How to Improve Study Skills: An Ultimate Guide To Know

How to Improve Study Skills: An Ultimate Guide To Know

Many students pile up their work till the last minute then cram for their big test. That could result in severe test anxiety and unexpectedly lower grades. With better study habits and skilful techniques, a student can successively pass a test with less effort, time, and stress. It takes some discipline, but it is ultimately worth it. For habits that will benefit you for the rest of your life, keep reading!

1. Find the perfect spot

Locating your studying haven is the first step to ensuring you get the most out of your study time. You may have lots of options or limited ones but don’t fret, you don’t need much. A strong Wi-Fi signal, good lighting, and minimal noise are your study spot checklist.

If you are a resident at your university, try looking for places within your campus before venturing outside.

The library is always a safe bet with less noise than perhaps your uni’s cafeteria. If you are looking for a bite to eat or some brain juice, find a quiet café that you love with a Wi-Fi connection.

Don’t forget to get some fresh air with your local parks. A change of scenery can be super beneficial if you have been on a desk for too long.

Studying at home can be slightly challenging, especially if you are living with other people. Setting up rules can work wonders for more efficient study time. First, no studying on the bed. Bad posture + bad lighting = sleeping on the job. Second, let your family or roommates know that you need some quiet time with no interruptions during studying.

2. Not a good time for notifications

Social media is probably one of the most dangerous threats to your study time. It may seem like your notifications are impossible to ignore, but I assure you that it is not the case.

That small vibration can take so much of your time without you even realizing it. Think about it: no notification has ever been urgent. Your friend mentioning you in an Instagram photo, your invitation to a Facebook event, and a funny meme on Twitter can all wait!

Make a rule to check your notifications on every study break for 5 minutes, no more, no less. This will help you stay assured that if there is an emergency, you won’t be away for too long. Other than that, put your phone on silent with your notifications turned off.

For a more disciplined approach, block social media websites from your browser as well, so you are not tempted to check them on your laptop.

3. Figure out how your brain works

Our minds are curious for knowledge even if they have a weird way of showing it. If you have snoozed during a long lecture or found it hard to keep up with studying material, that’s probably for a different reason than you might think.

There are many learning styles that utilize different senses. The trick is to figure out which one works for you and helps you retain information easily and quickly. 

You might be a visual learner who thrives on knowledge in photos and flashcards. Or you could an auditory learner who relies more on their hearing sense to learn through music, songs, and other sounds.

There are also verbal learners that learn so much better when there is talking involved. Logical learners are highly motivated by structure and reason. Consider the fact that you are a tactile learner as well who uses your body and physical objects to learn.

By identifying how your brain works, you can help it achieve more just by feeding it the food it loves. 

4. Work on your note-taking game

Depending on your preferred learning style, you need to develop a note-taking strategy to maximize your natural gifts.

Begin by taking notes with your specific learning abilities in mind. So feel free to write down words that rhyme, graphs, and drawing, or just what your professor is explaining. Don’t forget to take down examples related to your curriculum or even key vocabulary that helps you make sense of the subject.

Next, attempt new methods to take notes. See what helps you best comprehend and solidify the lectures in your mind. Whether it is taking notes in the lecture itself and reviewing it later or recording the lecture and taking notes after the fact. 

Whatever floats your boat but remember that staying organized and structured with your notes is the only way you’ll ever study out of them. To get the most out of your notes, try rewriting them in a way that feels organized to you. This will help you with the following study sessions or last-minute reviews.

5. