Students face new challenges living the fast life that modern times bring. Studying can be hard, and making a study routine even harder, because everyone is always in a hurry.
Online school gives you the opportunity to time manage your study sessions to fit your lifestyle, but will you stick to that study plan without supervision?
So, if you’re wondering how to develop effective study habits – we are here for you!
Here are the Top 10 Tips and Tricks on how to develop great study habits:
Find the right study space
Choosing a good study environment (and using it just for that!) can make a difference!
Make sure to have privacy! Find a quiet, comfortable place without distractions, such as your phone, TV, or family and friends, and keep it organized – have only the things you need at hand’s reach for studying.
Lightning is of great importance to avoid eye strain from the screen. The best option is to have a lot of natural light, and if not, a good desk lamp will do.
You can also personalize it by surrounding yourself with things that inspire you, like colors, motivational quotes, awards, or decoration plants. Just don’t overdo it because it can become a distraction.
Create a study schedule
Take your study plan seriously and stick to it. Studying the same amount of time at the same time of the day would be even better.
Be sure to insert enough short breaks in your schedule, but not for too long, because it will be hard to bounce back to study mode.
When planning, try to spacing out your studying so you don’t leave too many lessons for the day before the exam.
And remember to mix challenging and simple tasks for balanced learning!
Set Goals
Keeping the goals in mind will help you get through course material much easier, especially if you keep them realistic and achievable. Setting goals also allows you to plan your time and focus so you can study more efficiently.
Achieving small wins will keep you motivated!
Get a Study buddy
Having a study buddy (or a study group) can do wonders on how to develop better study habits!
It doesn’t matter if you’re not on the same subject at the moment, combining your study skills can have a positive impact on learning. Exchanging ideas, bouncing questions, changing perspectives, and generally making studying more engaging and enjoyable.
Even if you’re doing online schooling, there are clubs, councils, and chats to keep you connected.
Ask for help
If you feel stuck on an assignment, have difficulties understanding text explanations, or how to develop study habits overall, feel free to ask for help!
Having a conversation with a tutor, friend, or study group member about the issue can offer you the fresh view and clarification you need.
In our online school, our tutors are always there for you! You can schedule a class or a 15-minute meeting with them at any time. Their support can reinforce things you already know, as sometimes all you need is a little nudge to get you back on track.
Take notes
Taking notes is always a good idea!
When you write things down, there is a better chance they’ll stay in your memory because you think about them longer. Also, they can serve as a thesis for renewing the lessons.
Our tutors encourage it, as it shows a greater understanding of materials by students who do it.
Engage with the material
Simply reading the text or reviewing notes often isn’t enough to retain important information from study materials.
You can be more engaged with your lessons in a few ways:
- Try using your own words and summarizing them while reading the text. This will help you understand it better and hang onto the information. Talking out loud can be useful.
- Discuss it with a study buddy (or a tutor).
- Placing it in a real-life situation can provide better comprehension.
- Quiz yourself (or by a friend), or create flash cards.
- You can make visual aids to help you remember by visualizing materials.
No procrastinating!
It feels great postponing a study session for a day, but it comes back to haunt you!
Study materials can be extensive, a little boring, or hard to understand, so you may feel the need to put off studying until you’re in a better mood. But lessons start piling up, motivation decreases, and it becomes harder and harder to get back on course.
Resisting the temptation to procrastinate is essential to maintain momentum in your studies.
Reward yourself
Reward systems can be useful for training yourself to follow the routine. Smaller rewards for finishing smaller tasks, and larger rewards for completing bigger tasks.
But be careful so you don’t end up studying just for the rewards! It’s important to learn to respect knowledge and success for the sake of it and be proud of yourself! This is particularly important when focusing on how to develop good study habits for elementary pupils.
Don’t let bad grades bring you down
It happens to everyone, even the best of students! So, instead of falling into despair – bounce back!
Devote more time to understanding the lessons that gave you trouble, chat with a tutor, or take extra classes. Don’t let a bad grade stand in your way to success!
Good life habits first!
A healthy body leads to a healthy mind!
Recent studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to a lack of concentration and ability to memorize, and if prolonged for a certain period, it can affect the whole body. So be certain to get enough sleep!
Make sure to exercise at least 2-3 times a week, and always have veggies and a source of proteins on the table. The healthier you eat and the more you exercise, the better you will feel, and the better you feel, the easier it will be to focus and absorb information.
All of the above will also give your mental health the boost it needs. Plus, you can try meditating or watching through the window for 15 minutes, clearing your mind – it will do wonders.
Bonus tips from our tutors
Apart from using most of these tips to help students, our tutors have a little bonus for you:
- Math assignments should be done immediately after the lesson so you can immediately apply everything you learned to the task, as it will help you remember it better.
- Breaks should be enjoyed without guilt.
- Use checkmarks. The feeling of completion will increase your motivation.
In conclusion
Forming a good habit is not easy, but every step you take leads you closer to consistent study habits you can have for the rest of your life.
Soon-to-be college students should especially focus on how to develop good study habits for college because the materials for studying will only become more extensive.
All in all, just be persistent in taking steps to create habits, and it will soon become a routine.
Author: Natalija S.
