BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

But I Studied!

Night Before Test: Oh, I studied sooo much, I think I’m ready for the test tomorrow.

Right Before Test: Yes, I’m going to ace this thing!

During the Test: …..

After the Test: What the @#$%?

Taken by Yasmin Kibria

Some of us may not have the best studying techniques, but it’s not just us who tend to undermine the power of repeated studying.  A recent study by UCLA shows that “students not only underestimate the power of continual study and repetition, but that they tend to overestimate their knowledge of material.”

This was determined by performing a study using a large group of college students where they were shown a list of word pairs, and were asked to give an estimate of how well they knew the material and how well they would test if they studied the material regularly.  A a majority of the volunteers overestimated their abilities, but underestimated the fact that they’d do better if givern time and repeated exercise.

This study is also supported by current research by Nate Kornell, an assistant professor of psychology at Williams College and Robert Bjork of the University of California, Los Angeles.  In their paper they write: “To manage one’s own conditions of learning effectively requires gaining an understanding of the activities and processes that do and do not support learning.”

In psychology, this thinking about thinking is called metacognition.  Performing a similar experiment, Kornell and Bjork found again, that poeple are under confident in their learning abilities and overconfident in their memories.

Just as we’re getting ready to go to college (!!!), it’s important to note the power of studying on a regular basis.

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3 Comments

  1. buddhabear28

    Lagis2012 and carlybio 2012 your points were the first two things that came to mind after reading yazzairbik1294’s blog post. The third thing that came to mind was the use study enhancers, such as adderall, which is, in fact, an ADHD medicine. Are these enhancers good or bad? Why? CNN weighs in.
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/01/health/drugs-adderall-concentration/index.html

  2. carlybio12

    This is really interesting! Another article shows that there is a direct correlation between the amount of sleep a college student gets and that student’s grade point average. Pamela Thacher, PhD, of St. Lawrence University in Canton, said that “as sleep quality and quantity decrease, academic performance worsens. The data collected in this study indicate that the use of a single night of total sleep deprivation is not an effective practice for achieving academic goals.” Learn more at:http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2007/06/13/college_students_who_pull_allnighters_and_get_no_sleep_more_likely_to_have_a_lower_gpa.html

  3. lagis2012

    I find that a lot of students study and do other things at the same time, like watch TV. I looked it up and it is definitely counter-productive to learning the material. In fact, the website outlines the best environment that you should be studying in. They even say that studying with friends is definitely encouraged. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/study/intense.html

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