Best Study Strategies for College Students
Studying. It’s what you come to college to do. No matter what your subject is, you’re going to have to fit in some study time if you want to achieve those high grades. However, it’s not always as easy as it seems to be. You’ve got to be able to manage your workload and your time right if you’re going to study well. Maybe you’ve already got your studying down, but if you haven’t? This post might be helpful to you! We are listing some of the best study strategies to make sure you’re on top of it all.
Create a schedule
Have you ever created a study schedule? If not, you should! Planning your time is crucial to studying because you’ve got to fit in all the content you need to learn while making sure you have time for fun too. It takes around 15 minutes to make a schedule and it’ll give you something to follow throughout the week. Start by putting in your essential activities such as lessons or job shifts. Then start planning your study time around that. Remember, leave time for you to socialise too! You also don’t have to put in too much study time if you don’t want to. It can be anything from an hour a day to anything more. You’ll know how much you need, so be strict with yourself but don’t overdo it.
Ask for help
Many people are afraid to ask for help when they need it and sometimes it means their grades suffer. One of your most helpful tools at college is the professionals around you so use them to your advantage. Especially as your tutors are the ones marking your work, they will know exactly what you’re doing wrong and how to improve. You could even send your tutors drafts of your work if you’re allowed to do so. It’s important to use the resources around you so if you do need help, make sure you ask. It’s their job to support you while you work.
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Take breaks
Studying can be stressful. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, it’s just not going in and at a time like that, it’s good to take a break. It’s essential to take regular breaks for your health as well as your work ethic. There is such thing as overworking yourself, so bear that in mind. Sometimes you might find you need to step away from your work for a moment and come back with a fresh mind. Your breaks don’t have to be awfully long, just 10 minutes here and there will do! But it will make all the difference in the quality of your work, and you’ll feel way more relaxed when you do it.
Wake up early
Waking up at midday and doing work just doesn’t go. Although some people like afternoon wake-ups, you’ll feel sluggish more often than not, and your motivation to do work won’t be very high. That’s why an early rise is perfect for boosting your mood to study. Waking up early means you give yourself most of the day and that includes relaxing too. If you get started straight away, you’ll feel a lot more positive about what you produce, and you’ll get way more done too. If you’re not usually an early riser, it’s a good idea to give it a try and see how much it affects your studying. You might find you like it!
Flashcards
Sometimes it seems that exams are a lot like memory games. To pass, you need to memorise whatever you’ve studied, and flashcards can help with that. Flashcards are all about memorising and testing yourself, so it’s a good choice. They are perfect for theory type subjects, and they can also be quite fun to do too. You only need paper to make flashcards, and you can test yourself or have friends and family test you instead. It’s a super quick study activity to do, and it’ll significantly impact what you know. The more you do it, the more you will remember!
Reward yourself
No matter how hard you try, sometimes the motivation just isn’t there. Waking up early can work for some, but it’s time to find other ways if it isn’t for you. If you often find yourself being distracted, this could be an excellent tool to keep you working. Let’s say you have a video you want to watch. Set a goal to achieve and then reward yourself with watching that video. The goal could be to read a chapter of a book or answer some study questions. The study choice is entirely up to you, as is the reward, but by giving yourself something to look forward to you’re more likely to power through. You can also reward yourself more frequently if you like. Any progress is better than nothing so go at whatever pace feels best.
Study as a group
Not everybody likes studying with other people, but sometimes there’s a lot of advantages to it! If you’re doing the same assignments or exam as some of your friends, try meeting up and studying together. You can help each other with anything you don’t understand, test each other, and overall study in a more relaxed and casual environment. You don’t always have to study in silence if it’s not helpful to you. Use the support of your friends to move your studying along.
Do you have more study strategies in mind? Do not hesitate to share them in the comments below.
