By Leonid Tunik My parents have always told me to study in a
quiet spot, focus on one topic, and avoid cramming. I've passed
the same wisdom to all the young students in my family. Every
published textbook and study skills book on the market has the
same advice, but apparently only the last bit is supported by
recent cognitive research. The New York Times recently reported
this bit of advice in Forget What You know About Good Study
Habits: "...instead of sticking to one study location, simply
alternating the room where a person studies improves retention.
So does studying distinct but related skills or concepts in one
sitting, rather than focusing intensely on a single thing." As
well, pseudo-scientific notions about right-brained and left-
brained learners are being debunked by new research. It seems
that learning through multiple senses is beneficial to retaining
materials. Frequent quizzing also seems to help, although it is
more effective when questions are not of the same exact type, as
is often the case