Learn How You Learn

By: Katherine Elliot, SchoolFinder.com

Transitioning from high school to your post-secondary education not only brings changes to your lifestyle, but you will also find yourself trying to adjust to a different learning environment. Throughout high school the majority of teachers have the same teaching style which makes transitioning from class to class fairly smooth. In the world of post-secondary education however, every class, professor and subject can bring something different. You will often find yourself needing to adapt to many different styles of teaching, and knowing about how you learn will help with your new adjustment.

In a perfect world the professors’ teaching methods match with your learning style, making going to class the easiest part of your day. Just as everyone has a different personality, everyone learns and communicates differently, meaning many times your learning style doesn't match up perfectly with your professor's. So, what happens if you are a visual learner that attends a strict lecture format class where the professor stands in front of you and speaks the whole time? How do you absorb lecture material when you’re are an auditory learner in an online class? The first thing is to not get overwhelmed, there are many ways to make the best of the situation.

It can be very beneficial to learn new information in a variety of different methods. If you find that you are more of a visual person, make notes and colour code them when you are studying on your own. If you’re an auditory learner, organize study groups to talk out what you just learned. For those of you that need to learn by doing, find a way for the topic to relate to aspects of your life and physically walk or talk yourself through the process.

Sometimes it is trial and error before you find the best method for you. Being dedicated and trying a variety of things in your first year will pay off in the long run once you know your learning style inside and out! If you don't really know where to start, take a visit to your learning centre on campus, they often have workshops to help you figure out your learning style.

In a few short months you learn which classes you are most successful in. Take note of how you studied and what the lecture style was like for those classe. You'll soon be able to piece everything together and understand how you learn.