Visual Learner Study Tips and Test Taking Strategies

With this post, we’re going to take a closer look at visual learner study tips and test-taking strategies. With these, you’ll be able to better prepare for the things that come up throughout your life, whether it’s studying for a test or a presentation at work.

So, what is a visual learner? Some visual learner characteristics refer to the way that they’re actually able to visualize the content that they need to remember. Colors, symbols, drawings, and graphs are usually some of the best ways for them to remember information, which is why you want to check out these visual learner tips right away.

Overall, you’re going to find that a visual person has a good memory and great skill in tests and classes, as long as they use the right study styles for them. Hopefully, these study tips for learning styles are going to make it easier for you to get along.

We’ve tried to compile some things that will help you, as a visual learner, to get along a whole lot easier throughout your life with even the best schools for visual learners. It can be difficult when you’re sitting in classes, especially when you don’t have a lot of control over anything.

High school can be challenging because you are put into a classroom without any control. College can make things a little easier because you get to make some of the choices for yourself. But either way, knowing how to study is going to be instrumental in getting anywhere. Make sure you pay attention to each of these tips.

Maybe you’re already using some of them, but they might make a big difference in your abilities and even in your grades if you implement a few more of them. There’s definitely no reason you can’t give it a try.

If you also deal with ADHD, you may find our list of ADHD study tips helpful here.

General Study Tips for Visual Learner Students

When you’re trying to prepare yourself for a test or quiz or anything you want to know the basic test-taking tips for visual learners that are going to make it easier for you. These study strategies for visual learners will help any visual learner to better prepare for what comes next, so you don’t have to figure out just how do visual learners memorize.

1. Take Study Breaks

Taking good breaks and actually getting away is essential and the best way to go about it is to look at images (not your study images) or even draw pictures.

2. Keep Your Space Quiet

You want a quiet space to study rather than some students that learn well with music or even other students. You’ll do best when your space is as quiet as possible.

3. Picture the Content

Writing out the content is the first way to visualize the words but if you can actually picture them in your mind, you’ll be able to remember them any time that you need them.

4. Keep Your Study Space Clear

If your study space is clean and clear of anything that could distract you, it’s going to be easier for you to buckle down and pay attention to your notes.

5. Type Notes

Typing your notes makes sure they look neat and organized. That way, you know where to find everything that you need. You don’t have to worry about any kind of mistakes in your notes when they’re typed.

6. Use Flash Cards

Flashcards make it easier to visualize specific information. You can see words or images that you’re supposed to remember and easily tie them to the information that’s on the other side of the card.

7. Keep Flash Cards Simple

Don’t put too much information on your flashcards or you could get overwhelmed. Having just a few words or even a picture will make it easier for you to memorize the information.

8. Add Pictures

Adding images and sketches to your notes will make it easier to keep track of information. It will also help you remember some of the most essential points of the notes you’ve taken. Images could be people and places or even mind maps and concept maps.

9. Watch Videos

Videos are easy to watch and give you an excellent medium to take the notes that you’re going to need. They also allow you to see the vital information instead of just reading it in a book.

10. Choose Quality Paper

It may not seem essential to have good quality paper, but you’re definitely going to see a difference. Paper that you like to look at is going to encourage you to keep looking and studying.

11. Use Boxes

If you have an equation or something that needs steps draw it out with each step in its own box. This allows you to remember each step separately rather than as a whole.

12. Look for Patterns

If you can find patterns in the content that you’re writing or drawing, you’re going to have a better chance of being able to memorize and picture the material later in your mind.

13. Try Different Drawings

Once you work on drawing out your content, you can try drawing in different ways or using different types of images and symbols to see which ones work best for you. Different types of images can also make sure you remember the information.

Specific Tips for High School Visual Learner Students

High school doesn’t give you a whole lot of options for different classes, different routines or teachers to fit your visual learning strategies. You pretty much get what you get. So, make sure you’re making the most out of what you do have control over if you have a visual learning style.

14. Sit at the Front of the Class

Sitting at the front allows you to see everything that the teacher is doing, as well as allowing you to catch all of their facial expressions and body language.

15. Watch Hand Gestures

Body language and hand gestures can be important when you’re listening to a lecture. Paying attention to what the professor is doing and not just what they’re saying can give you an edge.

16. Draw Out Concepts

If there’s a simple concept that you need to remember try drawing it out. If you can draw it, you may be able to understand the concept better and remember it later.

Specific Tips for College Visual Learner Students

In college, you’re going to have a little more control over things like when you take the class and even what learning styles are best for you (in person or online, for example). That means you can make better choices that fit with your learning style. Plus, when it comes to studying skills, college makes things easier for you, which means these visual learning strategies for college students should help you along.

17. Use the Visual Aides

In college, many professors will provide PowerPoint or video versions of their lectures. Make sure you utilize these variations on the traditional lecture style.

18. Create Your Schedule

Having a schedule is going to make it easier for you to know when it’s time to study and when it’s not. This will also allow you to stay organized and stay on top of everything you’re trying to do.

19. Choose Quality Pens

You want pens that are going to work when you need them to. If they don’t, it means you’ll be searching for a pen in the middle of a good study time, and that’s going to make it more difficult for you to write things down. (In college you can generally use whatever pens you like best.)

20. Use Blank Notepads

Lines can actually make it difficult for you to take the kind of notes that are easiest for you to understand. Using a blank notepad allows you to make notes different sizes, write and sketch all at the same time. (Again, you can usually set your own rules here.)

How to Stay Organized Tips for Visual Learner Students

Staying organized can be even more important for a visual learner because you need to be able to see the information and see your notes clearly in order to study. With these organizational strategies for visual learners, you’ll be able to keep everything you need right where you need it at all times. Make sure to try out different visual learning style strategies as you go along.

21. Use Your Colors

One of the best things you can do is color code your notes. This is going to depend on the specific subject you’re studying, but maybe you highlight presidents in one color and wars in another. Maybe compounds in one color and bacteria in another. Pick a specific color pattern that will help you keep things separated.

22. Organize Your Notes

Use tabs, folders and different categories to make sure your notes are well organized. That way, you can always find the specific notes that you want at any given time.

23. Use a Highlighter

Use a highlighter to mark information that’s even more important and that you need to remember. This will make it easier for you to see when you’re scanning the content during a study session.

24. Add Symbols

Symbols could include anything from stars and light bulbs to actual large images that make you take notice. You could also underline or circle vital information to remember where it is.

25. Create Outlines

Outlines allow you to look at information in different ways and to understand the hierarchy. You can see the way that different topics and different pieces of content actually relate to each other.

26. Graph Your Data

For math or science related to information especially you can create graphs that will allow you to understand the data better. You’ll be able to see the way the numbers and points relate to one another as well.

27. Make a Packet

Take a little time to separate out your information into packets based on specific topics or based on chapters from the book. You’ll be able to find things more easily and study better.

Hopefully, these 27 visual spatial learning tips are going to make it much easier for you to take any test that might be presented to you. Not only that but hopefully you’re going to have a much easier time of just participating in classes. Each of these note-taking tips for visual learners and more are going to walk you through your best traits and your best skills. Make sure you do what you can, especially when it comes to things like drawing out answers, using color coding and keeping your study space quiet and clean so you can improve your chances of doing well, at everything you do when it comes to activities for visual learners.