It has come to my attention that a method that I use to study is uncommon and apparently strange. As such, I have decided to record it here in the hopes that someone might find it useful.
The method involves memorizing the outlines of text written in my notes. By crossing my eyes slightly, I am forced to view my notes as messy graphite blobs. By memorizing the general shapes and sizes of these blobs, I find it easier to recall information during tests. Instead of recalling all of the information in a particular section of my notes, I recall the outline. Using this blob, I can figure out the “size” of the content I have for this topic. This blob is used in comparison to my written answers in tests to see if I could be missing content. Though I may not know exactly what the content is, it helps me by informing me and taking less work to memorize.
It is important to state that I use this in conjunction with standard studying methods. This method should not be used as a stand alone method as no detailed content is actually memorized using this method. Additionally, I have only found this method to be useful in classes such as biology and chemistry (where heavy memorizing may be necessary) and only in high school. I imagine that this method will become ineffective for university courses, but I have yet to try it out.