Effective studying habits differ from one person to another. While some would say that studying for hours each day works, others would say the same. However, it would help if you started knowing what works for you early on.
An excellent place to start is high school. You have enough harder subjects than primary and middle school, plus several extracurricular activities that can take some of your time. If you can create a better study habit during your high school years, you can adjust better to college life.
With that, here are a few tips to help you study smarter, rather than harder.
Find a Study Environment that Works for You
For some students, studying in the library is a better option. It’s silent, but there are people around that you can watch or even talk to (in hush voices) if you want. Then some people love studying in their bedroom, alone with probably some lo-fi music on.
And believe it or not, some students love a noisy background when studying.
So, the first thing you should do is find a place where you feel more relaxed and comfortable studying. There’s no right or wrong place since everyone is different.
Be Organized and Plan Your Study Time
Plan your study time and break the materials into smaller sections, that way, it’s attainable each day.
It’s best to prepare your study time even before the school year starts. You can check out your school’s curriculum. Gilbert High School education, for example, posts the subjects available in advance.
This way, you can plan which subjects you’ll want to focus on more based on your strengths and weaknesses.
For example, you need to study for a math exam. Instead of going through every chapter in one night, break it down into two or three topics per night. This way, you can focus on what you’re studying and not cramming everything into your mind. The overload of information is not a good thing.
Avoid Distractions
Perhaps the most important tip of all is to avoid distractions. Turn off your phone, so you don’t get distracted by social media notifications. It would help if you also shut down your computer and laptop to avoid web browsing.
As much as possible, stay away from anything that can distract you. If you do, your study time is lessened.
Studying for an hour straight already allows you to go through a couple of topics. But if you keep using your phone, study time will increase. Instead of being done in an hour, you might extend to a few more hours. Plus, you have a chance of forgetting everything you’ve learned during your study session.
Take Notes and Review Them
Pay attention to class and take down notes. Then, review them each night when you arrive home. It usually won’t take long, perhaps an hour or so, and you’ll be done.
Reviewing every night after class makes it easier to retain the information in your mind. By the time you’re studying for an exam, you can easily conjure the info. That means you don’t have to linger on it much longer.
Studying may sound like torture, especially after a whole day in school. However, if you know how to make your study habits better, you’ll have more time for other things, too.
