Studying for exams can suck.
You’ve locked yourself in your room or set up camp at the library. You’ve only studied for 20 minutes and before you know it, you’re scrolling through memes on every app.
Ah, procrastination at its finest. Or is it?
What if I told you that drilling information into your head isn’t the only way to cram for finals? Let me share the story about the time I studied for an exam by scrolling through memes.
During my first year of university, I took a sociology course as an elective. I hardly understood the differences between the theories and didn’t make much progress after hours of studying. Typically, I started flicking through feeds.
This may seem like a form of procrastination but, to my surprise, I found a funny image about the content I was studying. Soon I was scrolling through meme after meme about the exact things I was supposed to know for my exam. And they were actually helping me to understand the concepts better!
So, how does this work?
I screenshotted and saved as many as I could and sent them to my classmates. Our chats were sprinkled with laughing emojis and I felt like the ultimate genius for figuring out a study method that was actually fun.
The thing about memes is that we usually look at them for entertainment. We enjoy them most when they are relatable to us and our lives. They make references to things or people. Whether it’s movies, books, celebrities, news, or otherwise—they have to be understood by many people or else they aren’t funny.
But why is it that memes can work for studying?
A post on The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Education Blog talks about how students learn well through humour. Memes are internet jokes that have their own set-up and logic, which can apply to a variety of subjects. According to LSE, “Memes offer students a form which feels less formal, where they can use their own expertise (their pre-existing knowledge of pop culture). Memes are easy to share and can prompt discussion.” That’s what happened with my sociology classmates.
You might say, “Not every subject can be found in memes.”
But give it a shot! It’s surprising. Searching “memes about [insert topic]” can land you somewhere totally unexpected and helpful.
Also, you might say that looking at memes couldn’t possibly help you ace your exams. I can’t guarantee that it will be your only source of studying, but it sure would help make the whole process a little easier.
In the end, we all learn differently. Some people retain information by reading. Other people write it down. And then there’s me—finding memes about it. Studying can be difficult and stressful, but exploring new techniques doesn’t have to be. Now you have an excuse to say that you’re not procrastinating by scrolling through memes. You’re just studying creatively!
Looking for motivation to keep studying? Check out these tips!
