What type of learner are you? Take our learning styles quiz to find out, and use our personalized studying tips that fit your learning type.
Think back to primary school — was there ever a time when the class was reading a book aloud and, even though you were following along, you couldn’t remember what happened in the last chapter?
You might be a reading and writing learner that gets distracted by noise and prefers to read alone.
We can categorize how we retain information into four learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic (VARK). Finding out how you learn best can help you become more strategic and efficient when you hit the books.
Take our quiz to find out what type of learner you are, read through your style’s description below! We’ll cover how each style learns best, share study tips that draw on their greatest strengths, and suggest careers that can help each learning style excel. Remember that some people may be a combination of learning styles.
If you’ve never thought about the type of learner you are, now’s a perfect time!
Visual Learning Style
| The Visual Learner | |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | Studying Tips |
|
|
Visual or “spatial” learners succeed when information gets presented visually. Since they’re often drawing or doodling, they learn best by seeing information and ideas represented by symbols, diagrams, maps, or different colours.
How To Thrive While Studying
Visual learners need to see information rather than hear it, so most study tactics revolve around drawing and making visual connections. Here are some tips for studying more efficiently:
- Draw pictures to represent information
- Colour-code handwritten notes with highlighters
- Organize typed notes with different fonts and colours
- Sort information in a T-chart or Venn diagram
- Watch explainer videos
- Take notes during lectures
Best Careers for the Visual Learner
Since visual learners make up 65% of the population, it’s no surprise to see the vast range of careers that fit best for this personality. Often visual learners pursue careers like:
- IT Engineers
- Full Stack Web Developers
- Cyber & Cloud Security Specialists
- Architects
- Graphic Designers
- Photographers
- Project Managers
- Data Analysts
- Mathematicians
- Pilots
- Scientists
- Health Care Workers
Auditory Learning Style
| The Auditory Learner | |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | Studying Tips |
|
|
Auditory learners, otherwise known as aural or musical types, retain information best by listening. For these learners, pen and paper don’t work as well. They prefer listening to a lecture or hearing information presented in a story format. They also enjoy group discussions where they can share information in their own words.
How To Thrive While Studying
Most of the study techniques for aural learners focus on sound incorporation, whether from listening to someone else or talking to themselves. Here are some study tips for the aural learner:
- Read your notes, then summarize the most important points aloud
- Talk about what you’re learning to a friend or family member
- Watch videos or listen to a podcast related to what you’re learning
- Create a rhyme or song to help you remember the information
Best Careers for the Auditory Learner
The auditory learner thrives in careers that depend on listening, whether to make decisions, counsel others, or relay information. Auditory learners excel in sound-based professions, such as:
- Anything music-related, like Conductors, Music Teachers, Film Scorers, and DJs
- Translators
- Foreign Language Teachers
- Television or Radio Show Hosts
- Speech Pathologists
- Executive Assistants
- Sales
- Judges
- Lawyers and Legal Assistants
- Counselors or Therapists
- Community Support Workers
- Account Managers
- Human Resources Coordinator
Reading and Writing Learning Style
| The Reading and Writing Learner | |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | Studying Tips |
|
|
Sometimes referred to as verbal or linguistic learners, individuals with the reading and writing learning style naturally lean towards expressing themselves through writing or speaking. Words are their superpower.
In the classroom, they retain the most information by reading articles or books, writing down their thoughts, researching new words and concepts, and talking about what they’ve learned with others.
How To Thrive While Studying
Most post-secondary education caters to reading and writing learners, despite the varying types of learners. To make the most of your study time, here are some tips:
- Write out definitions on index cards and practice reading them aloud
- Make a bulleted list of the most important points to remember
- Talk to a friend or relative about what you’re learning
- Study in a group and bounce ideas off each other
- Read your notes, highlight the most important parts, then summarize your points
Best Careers for the Reading/Writing Learner
Many reading/writing learners pursue careers that involve writing, research, or teaching, like:
- Librarians
- Teachers in subjects like Reading, Writing, and History
- Early Childhood Educators
- Public Relations
- Marketing
- Speech or Grant Writers
- Administrative Assistants
- Novelists
- Journalists
- Political Scientists
- Sociologists
Kinesthetic Learning Style
| The Kinesthetic Learner | |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | Studying Tips |
|
|
Physical — or kinesthetic — learners perform best when they can do something active during a lesson instead of listening to a lecture. They thrive in environments where they can develop their skills hands-on.
How To Thrive While Studying
Kinesthetic learners excel when they can physically experience information. This could be through acting out events or concepts or practicing the skill themselves (like throwing a ball). Here are some ways the physical learner can succeed at studying:
- Take notes and review them while holding your notebook
- Move locations when you take study breaks, and take them often
- Stand or move around while you study, or if you’re sitting, try bouncing a ball
- Listen to music (it’s perfect for foot-tapping on the beat)
- Use flashcards and include examples for each concept
Best Careers for the Kinesthetic Learner
Since kinesthetic learners enjoy working with their hands, they typically pursue careers that involve movement, working with others, and don’t involve sitting at a desk. Some examples of careers for kinesthetic learners are:
- Chefs
- Athletes
- Personal Trainers
- Bedside Nurses or Health Care Aids
- Surgeons
- Medical Laboratory Assistants
- Paramedics
- Massage Therapists
- Carpenters
- Farmers
- Florists
- Actors/Actresses
Finding the Best Approach to Learning
Discovering how you learn best is an ongoing journey. You may even find you fit a few of the learning styles, or that your style may evolve over time! Now you have some tips on how to study most effectively, even if you’re a combination learner.
Looking for more resources? We have you covered:
- From the Government of Canada: Are you a listener, doer, or seer?
- From ThoughtCo: Study strategies for the learning styles
Find a Robertson program that best matches your learning style.
Source: VARK
