How to Embrace Your Audio-Learning Style in College: Tips & Tools

Learning in college isn’t one-size-fits-all, and if you're someone who thrives on auditory cues, embracing your audio-learning style can be your thing! Whether it's through listening to lectures, recording notes, or engaging in discussions, auditory learners absorb information best by hearing it. Understanding this preference allows you to use your study techniques for better focus and retention. In this guide, we’ll explore practical tips and tools to help you harness the power of your audio-learning style.  

What is an Audio-Learning Style?

Do you find yourself zoning out when trying to read a textbook? Even though you’re happy listening to your lecturer for hours? That might be because you have an audio-learning style. 

There are four main auditory learning styles, which were identified in the VARK model:

Visual 

Visual learners prefer learning through images, diagrams, charts, and other visual aids. 

Aural / Audio 

Those with an audio-learning style learn best by listening to information and engaging in discussions. 

Read / Write 

Read and write learners are best friends with paper and pens: they learn best through written text, whether it’s reading or writing.

Kinesthetic 

If you prefer hands-on learning and engaging with the material physically, you could be a kinesthetic learner.

How Do I Know If I Have an Audio-Learning Style?

Think about when you need to learn something new: do you find it much easier to listen to someone explaining how to do a task instead of reading instructions? If you get lost and you ask for directions, do you find it easy to remember where they tell you to go? Do you find yourself drawn to group discussions, debates, and presentations? 

If you answered yes, you may have an audio-learning style. 

If you’re still not sure, you can always take a quiz to discover your learning style. Some theorists also suggest that people can mix learning styles: this is known as a multimodal learning style. So don’t worry too much about committing yourself to a singular learning style. Trying out different approaches could help you discover a way to study that best suits you. 

Benefits of Audio Learning

If you’re a college student with an audio-learning style, you might be jealous of your classmates who can spend hours reading in a silent library. But there are plenty of advantages to preferring audio!

Auditory learners benefit from having stronger listening comprehension and enhanced verbal communication skills: both of which are essential for success in college. Some of the benefits of audio learning you can celebrate having can include: 

1. You Can Actually Listen to Lectures

Although it will depend on your course, program, and college as to how many hours of lectures you have a week, many students will need to attend lectures every day, with some lasting for hours. This is an important way for lecturers at your college to share their expertise with you: it’s a core part of the college education you’re paying for after all. Whereas many students might get distracted and tune out, this is your chance to listen closely and get ahead! 

2. You Do Great in Group Work 

Any group task means you have to do a lot of talking and listening: and luckily, both are very suited to anyone with an audio-learning style. Use your listening superpowers to make sure that you understand what your classmates are contributing to the conversation. Then use your speaking ability to help lead your group through the task. 

3. You Can Chat About Your Study

It’s all very well focused during your hours on campus, but you’ll learn more deeply if you take your studies with you outside of set hours too. Being able to talk to friends, family, and classmates and explain what you’ve been learning is a known study method called The Feynman Technique. The principle is that if you can teach what you’ve learned to someone else, breaking down complex concepts into simple terms, you truly understand them. 

So, don’t be jealous of those who learn differently: lean into and embrace the benefits of audio learning and success will follow. 

Study Tips and Tools to Help Auditory Learners

As an auditory learner, you might find studying at college to be hard at times. Quiet libraries, silent exams, and piles of reading just don’t suit your learning style. That doesn’t mean you should pack it in – there are plenty of tips and tools out there that will help you to make your learning suit you. 

1. Listen to Study Podcasts

Good news – there are millions of podcasts out there! Podcasts created for students are perfect for those with an audio-learning style as they focus solely on sound, without any visual distractions. Listening to a podcast also means that you can take your studies with you – whether you’re on the bus, pounding a treadmill, or even if you’re in the bath! 

Tools to check out:

• Pocket Casts – Discover new podcasts to listen to with a dedicated podcast app. Pocket Casts is available on Android, iOS, and other devices and has a clean interface that makes it easy to find something to listen to, as well as adjustable playback speeds so you can choose the speed that feels right for you. 
• Quizgecko – If you can’t find the right podcast to listen to, why not create one? First known for quizzes and flashcards, Quizgecko has introduced a new feature that also allows you to transform your notes into a bespoke, educational podcast using AI. This incredibly intelligent feature lets you swap your reading for listening, as you create a custom study podcast that’s actually based on the material you need to study. Unlike traditional text-to-speech tools, these podcasts are conversational and easy to listen to, like listening to real people talking about your studies.

2. Record Your Tutors (with permission!)

If you have an audio-learning style, then lectures should be your jam. But when they’re over, why stop there? If you ask your lecturers or tutors and they give you permission to do so, record their lessons so you can replay them at any time. If you have online or recorded lectures sent to you, you can use tools (again, get permission first) to screen record or extract the audio to listen to anywhere you like. 

Tools to check out:

• ​​Otter.ai –  This recording and transcription tool provides real-time captions and automated notes for lectures, enabling you to focus on listening to discussions without the distraction of manual note-taking. Not only that, but it also captures lecture slides and generates summaries, helping students recall key moments and enhancing their overall learning experience.
• Panopto – Fully web-based, you don’t need to download anything to use this screen recording platform. 

3. Record Yourself

If you find writing notes to be a chore, why not try recording audio notes instead? If you need to refer to them later, you can use an app that makes a transcript of your voice notes. So you can easily search through them later, share them with others, or use them as the first draft of an essay. 

• Voicenotes – This easy-to-use audio recorder can also turn your recordings into transcripts, summaries, and more. 
• Notta – Another audio transcription tool, Notta will automatically add timestamps to your recordings, allowing you to easily find and replay sections of your voice notes, in 58 different languages.

4. Find Study Buddies

As someone with an audio-learning style, you thrive in environments where you get to talk to and listen to other people – so you need to find yourself a study buddy! Ditch the library (unless they’re happy for you to be chatty) and find yourself an alternative venue for a study date or a park, such as a cafe so you can talk through your work to your heart’s content. 

• Gemini – If you can’t find someone to chat with in person, or you’re studying late at night when everyone else is asleep, then AI can step in! You can now have voice chats with Gemini, the AI created by Google. This new feature allows you to have a conversation with Gemini, whether you’re brainstorming rehearsing, or just talking things through. 

Embrace Your Audio-Learning Style for Academic Success 

Embracing your audio-learning style in college is all about leaning into your strengths and finding the right tools and techniques that work for you. While you might never gel with lots of reading and silent library sessions may not suit your preferences, there are many benefits to your audio-learning style. Including your ability to listen, engage, and communicate verbally gives you a unique edge. 

Whether you’re recording lectures, creating custom podcasts, or joining study groups to talk through complex concepts, there are countless ways to tailor your education to your learning style. By adopting audio-based study strategies, you can improve your focus, enhance retention, and make your college experience more enjoyable and effective.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. You might even find that your learning style changes over time, or depending on the subject or task at hand. Knowing how you prefer to learn is a valuable asset in your college career — use it to your advantage and discover how much more engaging and rewarding studying can be when it’s aligned with the way you learn best.