What are your best conditions for learning?

Each of us has unique learning style.  We favor certain conditions when we learn that are as personal to us as any other feature we've inherited.  Where are you in each of these?  Knowing what you prefer will make it easier to learn whether in school or out.

What kind of noise level works best for you when you study?
Some people like to have music on.  Some like the sound of the TV in the background.  Others need complete silence.  Which are you?

What kind of light do you like? 
Some people like to work with as much light as possible while others are comfortable with a darkened room and a light over the work area.  What kind of light do you like?

What temperature do you like? 
Some people thrive in heat and humidity. Others like it cool.  Some like a breeze blowing on them as they work. 

What setting do you like? 
What surroundings work best for you?  Can you study curled up on a comfortable couch or do you need to be sitting at a desk or table with a hard chair?  

Do you like to work alone or with someone? 
Although we focused on 3 primary learning styles there are several others that vary with each person.  Some people work best when they can talk it out and be with someone else.  These interpersonal learners function best when others are around.  They love group work and are the perfect candidates for having a Study Buddy.  Intrapersonal learners relish the solitude of their own thoughts.  Which works best for you?

Do you need an authority figure around to get something done? 
Do you tend to get sidetracked on your own or do you better with a teacher or your parent close by to keep you going?

 Do you like variety or doing the same thing for a while? 
If you like variety, structure your study time with built in breaks. Change the subject or the style of studying frequently to avoid boredom.  If you like to be more structured, study one subject at a time.  Knowing what you prefer makes doing the work so much easier.

 Do you work best on an empty stomach? 
Or do you like to have snacks handy as you study?  Make sure you’re sufficiently nourished before you begin or hunger pangs will distract you from your work.  If you work best with snacks, try to keep them healthy.  Too many carbs may make you sleepy.  Too much sugar may make you hyper.  Neither condition makes for good studying.

What’s your best time of day? 
Are you a morning person?  Most teens aren’t.  Their biological rhythms tend to make them more alert and productive later in the day and into the night.  If that’s the case, plan to do the bulk of the studying then being sure to get sufficient rest earlier in the day if there is school the following day.  There is no benefit to staying up so late that school becomes a constant fight in keeping the eyelids open and the mind focused on the task at hand.

How much mobility do you need? 
Are you someone who can sit still for hours or do you need to get up and move around more frequently?  Plan breaks to get up and move around if there’s a great deal of school work or studying to be done.

(Excerpted from Strategies for Success, a leadership/success curriculum for high schools with research from the Dr. Laurence D. Martel and Peter Kline's  book School Success – The Inside Story.)