We all have different learning settings or environments that help us concentrate and learn.
To help yourself to benefit the most from your natural learning strengths, it's important to recognize which learning environment suits you best.
Think about your preferences, then consider the preferences of your friend or study partner. They may differ!
Time of Day
Do you do your best work at the crack of dawn? Or, are you a night owl who prefers to work in the evening?
The time of day is an important piece of the learning environment. And chances are that your best time differs from other members of your family.
As you go through school, your preferences may change (too many nights of burning the midnight oil were enough to make me reconsider my study time!) so you may have to reconsider whether you do your studying after dinner or at the breakfast table.
The key is to plan your day so you perform your hardest tasks at your best time, and your easiest tasks at your least preferred or least productive time.
Munchies
Do you need to sip a cup of coffee, munch on carrots, or even chew gum to help you concentrate? Or, do you find food a distraction and you're running to the snack machine as a way to procrastinate getting down to business of writing your essay?
Experiment. If you need to memorize or study for a test, try sipping a beverage or eat a snack while studying. Try it without. Find out whether munchies are a help or hindrance.
Light
You may walk through the house turning lights on so everyone can "see", while someone else turns them off because the light is too intrusive.
What do you prefer? What does your room mate prefer? Some people prefer a lot of bright light in their learning environment, while others like more subtle, indirect lighting.
Desk or Floor?
Do you wonder how your roommate can study cross-legged on her bedroom floor while your friend will sit at their desk for hours? Although neither position may seem comfortable to you, it doesn't mean they're being unproductive.
Even reclining in an easy chair can produce good grades if that's where a person concentrates best.
Be a Detective
We are all uniquely created by God. He designed each of us with different fingerprints, iris patterns and learning styles. Become a Sherlock Holmes.
Discover your learning style and determine in which environment you learn best. By focusing on your learning strengths, you'll improve your learning and success in school, and become all you were created to be.
Carol Funk is a learning styles specialist and the co-author of Bringing Out the Best in Your Child (Vine, 1997). Copyright Women Today Magazine 1999. Used with permission.
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