After years of experimenting with different study methods, I've realized some of the advice students repeat most often isn't actually what helped me learn. Here are five study opinions that most people probably won't agree with, but I think they're worth discussing.
Without further ado, here are 5 Controversial takes I have about Studying:
1. The Smartest Students ask the "Dumbest" Questions: The students who learn the fastest are often the ones most willing to admit they don't understand something. Instead of protecting their ego, fill in knowledge gaps which prevents compounding misinformation in the future. What sounds like a "dumb" question to everyone else is often the exact question that unlocks the concept for half the room.
2. Better Looking Notes ≠ Better Studying: Some students spend more time making their notes look impressive than actually thinking about the material. A messy page full of questions, corrections, and ideas is usually a better sign of learning than perfectly organized notes you'll never revisit. Making notes more aesthetic can also be a form of procrastination.
3. Study Groups Hinders Studying Efficiently: Most study groups eventually become conversations about studying instead of actual studying. It's easy to mistake discussing concepts with friends for learning, even when you're doing very little independent thinking. Unless everyone comes prepared with specific questions or problems, studying alone is often far more productive.
4. If you can't explain something without your notes, you don't know it: It's surprisingly easy to feel like you've mastered a topic when your notes are sitting right in front of you. The real test is whether you can explain the idea from memory in simple language without constantly looking things up. If you can't, you're probably recognizing information rather than truly understanding it.
5. Some Students would learn more by skipping the Textbook Entirely: Oftentimes, textbooks are bloated with irrelevant information. Some students understand concepts much faster through lectures, worked examples, practice problems, or interactive explanations than by reading hundreds of pages. The goal should always be to understand the material as effectively as possible.
Which one do you disagree with the most? Or what's your own unpopular study opinion?