Good Study Habits that Make the Grade

Don’t go it alone.
Okay, we said “you’re on your own” but not really. Finding a study buddy is actually an effective study habit that can be a big help. Trying to make sense of a complex concept like properly synthesizing ethene from ethanol or finding the derivative of the quadratic formula might take some bouncing of ideas around the room. Make a friend in each course and meet outside class to study together. It helps to talk through the material with another person so you can teach one another. Remember, their success is your success, so you want to work together to learn the material. Who knows? You might even make a new friend.

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If you can’t find somebody to study with or need additional help, get a tutor. Some colleges and universities make tutors available for free, so you’ve got nothing to lose. On-campus tutors know the material, the professor’s expectations, what they teach, and how they format their exams. A tutor will help to prepare you more for your journey through the course.

Take practice tests.
One of the best ways to find out what you know or don’t know about a topic is to take a test. Some apps let you create your own, whether you need a practice math test or history quiz, to help you spot knowledge gaps. Use feedback from your test with your wrong answers and the ones you guessed on to see where you need to study. Additionally, go beyond finding the answers you missed and look for why that’s the answer. For example, if it turns out that you don’t remember who helped Romeo and Juliet escape from the city, then go back and look over your notes again because there could be more information you need.

Review your notes after class.
Taking good notes in the first place and then reviewing them immediately after class is a good study habit. Why? Because of the Forgetting Curve, which basically shows that info goes in one ear and out the other pretty quickly. That class lecture you just listened to is 56 percent forgotten in one hour, 66 percent forgotten after one day, and 75 percent forgotten in less than a week. Make it a point to review your notes as soon as possible after you finish class so information doesn’t fall through the cracks and get forgotten forever. Reviewing your notes will help to fill any gaps and improve your overall retention. You can also take this time to clean up your notes by rewriting them, which will also help you remember them.

Make a date with yourself to study.
Okay, you don’t need candlelight and soft music, but one of the most effective study habits you can try is blocking out time on your calendar specifically for studying. Yes, you’ll be given information about the subject matter during class, but you should take time to review your notes so you can remember them. Set reminders each day to study your notes and textbooks to ensure that you’re retaining the information. Trying to cram all your studying into a 12-hour block before an exam is not only ineffective, but it’s also incredibly stressful.

It’s all about location, location, location.
Whether it’s a couch on campus, a study room, a coffee shop, or the food court, narrow down a spot that helps you study the best. Some people need absolute silence to study effectively. But others crave background noise. Interestingly, several studies have shown that listening to music or background noise may improve cognitive performance, concentration, mood and energy levels! So, find a method and place that works for you!

Paraphrase your notes.
When something is paraphrased, you’re using different words to explain something to make it clearer. You can write brief summaries of sections of your notes to help gauge your understanding of concepts talked about in your classes. Not only is paraphrasing a great way to consolidate your notes into fewer pages or a smaller notebook, but it also helps you to find a way to explain the information in words that make sense to you. If you can’t effectively explain your notes to yourself, it’s a good sign that you should go through and review them again.

Get enough sleep.
There’s a whole lot going on at college. Dances, sports, clubs, work, and the list goes on forever. It’s easy to fill your schedule with extracurricular activities that are far more fun than studying. However, you still need to make time to study, or you won’t be on campus much longer. Prioritize time to take care of yourself. Whether self-care looks like going to the gym, meditating, or doing a hobby, your physical and mental health is important to maintain so you can be healthy enough to stay in school.

Invest in the proper tools.
If you’re a college student, you may be able to get a deal on productivity software that includes a note-taking tool, as well as all the other popular apps you need to make the grade. Look for one that offers spacious cloud storage, creative apps like Clipchamp, solid online protection, plus organizational tools that help you stay on top of it all with calendars and alerts, budgeting and shopping tools, and more.

Developing good study habits early in college can make things go much smoother in the long run. Follow the studying tips we’ve highlighted, and you’ll be well on your way to success.