How can I make learning more efficient at school and cram school?

April 25, 2022

In order to improve grades, not only the content of study is important, but also the method of study. Students who say, "I am studying hard, but my grades are not improving," may not question their study methods and continue to study without much efficiency.

This article will therefore explain how to study efficiently and how to create an environment in which it is easy to concentrate. We will also introduce a study management system that enables efficient study, so please read this article to the end.

Study methods that reduce learning efficiency.

If you are at your desk for long periods of time and your grades are not improving, it is likely that you are wasting a lot of time while studying. It is important to understand the causes of inefficient study in order to input study content efficiently.

Please read the following information as you think of any students who have practiced the inefficient study methods described below.

I'm studying on less sleep.

In their efforts to raise their grades and pass the school of their choice, many students cut back on sleep to study. However, sleep deprivation causes chronic inability to concentrate and reduces study efficiency.

A loss of concentration will have a negative impact not only on your studies, but also on the day of the test. It is necessary to ensure that you get a good night's sleep, as you may not be able to exert your true potential and your previous efforts may be undone.

Even if you get a decent night's sleep, your blood sugar level may fluctuate after lunch or other activities, and you may feel sleepy and have trouble concentrating on your classes or studies. In such cases, it is recommended to take a nap for 15 minutes or close your eyes and listen to music to rest your brain.

Doing simple tasks such as compiling notes, making vocabulary books, etc.

Many students who spend a lot of time studying but are unable to achieve results are often satisfied with simple tasks rather than input.
While it is important to draw lines in textbooks and take notes on important points, it is not uncommon for students to mistakenly believe that they have "studied" when they have not yet grasped the content. However, it is often the case that students mistakenly believe that they have studied something when in fact they have not memorized the content of the text.

Rather than focusing on study time and workload, it is important to determine whether what has been studied has been retained and whether it has been learned efficiently.

Trying to remember everything at once.

It is also not recommended to study in such a way that you try to memorize all the contents of a unit in a single session. If you try to memorize everything at once, you will spend too much time on the same page, which will make it difficult to move on and make efficient learning difficult.

According to the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, which graphically represents the relationship between human memory and time, once a person has learned something, he or she forgets 42% after 20 minutes and 56% after one hour.The human brain is able to remember things by repeating them over and over, so it is important to review them repeatedly on different days.
Kanji characters, English vocabulary, grammar, history, and other subjects that require memorization should be studied repeatedly to consolidate your memory.

Multiple reference books are used together.

It is important to limit yourself to one reference book and repeatedly solve problems. If you use several reference books at the same time, it will be difficult to finish one book, making it difficult to see the results of your study, and this will lead to a decrease in motivation.

Some reference books explain how to solve puzzles differently or focus on different points, which often leads to confusion in the study process.
If you use multiple reference books, you need to work on one at a time to lower the learning hurdle, and if you master the content of one book before moving on to the next, you will be able to progress without waste. 

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You can do it at your cram school or school! How to create an environment where it is easy to concentrate on your studies

When studying, the environment around you is another key to efficient learning. What you place around your study space can make a difference in your ability to concentrate, and continually studying in the same place can lead to boredom and loss of motivation.

Below are some simple steps you can take to create an environment that makes it easier to concentrate.

Keep unrelated study materials out of the classroom.

When it comes to studying, we tend to focus only on the act of studying, but the environment around us is also important. If there are things nearby that are not related to studying, students will be distracted and have a hard time concentrating. Comic books and other items that might be entertaining for students should not be placed in the study area, as they might tempt them to look at them.

Conversely, if you arrange the area around your study space, you will find it easier to concentrate on your studies. Since greenery (plants) in your field of vision can help you relax and work more effectively and improve your concentration, you may want to place small houseplants in conspicuous places such as your desk, locker, or near a window.

Change the learning environment from time to time.

It is recommended that you do not fix your study environment in one place, but have several options to choose from depending on your situation. It is a good change of pace when you get stuck in your studies and makes it easier to continue studying without losing motivation.

Simply switching the classroom you use with the one next to it, moving to a study room, or ventilating the room can make a difference in the learning environment. Since it can be moderately easier to concentrate in a place where people can see you, it is a good idea to try different places, such as a café or library, to find several study areas that suit your personal needs.

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Effective study methods to improve learning efficiency

One of the causes of inefficient learning may be a problem with self-study methods. If you spend a lot of time studying and the results do not come, your motivation to study will decrease.

