Many MBA entrance exams require students to have a wide range of vocabulary regardless of their nativity in the spoken English language. Undergraduate and Postgraduate business and management courses expect students to have a strong threshold of a variety of sophisticated words at their convenient disposal but how does one learn new words that it ingrains itself in your memory forever?
This is the most common question asked by students who struggle to remember the new words they have come across in their everyday reading.
We get it. Learning words is hard but only when it is seen as a chore rather than something that you thoroughly enjoy. Adding new words to your mental linguistic repertoire is a necessity rather than something that you “have to do”.
We know you’re tired of constantly having to write down the words and keep memorizing the words only to forget them a week after. But lo and behold, you can remember the words forever, and still have fun learning them.
Here are 5 ways to learn new words:
1. Anki Flashcards
Gone are the days when we had to make hundreds of paper flashcards and shuffle around to take one out. Anki is an app that uses algorithmic spaced repetition to help you maintain your flashcards and see only the ones that you need to read.
Using digital flashcards saves you time and triggers your brain’s memory by using active recall. This helps you remember the words that you come across for a long time.
We have made an Anki Deck specifically for students who are preparing for MBA entrance exams like CAT, XAT, GMAT and more.
2. Listening to Podcasts
Due to the emergence of various podcasts streaming services like spotify, apple podcasts, google podcasts and others, information has become easily transmissible at the user’s convenience. It is perfect for students who tend to be busy buried under loads of classwork and assignments. They can listen to podcasts while commuting, on the go and just squeeze in extra words with ease.
Podcast recommendations for you:
- Reimagine Work by Paul Millerd
- On Purpose with Jay Shetty
- TED Talks Daily
- How to be a Better Human by TED and PRX
- Recode Daily by Recode
3. Youtube Videos
Youtube holds a huge collection of videos published by companies, groups and individuals from all around the world. Thanks to Youtube, we can consume the information we like through infotainment* videos in merely minutes. You can find it overwhelming to select videos from such a wide range of topics. We suggest that you choose to listen to business, general news, tech and as such.
Youtube Channels we recommend listening to:
*Infotainment is a portmanteau. It is a play on words informative and entertainment. You learnt a new word there —portmanteau. Cool, right?
4. Pick your favorite non-fiction book up
Reading everyday increases your focus and reading speed with time and consistency.
Yes, there is no way around reading to learn new words but believe me, it doesn’t have to be boring. Pick the book of the subject that you fancy the most and make little notes of what you’re reading and keep a record of the new words you’re learning. This helps you stay consistent and make new connections with the words learnt.
Book Recommendations for you:
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari
- The Art of War: Spirituality for Conflict by Sun Tzu
- Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
- The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt
5. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
One sentence: This is the dynamite of a book.
It has all that you need to create a superior vocabulary. It guides you throughout the entire process of learning new words efficiently.
We recommend it to every student who is looking to widen their vocabulary.
Hope this helps you in your preparation 🙂
Please, leave us your feedback below or if you have any doubts, comment them down. One of our experts will get back to you at the earliest.
Happy Learning!
