Studying. It can be one of the most rewarding things you can do on your own time as a student. But let’s be real, it can be hard to get into the groove sometimes. Never fear! One of the best ways to become a super studier is to figure out your personal learning style.

Human brains all learn differently and analyse information in different ways. By discovering your learning style, you’ll be best prepared to learn in the way that is best for you, shortening your study time and enhancing the amount of info you can store in that big, beautiful brain.

We’ve categorised the eight most popular learning styles as cute Aussie animals. So which learning style are you?

Getting your hands dirty in practical experiments. Moving the tabs on the abacus around. Building representations of buildings or using dolls to block out physical spaces. If you need to touch, feel and try things out to learn, you might just be a koala.

These fluffy guys have four fingers and two thumbs on each hand and use them all to grab hold of trees and not let go. Like them, you like to have something to grab onto when you’re learning because you figure things out best when they’re right in front of you. Take any opportunity to get out into the field and learn by doing. If your course offers practical days or internships, then that’s where you’ll shine brightest!

Don’t be afraid to use learning tools like fidget toys, too. Get yourself something small and not too distracting. Rings with free spinning sections or small toys that can be held under the desk while your eyes are on the projector screen are ideal.

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You could even turn that knack for spatial reasoning into an incredible career with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours)!

Learning style: the outdoorsy rock-wallaby

Bounding from rock to rock. Checking out the scenery. Looking at the view. Feeling the sun on your back and the wind in your fur – whoops, hair! If you learn best when surrounded by nature and feel energised by outdoor time, your learning style is the rock-wallaby.

Similarly to koala learners, rock wallabies love to touch, hold, sense, taste and feel things to learn more about them. They also thrive in an outdoor environment most of all, and will find their minds are most at ease when they’re out in the great beyond.

So what do we recommend if you’re a rock wallaby?

• Go for a hike. Getting the blood pumping and breathing big lungfuls of fresh air clears your mind and makes everything make a bit more sense. Plus, exercise is great for your body and your mental health.
• Find your special spot. Finding a calm, secluded spot to study in nature could be key. Try finding a spot near some water for that extra soothing background noise.
• Get hands-on. Experiment with your studies, trying things out, putting the theory out of books and into practice. Even if you’re pursuing a more analytical degree, you will thrive if you find ways to study with your hands.

Getting our hands dirty in nature is one of our strengths! Have you considered studying our Bachelor of Agriculture¹?

Learning style: the logical wombat

Sticking to your guns. Seeing what works for you and setting up a procedure to match. Looking at all the possible options, weighing up your pros and cons, and making your decision. If you learn best using logic and factual analysis, your learning style is the wombat!

Nature’s sturdiest learners. There isn’t much that can sway you from your path once you’ve decided on something. You’ve done all the research, read all the articles and watched all the TikToks, and you know what will be best for you. Go for it!

The best part about a wombat learning style is that it’s always open to change. If something doesn’t work, you’ll analyse why and determine the next best thing to try. You’re guaranteed to find something that sticks if you continue to invest in research and the scientific method. Check out some careers where that analytical mind will be put to great use!

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You might be well-suited for a role at the forefront of tech with a Bachelor of Information Studies (with specialisations). Also, did you know that wombats poo in cubes?

Learning style: the visual frilled-neck lizard

Making a mood board or designing a thought cloud. Watching the movie instead of reading the book. Creating comics that summarise what you just learned. Adding little drawings, doodles and sketches to your notes. If you’re all about the visual, your learning style is the frilled-neck lizard!

These dramatic reptiles are known for showing off and making a big display. Now, you might not be a show-off – but you like your media to be so it catches and keeps your attention. A Bachelor of Arts² might suit you well, especially since you can tailor it to suit your style!

Try seeking out more visual options for learning. Ask your lecturers to provide you with their slides for later or to suggest additional YouTube videos to watch. And don’t be afraid to write or draw your notes out in the way that suits you. If you learn best from funny comics or generating memes, go ahead! There’s no one correct way to learn, after all.

Learning style: the solitary bilby

Only coming out at night. Keeping mostly to yourself. Being self-motivated and introverted. If you learn best on your own, following your own study schedule and staying disciplined, then your learning style is the bilby!

