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Introduction
I am always looking for new and effective ways to learn and memorize information. I purchased ‘The Study Method’ to see what it had to offer.
In this review I give my personal experience with this product, how well it worked for me, and some of the shortcomings of the product. By the end of this review
you should have a good idea if “The Study Method” will be helpful for you.
What is included in “The Study Method”
This product is a single e-book delivered in pdf format. The book is 87 pages and is designed as a mini-course containing descriptions of techniques with
exercises to help you learn the material. The book is also easy to read (I finished it in a few hours over the course of two days).
The book is divided into four main sections:
- Memory Systems
- Numbers
- Note-Taking
- Memory Systems In Action
Since the book contains exercises there is also an Answers section at the end.
The purchase is setup such that you only pay one dollar when you buy it and you pay the remainder of the cost 21 days later. This allows you to try the
product at practically no risk since you can cancel your order if you are not happy.
I should also mention what isn’t included in “The Study Method”. Many books that include memory systems often apply them to ‘tricks’ you can use to impress
your friends such as how to memorize a deck of cards, or tell what item was removed from a collection of items. These types of techniques are not included.
“The Study Method” is designed specifically to help students so it focuses only on techniques that help you learn course material more effectively.
How “The Study Method” works
The first section, “Memory Systems”, provides five different memory techniques that can be used to memorize information. These techniques form the basis of
the remaining sections.
The memory techniques that are presented are easy to learn and use. However, these techniques by themselves can only be applied to limited information –
typically lists of concrete nouns. These techniques are useful for remembering collections of information such as common terminology in a subject, a shopping list, sets of words like the colors in a rainbow, or the names of the planets.
In the section “Numbers” four different techniques are given that can be used to memorize numbers. These techniques, combined with the techniques in the
first section expand the kinds of information that can be memorized to include numbered lists, tables of information, and arbitrary numbers of any length.
With these techniques you can memorize phone numbers, dates, or even tables such as the periodic table of the elements.
The section on “Note Taking” isn’t so much about taking goods notes as it is about how to organize your notes in a way that lends itself to the memory
techniques from the first two sections. This section is where the first two sections really come together to form an overall approach to getting the most
out of your learning and study efforts.
In the final section, “Memory Systems in Action”, you are given advanced strategies that can be applied to memorizing and learning topics such as recurring
terminology in a given subject, memorizing complex words such as medical terminology, memorizing passages of text such as a speech, and learning vocabulary
and grammar of a new language.
After reading through this book you will not only have a good grasp of basic memory techniques and how to apply them, you will also see how to use memory
systems in new ways that may be better suited to whatever information you are learning.
My Experience with “The Study Method”
Although I am no longer a student, when I was, my primary approach to studying for exams involved reviewing the course material and making study notes from
it. I would then spend hours reviewing my notes over and over hoping that it would somehow stick in my head. Sometimes it would and sometimes it wouldn’t.
Looking back, I realize that I was lacking a systematic way to ensure the information I was trying to memorize would actually be stored in my memory. I
have since learned that such systems exist.
The techniques given in “The Study Method” are intended to address this exact situation. These techniques can help you organize your notes and commit the
information to memory.
If I had known these techniques when I was a student, I could have spent my time actually memorizing my course material instead of hoping I would be able
to recall it on my next text. Studying would have seemed less like a futile chore and would have been more of a rewarding experience.
Some of the memory techniques presented in “The Study Method” have been around for centuries and have been effectively used throughout history. Since
graduating from school, I have applied some of these techniques (that I learned elsewhere) with great success.
For example, I have already learned the technique for memorizing numbers that is presented in the book. I have applied this method to remembering phone
numbers in the past. Many years later I am still able to recall phone numbers from memory – in some cases I can recall both current and previous phone
numbers of friends.
However, what I enjoyed most about this book was that it took common memory techniques and adapted them to the types of learning tasks that a student would
typically be involved in. Much of this approach was new to me and I found it very useful.
I am already teaching these techniques to my children to help them improve their study efforts and hopefully their grades as well.
Negatives
While I enjoyed “The Study Method” and found the information useful, there were a few things that I felt could have been improved on.
At only 87 pages the book is fairly short. Some of the sections I felt could have been fleshed out a bit more. However, the short length did make it a fast
read – something any busy student will appreciate.
A lot of the memory techniques presented in the book can be found online for free. Keep in mind, though, this book does collect them all in one place which
makes them easier to learn. It also builds on these common techniques in a systematic way that you won’t typically find elsewhere.
Don’t expect to learn and apply these techniques while cramming the night before an exam. These techniques do take some time to learn. However, if you are
in a pinch, the information in the first two chapters can go a long way in helping you improve your memory.
Conclusion
In summary, the book is short but does a good job of covering important information that will help anyone with their studying without taking a lot of time
to read and apply.
If you are a student looking to get more out of your study time and improve your grades, this book will definitely help you.
Where to buy “The Study Method”
If you found my review helpful and think you could benefit from using “The Study Method” then click the link below. You will be taken to the official website where
you can review the information, read testimonials, and make a purchase.
Good luck with your studies!
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