WHAT IS THE STUDY SMARTER METHOD?

The Study Smarter Method combines active learning techniques with a structured study routine.

You learn more information, and learn it more completely, in less time.

Abandon the 8 hour study sessions, the flashcard drilling, and the never-ending reading sessions. Stop doubting if you're studying the right thing.


SURPASSING TRADITIONAL STUDY METHODS

Traditional study methods include
  • reading
  • highlighting
  • taking notes
  • re-taking notes
  • taking practice tests

​Unfortunately, research has shown that these are among the most inefficient ways to study. 

The Study Smarter Method builds your critical thinking skills and trains your brain to see concepts as interconnected webs, allowing you to tackle questions that stumped you before.
There's often a stark divide between practice questions and the questions actually on the test. 

Single-concept questions test your knowledge at a shallow level to see if you've memorized facts.

​Complex test questions, on the other hand, require you to take knowledge from multiple areas and understand how they fit together in order to answer the question. 

Have you ever felt certain you answered a question correctly, only to realize that you were answering a different question in your head? By building your critical thinking skills, my method also helps you identify what the question is actually asking. 

THE STORY BEHIND THE STUDY SMARTER METHOD

I developed the Study Smarter Method after spending countless hours tutoring students studying for the Registered Dietitian (RD) exam.

​Most students approached studying for the RD exam by reading through study outlines for hours on end, highlighting, taking notes, and listening to pre-recorded audio tapes.

​When exam day came, they didn't feel prepared. From complex case study questions that required combining their knowledge at a higher level to terms they had never seen before, the typical studying approach wasn't cutting it.
The science behind my Study Smarter Method is based upon how we learn, both in what we do to study and how our brain processes information.

​Designed to help, the Study Smarter Method can adapt to what you need - whether it's a more flexible study schedule or an intense focus on a certain topic.You'll learn about time management and information organization, too.

​The Study Smarter Method is a method, not a prescription or a study guide. It's not rigid - it works for you. And it's not about the content - so you can use it for any type of material. 

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE STUDY SMARTER METHOD

The Study Smarter Method is built upon the core principles of how you learn. Metacognition is when you think about how you think, or learn about how you learn. It's a process of self-reflection that improves your self-awareness, and is a key part to getting started with the Study Smarter Method.
Neurons in your brain adapt and grow in response to learning.

Neurons are made up of a cell body, dendrites, axons, and myelin. 

Dendrites interact with the synapses at another neuron's axon, and actively challenging your brain leads to neuron growth. Neuron growth means dendrites are closer to axons and can transmit information easier.

When you work your brain even more, myelin sheaths will encase your neuron axons, making information move that much faster.
There are 3 phases of learning: exposure, processing, and feedback.

Exposure is when you see or hear information for the first time. You can improve your learning efficiency by exposing yourself to new information in an effective way.

Processing is when you connect new information with what you already know. 

Feedback is when you assess how well you've learned information. 
​Your brain processes information differently when you read, draw, connect, talk, and listen.

Active learning techniques take advantage of how your brain responds to learning by exposing it to information multiple times and in different ways, building up neuronal connections and resulting in successful information storage.

Making your brain work in different ways means you learn the information in a more complete way, and can tackle any question that comes your way on test day.
MEET THE CREATOR
Hi! I'm Bailey DeBarmore, creator of the Study Smarter Method. 

I graduated from Cornell University in 2013 with a Bachelors of Science in Nutritional Sciences. I completed my supervised practice at the University of Virginia Health System in 2014, where I developed an interest in clinical research. 
Following that interest, I did a 2-year Masters of Health Science in Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and as of 2019, am working on my PhD in Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

​I passed the RD exam in 2014 and am licensed in North Carolina. While my Study Smarter Method was developed for RD exam students, I use its principles when tutoring students of all fields and ages. Its focus on metacognition and organization is key in setting students up for success.