Do you know what your primary learning style is? Or even what a learning style is?

Simply put, learning style is the way our brains prefer to process and retain new information. While we all gather information through sight, sound, and touch, we each have an inherent preference for one of the three mediums.

Knowing your individual learning style give you a powerful advantage, especially when it comes to prepping for the INBDE. If you know how you learn, you can prep smarter, not harder!

Let’s look at the three primary learning styles, and why it’s important to know how you learn.

Three Types of Learners

There are three essential learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. And while most people have one dominant learning style, everyone can benefit from combining all three.

• Auditory: Auditory learners process information through hearing. They typically prefer verbal instructions to written ones, benefit from listening to music or podcasts, and enjoy group work and discussions.
  
  
• Visual: Visual learners process information through sight. They prefer to read and write rather than listen, benefit from pictures and diagrams, can easily follow written instructions, but often have trouble remembering information only presented auditorily.
  


• Kinesthetic: Kinesthetic is a fancy way of saying learn by doing. These learners benefit from in-class demonstrations, hands-on learning experiences, and note taking. Getting physically involved in the study process helps these learners retain information.
  

Learning styles are generally determined by taking some sort of assessment, but you’ve been a student long enough that you can probably consider each style and figure out which one best describes you. So how does knowing this really help you?

Why You Should Know How You Learn

If you know how you learn, you’ll become a more efficient and effective learner. You can spend more time using study methods you know work for you, and supplement using other methods.

In addition to improving your efficiency and effectiveness as a learner, here are 8 additional benefits of knowing your learning style:

• Allows you to learn “your way”
• Reduces stress and frustration
• Expands your existing study strategies
• Increases your self-confidence
• Gives you insights to your strengths, weaknesses, and habits
• Teaches you how to use your brain
• Improves motivation
• Shows you how to take advantage of your unique skills

Dental Decks Works for Any Learner

When it comes to choosing an INBDE study aid, you want to make sure it will work with your individual learning style.

Good news! Dental Decks can be used by all learners to effectively prep for the INBDE. Here’s how each learning style can benefit from Dental Decks:

• Auditory: Dental Decks Q&A cards are perfect for reading aloud while you study. Pro-tip: make a recording as you read aloud to listen and learn later on.
  
  
• Visual: Dental Decks includes thousands of questions and case-based studies visual learners can absorb by reading. Plus, case study and oral pathology booklets have diagrams and images that appeal to the visual learning style.
  


• Kinesthetic: The physical Q&A cards are great for kinesthetic learners because the action of flipping the cards gets them physically involved in the learning process. Plus, kinesthetic learners can take notes and draw their own diagrams to learn by doing rather than by listening or seeing.
  
  

No matter which learning style you prefer, Dental Decks has you covered. It’s the most comprehensive, most recommended INBDE study aid for a reason.

So get Dental Decks and get to learnin’ – then crush your INBDE!