When is the Best Time to Study?

Now you have worked how you learn best, it is now time to work out when you learn and remember things the best.  Just as we all have our preferred learning style there are times of the day when we retain information better as well.  

Does the time of day ACTUALLY affect your memory?

Morning Memory vs. Afternoon Memory

Dr. Jane Oakhill, a psychologist at the University of Sussex has conducted a number of experiments to determine whether time of day affects your memory.

And what she’s discovered might come as a surprise to you:

Because it turns out we process two types of memory – Declarative and Semantic – differently throughout the day.

In the morning we tend to be better at Declarative Memory tasks – which is our ability to recall exact details, like names, places, dates and facts.

However in the afternoon, our brain is better at Semantic Memory tasks – our ability to integrate new information with what we already know and make it meaningful.

So what that means is this:

When you’re planning out your day, you want to study NEW material earlier in the day. And use the afternoon to integrate new knowledge into what you already know.

In other words, the morning is best for researching information. And the afternoon is better for synthesizing and applying it.

So, here’s how to structure your day…
For Your Memory: The Best Day Ever…

Because your brain tends to be sharpest at short-term & declarative memory tasks in the morning, and more efficient performing semantic processes in the afternoon, here’s a simple breakdown of how you might structure your day for maximum results:

MORNING

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM is the best time of the day for test-review, problem-solving, report-writing, and math-oriented work.

MID-DAY

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM is best for movement-oriented tasks, like filing away paperwork, doing errands, and practicing music and art.

AFTERNOON

2:00 PM – 6:00 PM is the best time of day for reading-heavy tasks like studying literature and history.

(Now, of course because some of us tend to be “morning people” and others tend to be “night people” there’s a 2-3 hour variance depending on where you fall on that spectrum…)

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