How to Study Effectively: Learning how to study smarter, not harder, is the key to becoming a good student. This gets increasingly true as your schooling progresses. An hour or two of studying per day is normally enough to get through high school with good results, but when college comes around, there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done if you don’t know how to study smarter.
While some children can fly through school with little work, they are the exception. The great majority of successful students succeed by building and implementing excellent study habits. The top ten study habits of highly successful students are as follows. So, if you want to be a good student, don’t give up; instead, work on developing each of the study habits listed below, and you’ll see an improvement in your grades, knowledge, and capacity to learn and assimilate information.
What Exactly Are Study Habits?
Study habits are the activities you engage in before, during, and after studying. Some of these habits are beneficial and efficient, while others are harmful and inefficient. Some habits are easy to create but difficult to break, so be cautious of what you allow into your life.
What Is the Most Effective Studying Method?
Finding the optimal study method is a constant process. It is not something that can be put off until the night before the exam. You should always strive to improve your study skills in order to better grasp what works (and what doesn’t).
Learning how to study better will help you avoid worry and frustration the next time you have a big test. After all, if you have had time to fully review and practice the content, you are more likely to perform well and be less anxious before an exam!
Effective study habits not only make learning easier, but they also help you get better marks in high school and college.
1. Do not try to cram all of your studies into a single session
Have you ever stayed up late at night wasting more energy trying to keep your eyelids open than studying? If this is the case, it’s time for a change. Successful students spread their work out over shorter periods of time and rarely try to cram everything into one or two sessions. If you want to be a great student, you must learn to be constant in your studies and to schedule regular, but shorter, study sessions.
2. Determine when you will study.
Successful students set aside particular hours during the week to study and then stick to their plans. Those who study infrequently and haphazardly often do not perform as well as students who adhere to a strict study regimen. Even if you’re up to date on your studies, developing a weekly routine in which you set aside time a few days a week to study your courses will ensure you create habits that will allow you to succeed in your education in the long run.
3. Study at the same time.
Not only should you determine when you’ll study, but you should also establish a consistent, everyday study habit. When you study at the same time every day and week, it will become a regular part of your life. You’ll be more prepared intellectually and emotionally for each study session, and each study session will be more productive. It’s normal to adjust your plan from time to time due to unforeseen circumstances, but get back on track as soon as the event is over.
4. Each study session should have a clear purpose in mind.
Simply studying without a plan is ineffective. You must be clear about what you need to accomplish throughout each study session. Set a study session aim that supports your overall academic goal before you begin studying (i.e. memorize 30 vocabulary words in order to ace the vocabulary section on an upcoming Spanish test.)
5. Never put off your scheduled study session.
It’s quite easy and frequent to put off your study session due to a lack of interest in the subject, other obligations, or simply because the assignment is difficult. Successful students DO NOT put off studying. If you put off your study session, it will be considerably less successful, and you may not get everything done that you need to. Procrastination leads to hurrying, which is the leading source of errors.
6. Begin with the most difficult subject.
You should begin with your most difficult assignment or subject because it will need the greatest effort and mental energy. Once you’ve accomplished the most difficult task, the remainder of your work will be lot easy to complete. Starting with the most difficult subject, believe it or not, will significantly improve the effectiveness of your study sessions and your academic success.
7. Before beginning an assignment, always go over your notes.
Obviously, you must first have notes to review before you can evaluate them. Take thorough notes in class at all times. Review your notes thoroughly before beginning each study session and before beginning a specific assignment to ensure you understand how to complete the assignment correctly. Reviewing your notes before each study session can help you remember important subject matter from the day and ensure that your studying is targeted and effective.
8. Make certain that you are not sidetracked when studying.
Someone or something distracts everyone. Perhaps it’s the television. Perhaps it’s your family. Perhaps it’s just too quiet. Some people study better when there is some background noise. When you are distracted while studying, you (1) lose your train of thought and (2) become unable to focus, both of which result in inefficient studying. Find a quiet spot to study where you will not be bothered or distracted. For some, this is a peaceful cubicle in the library’s bowels. Others will find it in a common space with some background noise.
9. Make good use of study groups.
Have you ever heard the expression “two heads are better than one?” This is particularly true when it comes to studying. Working in groups allows you to (1) seek assistance from others when you are having difficulty understanding a concept, (2) accomplish tasks more quickly, and (3) educate others, so assisting both the other students and yourself to internalize the subject matter. However, if study groups are not structured and participants arrive unprepared, they can become quite ineffective. Effective students make good use of study groups.
10. Over the weekend, go over your notes, coursework, and other class materials.
Over the weekend, successful students evaluate what they learned during the week. This manner, they’ll be well equipped to continue studying new topics that build on earlier coursework and knowledge.
We are convinced that if you acquire the habits indicated above, you will see a significant improvement in your academic accomplishment.
