Finding Right Strategies for Studying

You Can Grow Your Brain

Your brain is a muscle that gets stronger the more you use it. Thanks to the network of nerve cells in your cortex, the more you challenge yourself to think the more advanced that network becomes! When we challenge ourselves to think, we are essentially exercising our brain cells, which makes the connections between them stronger. As a result, our brains become more efficient and better able to handle complex tasks, as explained in the article “You Can Grow Your Brain.”

However, as the article illustrates, having a good strategy for learning is key to growing your brain. There’s no such thing as smart or dumb—there’s only good and bad strategies for learning—just like there are good and bad strategies for working out your other muscles. If you go to the gym expecting to develop strong muscles without knowing how to do that, chances are you won’t reach your goal. The same goes for growing your brain muscle. It helps to have a coach, trainer or mentor who knows the best strategies. For you as a student, you’ll find that the best trainers are your teachers and anyone else who knows the right strategies for studying well.

So don’t fear! When we are able to effectively process and store information, we create neural pathways that help us to learn more easily in the future. Furthermore, studies have shown that people who have a good strategy for learning are more resilient and adaptable, meaning that they are better able to cope with changes in their environment. Therefore, having a good strategy for learning is not only key to growing your brain, but also to protecting it from stress and trauma. We all know that college can be stressful—but if we apply ourselves we set ourselves on the path to overcoming obstacles. So get engaged, and be open to embracing the strategies that will help you grow your brain!