How to Study According to your Learning Style
We know there is a lot to learn when you come to uni. But knowing your own personal learning style can help you to get the most out of your studies!
There are four basic learning styles. You might prefer one, or you might use different styles for your note taking, revision and exam prep, or assignment writing. You might not even know what your preferred style is, and that’s why we’re here to help:
The Four Learning Styles – VARK
V - Visual:
A visual learner is someone who works best with images or descriptive drawings, over words. This could include graphs, maps, or diagrams, but covers any visuals that represent or convey ideas.
For example, you might find diagrams drawn on a whiteboard helpful when learning about a new topic in class, or you could prefer to practice your revision with flash cards or a bubble map.
If you think you’re a visual learner, or want to build your skills in visual learning techniques – why not attend our Study Skills Workshop on Effective Presentations? You’ll learn the best practice for producing visual aids and engaging slides, for your own revision and future assessments.
A - Aural:
An aural (or auditory) learner is someone who processes spoken information better than written language. This could be through in person discussions, reading aloud to yourself, rewatching your lectures, or listening to a podcast!
You might find face-to-face discussions with your lecturers and classmates the most motivating, so try to organise an in-person group study session or get involved in discussions in your seminars.
If you think you’re an aural learner, or want to build your skills in auditory learning techniques – why not attend our Study Skills Workshop on Critical Thinking? Get tips and advice to improve your critical thinking and analysis, to improve your confidence in seminar discussions and assessment writing.
R - Read/Write:
If you prefer to learn from a worksheet, textbook, or resource from the library, you might be a read/write learner. It can be helpful to reinforce your studies by writing out information in your own words.
Most university resources will be written down for you, but transcribing your lectures can be a great way for you to process your learnings. Check if your lecture capture has a transcript feature or transcribe video using Adobe Premier Pro.
If you think you’re a read/write learner, or want to build you skills in read/write learning techniques, why not attend our Study Skills Workshop on Active Reading Strategies? Pick up tips for skimming and scanning large amounts of text, whilst still taking in the important information.
K – Kinesthetic:
A Kinesthetic learner is someone who learns best with “hands-on” experience – figuring things out for yourself through practical demonstrations or by watching a video explanation.
You might learn best through trial and error, getting stuck in with a task and figuring out what went well and how you can improve. In your day-to-day lectures and revision, you might benefit from PowerPoint presentations, video research, or practical tasks that get your mind and body moving.
If you think you’re a kinesthetic learner, or want to build your skills in kinesthetic learning techniques – why not attend our Study Skills Workshop on Using AI to Structure Your Work? Learn more about properly using Copilot in your research and assignments, getting a hands-on practical demonstration!
What learning style are you?
You might identify with one of these practices, or maybe even all of them! There are no rules about how you should study, and you should adapt your learning to suit your needs. If you’re not sure, you can take the VARK questionnaire to get a personalised score across all four learning styles.
Knowing your learning style will help you to tailor your revision, seminars and lectures – giving you an easy boost to your studies! Remember, having a combination of all your preferred methods will help you to learn at your best.
