If you doodle in the margins, remember where something was on the page, and reach for a diagram when an explanation gets complicated, you probably prefer to learn visually.
One honest note first: research has not found that "visual learners" remember more when material is visual and less when it isn't (Pashler et al., 2008). What makes the difference is how you study. The good news is that several of the best-supported techniques are naturally visual, so your preference can help you do them well. Here are eight.
1. Redraw it from memory
Close your notes and redraw the diagram, mind map or process from memory, then check it against the original. Recalling is a far stronger way to learn than rereading (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006), and the gaps show you exactly what to review next.
2. Pair words with pictures
Put a labelled diagram next to the explanation, not instead of it. Words together with a matching picture are learned better than words alone (Mayer, 2009).
3. Turn processes into flowcharts
When you meet a process or a chain of cause and effect, draw it as a flowchart and write why each arrow is there. Explaining the links is what builds understanding.
4. Use mind maps to plan, then test
A mind map is a good way to see how a chapter fits together. Use it to plan your revision, then cover it and rebuild it from memory, as in technique 1.
5. Make flashcards with a small drawing
Add a sketch or symbol to each card, and always try to answer before you turn it over. The drawing gives you a second route to the answer; the attempt is what makes it stick.
6. Keep a colour key, but don't rely on it
Colours help you organise notes - for example, definitions in blue, examples in green. Colouring alone doesn't make you remember, so use the structure it gives you to quiz yourself.
7. Space your reviews
Come back to each topic a day later, a few days later and a week later. Spreading the same study time out beats cramming it (Cepeda et al., 2006).
8. Practise with mixed problems
Once you can solve one kind of problem, mix it with others so you have to recognise which method to use, as you will in the exam (Rohrer & Taylor, 2007). A mock test or a short practice set does this for you.
Most people aren't only visual
If you also scored highly as a Reading/Writing or Logical learner on the Study Style Test, combine these with written summaries or step-by-step reasoning. The techniques themselves work for every style.