Select Page

study tips

line-y

STUDY TIPS

Create an appropriate study environment.

You will need limited noise, a lot of sunlight, a tidy surface, and comfortable furniture. Find a quiet place to study where you won’t be bothered. This is very important and should be given great care in doing. Get everything you need before you sit down to study. Pencils, pens, notebooks, college ruled paper, your laptop, textbooks, etc.

Develop a schedule.

All students should keep a schedule of classes, assignments and other key dates. As part of that schedule, they should set aside specific time for studying and project work. That way, they’re less likely to find themselves scrambling to complete a project at the last minute or cramming the night before a big test. The schedule should also set aside time for non-school activities like sports. In fact, the more comprehensive the schedule, the more efficient most students will be in completing their schoolwork.

Develop a calm attitude.

Be calm and patient with yourself. Nobody learns anything straight away.

Take notes in any classes that you have.

You can even take notes at work. It may be easier to use abbreviations for common words, only record important information (and/or keywords), use clear headers to organize information and use pictures/diagrams to demonstrate. Highlight or underline key points in your material.

Avoid distractions.

If you have family members that distract you, politely ask them to leave so you can continue with your assignments. Make sure the TV and radio are off. If you need background noise, classical music might be of interest.

Take frequent breaks.

Go for a walk, ride your bike, or be with family. When you take frequent breaks, you find that you aren’t boggled with the stress of homework and you can get back to your assignments later.

Develop effective memorization techniques

You can use lists when having to memorize several things eg. (formulae). Flash cards are good for memorizing large amounts of grouped information.

Develop critical reading skills.

As students move into higher grades, they’re assigned larger and more complex reading assignments. Poor reading skills or an inability to read for important information will make these assignments a burden and undermine overall academic success. Students need to deliberately learn to read for key information. If reading skills are weak, it’s important for the student to seek help improving them; otherwise performance in many subjects would be impacted.

Focus on the areas that require the most attention.

Study things more if you have a hard time doing them.

Improve test-taking strategies.

A poor test result doesn’t always mean that the student doesn’t have a good grasp of the academic material or skill gaps. It’s possible that the student understands the material, but doesn’t take tests well. An effective test-taking strategy includes: learning how to prioritize material when studying for a test; preparing for a test over a number of days and not just the night before; coping with stress during the test; and managing time during a test so that all sections or areas are completed.

Develop a study group.

This way you can quiz each other and learn things from each other.

Ask questions to yourself.

Asking questions should lead to an emphasis on the what, why, how, when, who and where of study content. Ask yourself questions while you read or study. Answering them will help to make sense of the material, and aid you in remembering it because the process will make an impression on you. Those things that make impressions are more meaningful, and therefore more easily remembered.