Looking for studying tips to give you that “winning edge”? Our experts show ways to make your study sessions truly effective so you can enjoy other parts of life.
Whether you’re in high school or college, implementing the right study habits is vital. Doing this can make a big difference when it comes to understanding, absorbing and retaining information.
On the other hand, negative habits like cramming or throwing all-nighters can harm your outcomes. In fact, not only may they decrease your overall performance, they could negatively affect your mental health. Also, while they might seem to work at first, they’re not very sustainable in the long run.
Better academic results start with good, sustainable practices. Fortunately, it’s never too late to replace bad habits with good ones. Use our 5 studying tips and see your results take off!
Studying Tip #1: Create A Regular Study Routine
Consistency plays a major role in developing good study habits. Therefore, it’s best to study regularly regardless of whether you have an upcoming exam or assignment.
Incorporate study sessions into your everyday routine to keep on top of your work. Doing this will prevent engaging in long and tiring cramming sessions—which don’t really help with retention.
On that note, try to schedule your studies during the daytime, when you’re most productive.
For example, you might feel more energized in the afternoons, rather than in the mornings.
What matters is picking a time slot that you can realistically stick to daily.
When it comes to the duration of study sessions, less is more. Most students have the misconception that longer sessions lead to better performance. In fact, the truth points in the opposite direction.
Working nonstop is actually counterproductive, as your brain will get tired and easily distracted over time. Hence, it’s best to keep your sessions brief.
This is because processing information in shorter bursts gives you more space to fully absorb what you’re learning.
Studying Tip #2: Take Breaks
Be sure to schedule regular breaks. They will keep you refreshed, focused and calm throughout your study session.
In fact, try to spend these periods resting or doing soothing activities.
For example, you could take a quick nap, eat some nutritious snacks or go out for a walk.
If you’re a religious person, schedule breaks during your prayer times. After all, praying is a centering activity that can help quiet the mind. There are even digital applications to help with this.
For followers of Islam, the Muslim Pro app can send accurate prayer reminders to your desktop and mobile devices. This way, you’ll never forget to take a breather between study sessions.
You can also spend your break visiting online pages that post inspirational and helpful content. For instance, the Muslim Pro app LinkedIn regularly posts articles offering helpful tips such as how to eat healthier and develop better reading habits.
Studying Tip #3: Minimize Digital Distractions
Whether you’re studying in a café, library or your own bedroom it is important to focus. Nothing is more distracting during a study session than blaring notifications and the temptation of scrolling through social media.
You might already be familiar with a “quick phone check” during a study session? Often, this quickly turns into hours of aimless web surfing.
Thankfully, there are simple ways to keep your digital distractions in check. A great studying tip is to set your notifications to silent or vibrate mode while you’re studying.
There are also digital tools that block specific sites and applications. Using these will effectively prevent them from disturbing your precious study sessions.
Studying Tip #4: Know Your Learning Style
When studying, it’s important to utilize methods that are compatible with your learning style.
For example, you could be a visual, auditory, kinesthetic, logical, verbal, social or solitary learner. Indeed, you maybe even a combination of more than one of these types.
Remember, everyone learns differently. While one method of studying might work for others, it may not work for you.
For instance:
- If you’re a visual learner, you may benefit from using mind maps, color codes or diagrams as study aids.
- If you’re an auditory learner, you understand information better through sounds and music. It might help to record your voice while you read your notes aloud, then listen to it on repeat. You can even make a catchy jingle to memorize certain terms.
- You might even be a social learner, which means that you process information more efficiently in the company of others. Thus, joining group study sessions can be an effective learning tool for you.
Studying Tip #5: Review and Rewrite Your Lecture Notes
Make it a point to review your notes right after a class or before a study session. Chances are, you typed or wrote a rough transcript of your teacher’s discussion.
While there’s nothing wrong with using this material as is, it may be a little difficult to read through. If need information that’s easy to understand, go over your notes shortly after the class. Rewrite them in your own words and in a structure that makes it simple to remember.
You can even arrange key points into a neat outline for easier reference. Studies show that repetition in this practice can reinforce comprehension and retention.
Plus, organized notes make reviewing for future exams a much quicker process.
Conclusion
These expert studying tips will help any student improve their grades. Having productive study sessions is all about establishing better habits and learning methods.
By establishing a healthy study routine and minimizing distractions you create effective study time that works. Add a personal review method and will achieve an enriching learning experience.
Take your academic performance to the next level and use our study tips to ace exams!
If you found this information helpful, try our recent article: Benefits of a Tutor for SAT and ACT Preparation.
Our super author here at Famous Parenting and an absolute wealth of knowledge. She has studied many topics including creative writing, psychology and journalism but her real passion lies in raising her 3 children. Between working from home, homeschooling her youngest 2 children and navigating the world of teenagers she is a guru for parents.
