Academic Resource Center
Learning Style
How do you learn best? Recognize your preferred learning style, then study and take notes accordingly.
Visual learners – learn best by seeing
- Underline or highlight important points
- Use a variety of colored pens or pencils to indicate different points or ideas
- Make charts, graphs, pictures, symbols, concept maps, or time lines
- Place information notecards in highly visible places in your room
- Make an outline, summarize on paper
Aural learners – learn best by hearing
- Attend all classes and tape record lectures and class discussions
- Join a study group to review verbally
- Read, sub-vocalize, and summarize aloud
- “Listen” to the voice in your head
- Explain to someone else
- Create mnemonic devices or rhymes to memorize facts, lists
Reading and Writing learners – learn best by reading and writing
- Take comprehensive class notes
- Make lists and headings in your notes
- Develop a word list, using key words or phrases to trigger ideas
- Write summary paragraphs from your notes
- Re-write or re-read your notes
- Review old tests
- Use outlines to organize information
- Generate test questions from lecture notes
Kinesthetic learners – learn best by doing
- Register for as many “hands-on” or discussion-based classes as possible
- Include personal examples to make lecture notes more meaningful
- Make pictures, graphs or concept maps to engage all senses
- Recite, review information while engaged in a physical activity such as walking, jogging, bouncing a basketball, riding a stationary bike
- Go to the classroom and solve problems, draw diagrams, etc on the board
- Use workbooks, CD-ROMs, and old tests to review information
See What Kind of Learner You Are
Adapted from: Marcia Heiman and Joshua Slomianko, Learning to Learn, 7th Edition, Cambridge, MA: Learning to Learn, Inc., 1998.