Study isn’t just for the night before an assignment’s due or the night before an exam. It’s never too early to develop good study habits. The sooner you get into a good study groove, the easier everything will be and the more your chances of getting good marks will improve.
1. Pick a place and time
Everyone has their own idea about the best place and time to study. Whether it’s your bedroom or library, morning or night just find a good place and time to study and also a regular study time that works for you and stick with it.
Ideally, you should choose a quiet place to study with, decorated with your favourite object/picture or thing that motivates you to read. Some people work better in the morning while others at night, so getting a perfect time to study is essential for effective learning.
2. Plan your time
Planning helps to make most of your study period. Have an agenda for each study period, be specific regarding the task that you hope to accomplish during each planned study period. Make a list of study tasks, and include some time to work on major assignments.
Set time limit Before you start your study session, have a look at your to-do list and give yourself a set time to spend on each task. If you don’t get something done in the set time, consider whether it’s the best use of your time to keep going with it, or to start working on something else.
3. Discover your learning style
Most of us have a preferred way of learning. Get to know the learning style you’re most comfortable with and study in the ways you learn best. However, a common idea is that each person has a preferred approach to learning. So these include:
- Auditory learning, this is done by reading and discussing with friends and also paying attention in class
- Visual learning, using colours in your notes and draw diagrams to help represent key points. You could try to remember some ideas as images.
- Tactile learning, prefer to learn by doing. Try using techniques like role-playing or building models to revise key points.
4. Review and revise
Thinking things over can help you to understand the concepts and help you remember when you need them the most. Get a friend or family member to quiz you on key concepts. It’s a great way to know what you’ve learned and to find out what you still need to learn. It will also help improve your memory recall. This way you learn it all twice.
5. Take breaks
It’s important to take breaks while you’re studying, especially if you’re feeling tired or frustrated. A bit of physical even just a walk around the block can sometimes help you to look at a problem in a different way and could even help you to solve it. Taking breaks will actually improve your studying.
6. Take Good Notes
The cleanly organized collection of lecture notes, labs, readings, images, and maps will be the envy of your classmates. When you study, your notes should bring to mind the entire sequence of ideas presented in class. Organize your notes into an outline form. This will help to clarify your thoughts about a topic.Good note-taking is the nuts and bolts of good study.
7. Stay motivated
When you’re studying it helps to keep in mind your reasons for doing all this hard work, like a course or career you’re working towards. It can help to have something in your study space to remind you of your goals. You have to ask why you’re going to invest the time and energy to do well on a test, this encourages you to study more.
8. Study With Friends
A study group is a group of students dedicated to learning. A collaborative approach is superior for a fuller understanding of a subject. Work with people that motivate and inspire you, and who are genuinely helpful (look for those that are alert and focused in class). An ideal group size is 3 or 4 people. If you’re stuck on something, or something just doesn’t seem to make sense, you can always ask for help from your study group.
9. Find an App to Do it
There are heaps of software apps available to assist you in your academic pursuits and all aspects of the study. Ask for recommendations from friends.
10. Take Care of Yourself
You’ll study better if you’re feeling well. Don’t reward yourself with too many sugary or fatty snacks or push yourself to study late into the night. In short, do as you’ve perhaps been told all your life and exercise regularly.
