Have you ever stopped for a minute and thought about how it is you learn best? What sort of class were you taking when you made your best grades? What kind of teacher did you have? If you haven't, maybe you should.
Your learning style can have a major impact on how well you do in a class. If you're an active or kinesthetic learner, someone who learns best while actively participating in class, you're very likely going to bomb a lecture class. Conversely, if you're an auditory learner, you would do better in a lecture class than a hands-on lab. Or, perhaps you're a visual learner and do best in demonstration courses. The key here is that, whenever possible, you should attempt to match the courses you take or instructors you seek out to the style of learning which suits you best.
How do you find out what style of learner you are? If you're not interested in accessing your college or university counseling center, there are any number of free, online assessments you can work through to find out what style of learner you are. Some of the most popular/widely used assessments include:
- Solomon and Felder's Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire
- Mencle amd Hartman's Learning Style Assessment
- Memletic's Learning Styles Inventory and
- Univ. of Arizona's Learning Style Profile Generator.
Once you've uncovered the style or styles (if you're a multiple modality learner) that suit you best, you can start planning out your courses and selecting your instructors. If you need help selecting which courses or instructors would really be of most benefit to you, visit with your academic advisor. The advisor, at least at the undergraduate level, is usually your best source for "unbiased" information on the courses and instructors available on your campus.
If you'd like to read more about learning styles, check out the latest release from Hundreds of Heads Books - How to Get A's in College
. Tips on getting the best out of your educational experience from literally hundreds of heads.Until next time!
Lynn Byrne
Preparing for college admissions? Trying to find direction? Need a little help with the planning? Check out my college planning series:
- College Planning Made Easy--the planning and preparation workbook for the take charge, college-bound student,
- Paying for College Made Easy--a college financing guide designed to assist students and families in preparing and planning for higher education expenses; and
- The Great Scholarship Search--my guide for students and parents researching and applying for scholarship funding.