Below are some efficient study methods that are likely to lead to results. They are all things that can be started right away with a little ingenuity.

Use a stopwatch/timer to study

Continuing to study without breaks until you lose concentration is physically and mentally taxing and inefficient. Since the human brain has a fixed amount of time to continue and concentrate, it is recommended to adopt a study method using a timer or stopwatch.

By separating the time for concentration and relaxation, such as by taking a moderate 5-minute break after 25 to 45 minutes of study, you can maintain a longer total concentration time.
It is also a good idea to measure your study time for each subject in order to keep track of which subjects you are not studying enough. By using a timer to measure and record your time, you will have a clear idea of how much time you spend studying each day. If you can visualize the trajectory of your efforts, it will help increase your motivation.

Solving problems while using a timer or stopwatch is also a good way to practice time allocation. Since time management is also an important point in periodic tests and entrance examinations with time limits, studying with a timer can be an effective way to prepare for examinations.

Distributed learning.

Distributed learning is a good way to consolidate what you have studied. What you learn in class is stored in your brain, but if you leave it there, you will soon forget it.
Review is still important for memory retention. Distributed learning is not reviewed immediately after it is learned, but rather after several days have passed to ensure long-term memory retention.

You may think that reviewing must be done immediately after learning in order to be effective, but it is more efficient to leave a few days to review. If you forget something once, don't be in a hurry to review it and recall it again, thereby ensuring that you will have more knowledge that you can draw on at any time.

Adopt a study method that uses skimming time.

Studying is not limited to sitting at a desk with a pen in front of you for a set amount of time. Even a short period of time, such as on the way to school or before meals, is sufficient for memorizing vocabulary, formulas, and important phrases.

Even though each time slot may seem short, if you use it effectively every day and accumulate it, it will add up to a huge amount of time in a month or a year. It is a good idea to carry pocket-sized study materials with you or download a vocabulary book application to your smartphone so that you can study anytime, anywhere, anytime.

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For greater efficiency, we recommend implementing an e-learning system.

In order to promote learning efficiently, it is also important to consider implementing a learning management system. Recently, e-learning, an Internet-based learning method, has been attracting attention, and is being introduced not only in the educational field but also in companies in a variety of occupations.

In addition to an explanation of e-learning systems, the following section also introduces the advantages of implementing an e-learning system, so those interested in an efficient learning management system are encouraged to refer to this section.

What is an e-Learning System?

An e-learning system is a form of learning that uses the Internet, also known as online learning. It is characterized by the ability to study from any computer or smartphone, regardless of time or location, as long as there is an Internet connection.

The e-learning system allows students to deepen their understanding by using not only text and drawings, but also video, animation, computer graphics, and virtual reality (VR). By viewing videos, information that cannot be fully understood with still images from reference books and textbooks can be easily understood, and motivation for learning will be increased.

Advantages of implementing an e-learning system

Implementing an e-learning system offers benefits to both learners and educators.

Learners will be able to study at any time and place, and will be able to deepen their understanding by using video and audio explanations as well as text and drawings. The e-learning system also allows users to set the order of materials to be reviewed. This will help you learn more efficiently, since you will be able to check the learning progress of each material, eliminating the problem of not knowing which material to start with or forgetting how far you have progressed.

For educators, the advantages are not only the reduction of training labor and costs, but also the ability to monitor the progress of each individual student and to accumulate clear data on past training know-how. This is also an attractive feature of the e-Learning system, as it allows for quick checking and tallying of results.

Depending on the system installed, learning can be done on a smartphone.

Depending on the e-learning system you choose, you may be able to study on your smartphone. Smartphones are an effective way to study regardless of time and location, making it possible to use your spare time.

After the class is over, students can take a test to see how well they understood the content, allowing them to efficiently consolidate what they have learned. Some multiple-choice questions can be automatically graded on the spot, so you can quickly review the questions you got wrong.
 

Use the e-learning system for efficient learning!

It is important to check whether there are any problems with the student's learning methods in order to promote efficient learning, and to advise the student on the most effective learning methods that are suited to the student's individual needs.
In addition to learning methods, it is important to know that environment and schedule management can also affect concentration.

If you are considering an e-learning system to help improve learning efficiency, we recommend our learningBOX.The system not only allows students to study efficiently regardless of time or location, but also provides a full range of features that make it easy to manage student performance and progress.
Detailed customization to suit your learning needs is also available for a smooth implementation. First, you can use the service free of charge. Free Plan to see how it works.

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