Studying or Learning? Did You Know That There's a Huge Difference?

Completing your homework is worlds apart from watching a 20-minute educational video on YouTube, much like learning and studying are two distinct processes that many assume are interchangeable. Yet, both are essential pillars of intellectual growth and understanding their differences can enhance how we approach education. Educatly is here to demystify these terms, revealing how each plays a unique role in shaping our knowledge and skills.

Simply put, studying involves the concentrated effort to absorb information, while learning is the broader outcome—a lasting comprehension gained through the act of studying. Studying is the process, of learning the product. But, as you’ll soon discover, there’s much more to each than meets the eye.

What's The Difference Between Studying And Learning?

What is studying?

Studying is to research and gather information with the purpose of learning something. It takes time, practicing, trial and error, reading and writing, and is highly focused on memorizing information. When studying, you try to understand, simplify and know by heart information to utilize later in life. It is the act of trying to learn, rather than the learning itself. For example, if you’re studying English, then you learn the alphabet, how to pronounce letters, and so on!

What is learning?

Learning is the end goal of studying. It’s to have an understanding and perception of things. Learning isn’t only done through studying, it can be through a conversation or through a social media post. You can be on your FYP on TikTok and see a video about the fastest animal in the world, and learn that it’s the cheetah. Or you can see a video from Educatly about a master’s in business administration in Australia and you learn this brand new information. Learning is fast, fun, engaging, and organized.

This is the difference between studying and learning. Learning is the main outcome of studying; one doesn’t come without the other! You can’t become a mechanic or a surgeon without studying and learning. However, we know that sometimes studying can be hard, especially since humans lose around 90% of learned information immediately. This is exactly why you can’t learn without studying, and the degree to which you study and how hard you do is subjective because everyone is different!

But we’re here to help all!

Here are 4 tips on how to study and learn:

1. Learn how to learn

A few people actually know how to learn something, especially with public schools teaching students how to pass tests rather than how or what to learn. The school system is failing students now as it’s teaching them to memorize facts, regardless of how clear or understandable they are to students, which is okay to pass an exam, but not for long-term learning. To know how to learn, you need to discover your interests and learning style. Because if you’re learning something you like and studying the way you can, you’re way more likely to store new information and recall them at any time.

2. Study something you like to remember it

Have you ever noticed how you’re way more focused when you’re learning something that you’re interested in? You’re also more likely to think about and share that learned info with someone because it’s intriguing to you. Reciting that information in itself is studying, making it way easier to memorize and actually learn it. With that, we go on to the next tip.

3. Think about it

Just sit and think of your newly acquired knowledge. Think about it, ask questions, repeat it, repeat it, and then repeat it again. This will help you remember it and understand it clearly.

4. Teach your learnings

If you have to convey new information to someone and make it understandable to them, then you have to understand it yourself. What’s a better way to make sure you really understand and know something other than to imagine a crowd of people to teach it to? This is a definite way to remember your new learnings and master them.

After learning the difference between studying and learning, are you ready to study and learn? Educatly can connect you to more than 100,000 study abroad programs all over the world. 

All you need to do is sign up and update your profile to get a personalized browsing experience. You can also read all about studying abroad and education on our blog.

You can also receive personalized guidance every step of the way by scheduling a free consultation with one of our experienced educational advisors. They're dedicated to helping you navigate the application process, understand visa requirements, and secure scholarships or financial aid, ensuring you access top-tier educational opportunities with confidence.