(DailyProsper.com) – Succeeding in college doesn’t come with a one-size-fits-all manual. Everyone learns differently. Identifying the unique ways you best take in and process information is crucial to performing well at the collegiate level. Not only will understanding your learning style help you navigate coursework, but it can also help you communicate more effectively with your professors.
The Unique Way You Learn Best
Everyone processes information a little differently. We typically use multiple senses to take in new material, but most people have a predominant learning style that falls into one of three areas: visual, auditory or kinetic.
Visual Learners
Visual learners process information best by sight. These students learn most effectively by reading material themselves compared to hearing the information during a lecture or a presentation. These learners prefer written instructions and maps over spoken instructions, and they can easily comprehend and remember knowledge gleaned from textbooks. If this is your learning style, taking notes during lectures, highlighting passages in your textbooks and making flashcards can help you retain new material.
Auditory Learners
These students process information best through their ears. In contrast to visual learners, auditory learners prefer verbal instructions and work well in groups, where they can process information by discussing it with others. These students can struggle a bit when working independently and quietly, so if this is your learning style, it might be beneficial to seek out groups you can discuss the material with. Verbally summarizing each section of a reading assignment can also help you remember the information.
Kinetic Learners
These students learn best through movement, and usually tap a pencil, swing their legs or bounce their knees to stay focused. If you have this style of learning, you may be drawn to subjects that include hands-on lab or studio work like science or art. People with this learning style may need to take frequent breaks, so if this is you, give yourself a boost by taking a lap around the library every half hour so. You might even take your coursework with you by listening to an audio recording of a lecture while going on a walk across campus.
None of these learning styles is better or worse than the others, and they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. What’s important is understanding your unique way of learning and using that as a guide in your college coursework. Unsure which type of learner you are? Give each approach a try and see which works best for you.
~Here’s to Your Success!
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