LEARN SMARTER,
NOT HARDER:
PQRST STUDY METHOD
EXPLAINED
, The PQRST method, originally a study strategy, is a structured approach to
help students understand and retain complex material. By enhancing
engagement with the content at different stages, it facilitates deeper
comprehension and long-term retention. Let’s walk through the PQRST
method step by step, explaining each phase with examples.
1. Preview
The first stage involves getting an overview of the material before diving
into the details. This includes skimming through headings, subheadings,
diagrams, and key terms to get a sense of the main topics and ideas.
Example:
You're about to study a chapter titled “Globalisation and the Indian
Economy” in Social Science.
You skim the headings: "What is Globalisation?", "Liberalisation", "Role
of MNCs", "Impact on Farmers."
You note bold words like: “outsourcing,” “liberalisation,” “WTO.”
You look at charts showing trade data and photos of factories.
👉 Why? This gives you an idea of what you’ll learn and helps your
brain prepare.
The goal here is not to memorize but to build a mental map of the content
and identify what might be important or challenging. You wouldn’t focus on
details yet, but you would get a general idea of what you’re about to study.
2. Question
After getting a sense of the material, you formulate questions. This helps to
focus your reading and primes (prepares or readies) your brain for actively
engaging with the text. The questions should be based on what you expect
to learn or what seems important from the preview.
Example: After previewing the globalization chapter, you ask yourself:
What is globalisation?
Why do companies move to other countries?
How has globalisation affected farmers?
👉 Why? Asking questions turns you from a passive reader to an active
learner. You’re now reading to find answers.
NOT HARDER:
PQRST STUDY METHOD
EXPLAINED
, The PQRST method, originally a study strategy, is a structured approach to
help students understand and retain complex material. By enhancing
engagement with the content at different stages, it facilitates deeper
comprehension and long-term retention. Let’s walk through the PQRST
method step by step, explaining each phase with examples.
1. Preview
The first stage involves getting an overview of the material before diving
into the details. This includes skimming through headings, subheadings,
diagrams, and key terms to get a sense of the main topics and ideas.
Example:
You're about to study a chapter titled “Globalisation and the Indian
Economy” in Social Science.
You skim the headings: "What is Globalisation?", "Liberalisation", "Role
of MNCs", "Impact on Farmers."
You note bold words like: “outsourcing,” “liberalisation,” “WTO.”
You look at charts showing trade data and photos of factories.
👉 Why? This gives you an idea of what you’ll learn and helps your
brain prepare.
The goal here is not to memorize but to build a mental map of the content
and identify what might be important or challenging. You wouldn’t focus on
details yet, but you would get a general idea of what you’re about to study.
2. Question
After getting a sense of the material, you formulate questions. This helps to
focus your reading and primes (prepares or readies) your brain for actively
engaging with the text. The questions should be based on what you expect
to learn or what seems important from the preview.
Example: After previewing the globalization chapter, you ask yourself:
What is globalisation?
Why do companies move to other countries?
How has globalisation affected farmers?
👉 Why? Asking questions turns you from a passive reader to an active
learner. You’re now reading to find answers.
