There are different techniques and methods for studying, some of the most important of which are mentioned below.
A: Reading without writing
In this method, a person reads the texts one after another without stopping from the time they open the book until they get tired or the reading time ends. Most people use this method when studying. However, this is the worst method of studying, because in this case the person’s concentration is at a low level and the probability of drowsiness increases greatly. As a result, there is little hope for the fruitfulness and constructive outcome of the study.
B: Selective study
In this method, a person goes to the key information of the book and selectively studies the beginning or end of parts of the book or the final part and the summary of its results. This method is also not a suitable method for studying, because, due to the continuity of the book’s contents with each other, a person cannot master the entirety of the contents. For this reason, many important contents of the book are ignored; Of course, the only advantage of this method is that it helps the reader or researcher to quickly obtain the specific information they need, without wasting time on unimportant and irrelevant material. [1]
C: Highlighting
In this method, as they read the text, they underline or color it with a marker. Of course, some people first read the material and understand it, then underline the important points, but others, instead of reading and understanding it, focus all their attention on underlining and highlighting. For this reason, the only thing they achieve in the end is to underline the book. Therefore, it is appropriate to highlight it after understanding the material so that these important points can be associated with other points in the next review.
D: Annotation
In this method, the person first reads and understands the text, then notes its important points in the margin of the book. This method is better than the previous two methods, but it is still not a complete method for understanding the content in depth and reading the book.
E: Summarizing
Summary writing is actually a restatement of the main points in your own words. [2] In this method, you read the material and write down what you have understood in a summary. This method is suitable for studying, and is better than the previous methods; because you first understand the material and then write it down in a concise manner. But it is still not the best method for studying.
F: Key-taking
Key-taking is a very suitable method for reading, studying, and writing down important points. In this method, after understanding the material, you write down the important points in key form, and in fact, the key word is the shortest, easiest, best and most meaningful word that, upon seeing it, the meaning of the sentence is associated and remembered. By using this method, you write down the important points (not the entire content) that the author of the book has specified or the person himself recognizes as important, on sheets of paper and use them at the appropriate time, such as an exam.
G: Increasing study efficiency
In this method, you read the material and after truly understanding it, you write down the important points in your own language and in key form. And then you entrust the key words to your brain. In fact, you organize your writing in the best possible way and identify the main and secondary points so that next time you can just refer to them instead of rereading the book and review them very quickly by remembering the keywords written in your brain. For example: If you are studying about Mutawatir hadith, its main sections are: “What is Mutawatir and what is Mutawatir hadith called” and its sub-sections can be: “Its conditions, its types and their examples”.
This method increases your academic success rate to a great extent and makes studying very easy and increases the return on your study.
Taking care of health while studying
The holy religion of Islam considers health to be one of the most valuable blessings of Allah and has made it obligatory for everyone to maintain it. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: «نعمتانِ مغبون فِیهِما کثیر مِنَ النّاسِ؛ الصّحّة و الفراغُ» Translation: “Many people are deprived of two blessings (and do not use them as they should): one is health and the other is leisure (remembering the worries of this world and its occupations)”. [3] Therefore, it is appropriate that before we embrace the bed of illness or are pressured by the worries and occupations of this world, we should be diligent in maintaining health and using our time properly.
By this emphasis of Islam and the confirmation of intellect, we understand that study hygiene is one of the most important issues of study and one of the most key characteristics of learning; because failure to observe the principles of study hygiene leads to a lower level of learning, weakening of morale, loss of self-confidence, fatigue and boredom with studying. In this regard, improve your level of study and learning by observing the following points. [4]
A: Air
The quality of the air you breathe is very important, both in terms of creating vitality and in terms of providing causes for boredom. Breathing in a closed environment where there is not enough air is not right.
B: Temperature of the study environment
The temperature of the study room should be around 20 degrees Celsius. Always keep the temperature of your study room moderate so that you never feel hot or cold while studying.
C: Light and its uniformity
The best light for studying is the normal lighting of the room, which is created by indirect light in bright weather. Of course, using a study lamp is also common, but one of the disadvantages of using it is the concentration of light on the surface of the book and the relative darkness of the surrounding environment, which causes premature eye fatigue.
D: Appropriate distance between the eyes and the book page
A healthy eye can distinguish the letters of the book from a distance of 30 centimeters. If you are unable to read from this distance, consider treating it.
E: Line color
The best colors are blue and black, which put less strain on the eyes and prevent fatigue. Red, green, etc. make vision difficult and cause eye fatigue.
F: Intermittent eye rest
For every hour of reading, 15 to 20 minutes of rest is necessary. This rest is not only for the eyes but also for the brain to review its learning. During the rest, one should look far without paying attention. This also provides variety and comfort to the nerves.
G: Reading while walking
Reading while walking causes fatigue and weakness of the eyes due to the shaking, movement, and constant change in the distance between the eyes and the book.
H: Avoiding forced study
Avoid putting pressure on your memory and condensing your study time, and take a 5-minute break and deep breath every 30 to 40 minutes during mental activities.
I: Sitting position while studying
The spine should be straight when studying. You should change your sitting position while studying and during breaks, and move around a bit to prevent blood stagnation in the legs. Avoid sitting in a leaning position because it damages the neck, elbows and spine, and causes premature fatigue.
J: Eating and studying
If you choose to study early in the morning, be sure to eat breakfast beforehand, because hunger has a great impact on reducing the amount of learning. Do not start studying immediately after eating, because due to the start of the digestive system after eating and the influx of blood to the stomach and internal organs, the amount of blood flow in the brain decreases and the readiness for studying decreases.
K: Breathing while studying
It is very important to perform appropriate breathing movements while studying. If breathing is irregular, it leads to a decrease in blood oxygen, causing drowsiness and a decrease in mental readiness for studying.
L: Mental calmness
When studying, mental preoccupations and anger should be avoided. Anxiety and discomfort cause loss of concentration and a noticeable decrease in the amount of learning.
M: Exercise and studying
Exercise and stretching, and even taking a bath before studying, are also effective in the amount of learning. One of the main problems in long studies is impaired blood flow. This is because in people who study a lot, blood circulates more in the brain and skull, and disorders in their blood circulation occur.
Abu Abdullah, Muhammad bin Ismail, Sahih Bukhari, Karachi: Jamiat al-Bishri al-Khairiyah for Human Educational Services, 1437 AH, vol. 2, p. 2839, hadith number 6412.
