to discuss your child’s progress. Inquire about their experience with the day’s examination paper, adherence to their study schedule, and their feelings about upcoming tests. These check-ins foster open communication and allow you to gauge their emotional and academic state. 3. Minimize Distractions Help your child stay focused by keeping electronic devices like phones, tablets, and gaming consoles out of reach during study sessions. Set boundaries on screen time and social media access to prevent procrastination. While challenging, limiting Wi-Fi access during study hours can significantly enhance productivity. 4. Support Emotional Awareness Encourage your child to identify and articulate their emotions, such as anxiety, stress, or fatigue . Recognizing these feelings is the first step toward addressing them effectively. Discuss coping strategies to help them navigate emotional challenges during this period. 5. Teach Self-Regulation Techniques Guide your child in practicing self-regulation to manage stress. Techniques include: Breathing Exercises : Inhale deeply for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and repeat. Sensory Focus : Identify five things they can see or hear to ground themselves in the moment. Tactile Stimulation : Hold a cold object to shift focus and reduce anxiety. These methods can help your child regain calm and focus during stressful moments. 6. Promote a Balanced Routine Prolonged study sessions late into the night can lead to burnout. Monitor your child’s study habits and encourage breaks to maintain balance. Plan activities such as outings with friends, a family meal, or short recreational periods with access to devices. Engaging in non-academic activities, like helping prepare dinner, can provide a refreshing change of focus. 7. Prioritize Self-Care Support your child’s well-being by ensuring they: Eat nutritious, regular meals. Get at least eight hours of sleep by limiting screen time before bed. Engage in physical activities such as walking, jogging, yoga, dancing, or gym workouts. These practices help alleviate stress and anxiety, which are common during examination periods. 8. Practice Empathy and Patience The examination period can be emotionally taxing for both students and parents. Approach your child with empathy, actively listening and offering guidance without criticism. This fosters a supportive environment, bolstering their mental health and sense of inclusion. By implementing these strategies, parents and guardians can play a pivotal role in helping their children navigate the challenges of examinations with confidence and resilience. Good luck to all the Grade 12 students with the upcoming examinations - you most certainly can do it!
