What Kind of Student Are You?

Studying can be really challenging. Especially today, when most schools and universities worldwide have switched to distant learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some students find online education highly beneficial: it allows them to cut travel time, fully integrate their study schedules into daily routines, in addition to having quick access to all online lectures and reviewing them at any time. Some students, on the contrary, face challenges adapting their learning styles to recent changes and spend days trying to catch up with the rest of the class.

What may be a contributing factor to these struggles is students' inability to choose the right study methodology. We are all very different. Even identical twins, although look alike, have incompatible preferences, personality traits, and DNA. Despite the fact that we all go to the same classes, have the same teachers or university professors, the way we perceive information varies greatly. While there are some general recommendations students can follow to increase their motivation and productivity, every so often it's not enough. Besides improving your study routine, knowing which learning style you are predominantly using can help to eliminate any school-related stress.

VARK model suggests that there are 4 main study patterns, and you can easily do their questionnaire online to find out which one is yours. Their idea that students learn best when teaching methods and school activities match their learning styles, strengths, and preferences grew in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. No learning style is better than the other though, and most of us are really good at engaging two or even more different learning styles to perceive information through multiple channels. Whether you choose to take classes online, on-campus, or both, knowing how you learn can make a significant difference in your academic success, as well as potential workplace in the future.

Kinesthetic learning style, also known as motor learning, describes somebody who predominantly learns through doing. They not only prefer making and assembling, but also learn quicker through demonstrations or hands-on examples. However, motor learners usually experience difficulties concentrating on lengthy written tasks, especially while seated. They may also miss key details of information when it's presented orally.

Auditory learning style suggests that a person is especially good at grasping information through listening. They particularly benefit from lectures, audiobooks, music, and conversations. Their main disadvantage is the inability to multitask. Auditory learners tend to focus on small bits of information at a time, and usually lack seeing a broader picture of things.

Visual learning style implies that a person is better at processing information through their eyes. They are good at imagining events and visualising the whole picture when discussing or working on a particular problem. However, visual learners commonly need more time to complete tasks, in addition to being attentive to the appearance of something more than its actual importance or value.

Mixed learning style is usually used to describe people who absorb material through reading and writing. They believe that the meanings are within the letters and words. R&W learners emphasize the importance of writing notes or making lists and aren't scared of wordy sentences or long academic paragraphs. Yet this usually makes them study slower and especially struggle when the information is presented visually or orally.

Multimodal learning style defines how the majority of the world's population perceives information. Nearly 85% of all people around the globe engage 2 or more senses when studying. This enables them to combine diverse learning methods and digest information quicker and more efficiently. They are prone to switching in-between these learning models and adapt to the circumstances they are in better.

This article was carefully prepared for you by DrWriting