It’s not such a bad thing to be fiercely independent. You might be the most social butterfly in the world when it comes to other things in your life. Or you might be an introvert through and through. Whatever the case, when it comes to your study, you know there’s only one person who can do it best: you.

You might even find yourself ready to take on a career where you’ll work best independent of supervision, keeping hours or working shifts that others might find difficult. If that’s the case, maybe a Bachelor of Criminal Justice³ could be right up your alley?

Making (and sticking to!) a disciplined schedule will be your guideline to success. With nobody else to keep you on your path, it’s all up to you. But you’ll know when you’re standing on that graduation stage that you climbed that mountain yourself.

If you need a little bit of extra help, there are plenty of support services available on campus or online. It doesn’t take away from your fiercely independent self to ask for a little help – in fact, it just means you’re independently taking charge of your needs. Go for it!

Learning style: the audio kookaburra

Listening to your lectures two or three times to drink it all in. Putting on an industry relevant podcast during your daily commute. Playing soft music while you study to help you concentrate. If your brain works best when stimulated by sound, your learning style might just be the singsong kookaburra!

Here are some of our suggestions to help you study at your best.

• Formulate a study playlist. This will have songs that aren’t too slow or fast, that you like and know well enough to not have to concentrate too hard on them. Researchers say that songs with a BPM of 60 to 70 are ideal since they keep the mind alert without being too relaxed or alarmed.
• If hearing the words spoken aloud helps them stick for you, let’s do that! Try using text-to-speech options on your study notes. On some note-taking software, you can adjust the tone and gender of the voice so it sounds perfect to your ears.

Have you considered making your passion for volume into a career? A Bachelor of Communication⁴ could be the direction for you.

Learning style: the practiced saltwater crocodile

Writing out your notes again to keep them in your head. Keeping a collection of beautiful pens, highlighters, stickers and stencils. Using journals and notebooks to keep everything in one place. If you learn best by repeatedly rewriting what you’ve learned, then your learning style is the well-practiced salt-water crocodile!

The big benefit that comes with taking all of these notes is that you can be sure everything is triple-checked correct. A career where your careful and meticulous nature would be a huge boon might be the ticket: have you thought about a Bachelor of Food Science and Nutrition?

One of nature’s greatest success stories, the saltwater crocodile hasn’t changed much over millennia. They were around when dinosaurs were, and they’re still around now because they’ve pretty much nailed their ecological niche. And that’s you!

Once you’ve got something down, it makes sense to do it over and over again. After all, practice makes perfect. Your learning style benefits from rote practice and muscle memory. If you write it out a few times under exam conditions, then by the time you get to your exam, your hand and your brain will remember it all! That’s the hope, at least.

Learning style: the social corella

Discussing your learnings with your crew. Sending fun facts to the group chat. Getting everyone over for a study arvo. If you learn best when you’re talking with your peers about what you know and don’t know, then your learning style is the talkative corella!

If you’re on Bathurst campus, you’ve probably seen these gorgeous pink and white birds flocking together on the oval. They’re chatty, noisy, and love to spend time in the group. What they do together, they do best. And that describes you to a tee.

So what do we recommend for you, corellas?

• Birds of a feather flock together! Find a group studying the same or similar things and discuss what you are learning together. You can help your peers while helping yourself learn, too!
• Organise regular study events. You don’t have to all be studying the same thing: you’ll thrive as long as other people are also learning and reading. It’ll keep you on track and help you not get distracted by TikTok.
• Tell your besties about your career and studies! Your friends will want to hear about your passions and cheer you on, even if they’re at different life stages. By chatting up your study wins and handing out fun facts like lollies from the tuckshop, you’re broadening their horizons and keeping close with the people you care about.

Of course, no social butterfly is complete without a career to match their passion! If you study a Bachelor of Social Work⁵ with us, you could change people’s lives and get to chat with new friends every day.

So, which one was your learning style?

Whatever your study style, Charles Sturt is here to help you succeed. Our variety of study support resources are at your disposal, so whether you’re a chatty corella or a quiet bilby, you’ll be able to ace your course in no time.

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