Here Are 5 Techniques To Help You Study Faster

One Simple Tip You Can Immediately Apply to Study More in Less Time (Originally Posted: 10/08/2014)

This article is originally from 300Hours.com. You can read the full article here.

Imagine this: 2 CFA candidates of equal skill start their study session on a Saturday 9am according to their study plan. Let's assume they both plan to study 10 hours that day until 7pm before calling it a day. 

Alan essentially sat down and studied for 10 hours non-stop, even having lunch at his study desk. Steven, on the other hand, studies intensely for 90 minute blocks,  then takes 15 minutes break before resuming work and repeating the process. For his breaks, he either takes a brief walk, do some stretches, gets a drink or take a nap. It's always something different every time. He even had a 45 minute lunch break with a friend. Guess who had a better quality study session?

Let's look at this in more detail: 

Alan, knowing that he's up for a long day ahead, started the first 3 hours at 80% of his capacity to pace himself. He gets tired after lunch, averaging 60% his capacity from 12pm-4pm, before dragging himself over the last 3 hours at 40% of his capacity. At the end of the day, his effective study hours are 6 hours.

Steven took 2 hours off studying (5 sessions of 15 minute breaks and longer 45 minute lunch break), so he studied for 8 hours. In that 8 hours, he averaged 80% capacity since a break is never too far away, which gives him the opportunity to recharge for the next study sprint. His effective study hours are 6.4 hours, 24 minutes more than Alan, and he did it in less time (with way more fun)!

Lesson here? At some point in our CFA studying life, we know how it felt like to be Alan - slogging the whole day without feeling like we got much studying done (or absorbed). Doing "other stuff" than studying often invokes feeling guilty, stressed and unproductive, which is counterintuitive once you've seen the results above!

Just like anything, the law of diminishing returns applies to studying too. Your concentration and focus takes a nosedive if you're sat there too long without the opportunity to renew that energy. It's not just about quantity, quality matters too - it’s not just the number of hours we sit at a desk that determines the value we generate. This is possibly why there's such a huge variance of study hours needed to pass the CFA exams, the definitions are probably not the same!

We knowthe CFA exams are tough, we've been through it ourselves. That's why it's crucial to work the way Steven does (be effective!), as you’ll get more done, in less time, at a higher level of quality, more sustainably.

What's your study routine and schedule like? How do you you think your productivity varies across the study session? Share your experience with us in the comments below!