7 Study Habits To Help You Succeed At School
With the seemingly endless projects, homework and tests at school, you may feel it’s impossible to manage it all. But it’s not quite that bad. Adopting effective study habits can help you get and stay ahead of the curve and achieve better grades. (Parents: these will help your younger children too!)
Here are our top recommendations for study habits that can help you win at school, college, or anytime you have to, you know, study.
Have Goals In Mind
Think about what you want to achieve this school year. Clearly defined goals, both big and small, will give you something to work towards. Make them realistic, but don’t be afraid to dream big either. Also, don’t burden yourself with too many goals. Keep them short and easy to remember and have them somewhere handy whenever you need a motivation boost.
No Distractions
Find a quiet place with as few distractions as possible. Mute your phone, turn off the TV, and if you’re sharing the room with someone else, limit your conversations. If you like to listen to music while working, choose mellow music with no lyrics. Working without distractions will help you focus on the task at hand and get into your zone.
Use A Planner
Keeping a day planner is the most important thing you can do to improve your study habits. It’s easy to lose track of all the things you’re supposed to do, especially if you’re also juggling extracurricular activities or other commitments.
As soon as you find out the due dates for your assignments, projects, tests etc., make sure to write them down. You can write down your scheduled tasks in an actual hardcopy day planner, but there are many digital calendars that can keep you on track too.
Food For Thought (Literally)
If you can’t live without chips and cokes, cookies and milkshakes, this suggestion might make you groan, but give it a shot anyway. Studies show that eating healthy foods like whole grains, fish, vegetables, and nuts will help you think more clearly and give you more energy for those long study sessions. On the other hand, junk food will leave you feeling tired, lethargic, and with a cloudy mind. Some suggest drinking green tea and taking daily supplements like multivitamins and Omega-3 capsules can also help boost studying performance – but as with all things dietary, check with your doctor and/or your parents first!
Work At Peak Times
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Some people tend to get their best work done first thing in the morning, others seem to get be at their best late at night. Start to become aware of what time of day your brain feels most “alive”. You’ll get your work done more efficiently and you’ll understand the material better during these hours.
Handwrite Your Notes
Instead of typing them down in your laptop, write your class notes by hand. Writing each word one by one forces you to process and remember the material that you’re covering. If your instructor goes through the lecture too quickly, feel free to type out your notes in class, but make sure to spend some time to write them down in your notebook later. Also, if you think of any ideas, write them down immediately. Once those thoughts leave your head, they’re gone forever.
Persist
Most importantly, don’t give up. Fully commit yourself to your studies. If you lose some motivation, focus on the goals you set for yourself. Hold yourself accountable and keep on grinding. You’ll see an improvement in your performance at school. Once you see the results of all of your hard work, you’ll be glad you stuck with it!
Doing well in school isn’t an easy task, but since you’re reading this post, you surely have the motivation within you to do it. By adopting a few good study habits, you’ll see some big improvements in your academic life. What techniques have helped you succeed in school? We’d love to hear about them!