Harrison College

Have you ever wondered why some classes seem so easy while you struggle to even understand the basic concepts in others? I know I did when I was a student. That was before I learned the importance of my learning style and how it impacts my ability to absorb, retain, and recall information.
 

What learning style are you? Do you learn better when you read the information? What about when you have your hands on the exact task? Maybe you learn better from hearing about how to perform the task?
 

As members of an Indiana Career college, these are often questions our admissions team will ask prospective adult education program students during the enrollment process. Someone who learns best by hands-on training and has an interest in the medical field may be a candidate for a career in medical assistant. Someone who learns well by reading text may be well suited for a distance learning college degree.
 

Many of us have basic knowledge of our own learning style. We know if we are drawn to learn from watching someone, reading directions, hearing directions, or just looking at a diagram or chart. Of course we tend to be drawn to jobs and other activities that lend themselves to our natural learning style—and maybe even avoid others that do not.
 

But is avoiding activities and careers that do not naturally lend themselves to your learning style a good practice? NO, it is not. During the student orientation at the Harrison College Columbus Indiana college campus, I ask students to take a learning style assessment. I don’t do this to see if I can determine who will be more successful in their classes, but to call the students’ attention to the fact that we all have different styles and sometimes you have to learn to conquer the challenges that come along with them.
 

Here’s a fun (and free) way to identify your learning style and get tips on how to make the most of it and how to overcome challenges that you may face if your style doesn’t always match that of the task at hand. Click here to take a Learning Style Survey and get tips on how to strengthen your ability to learn in all types of situations.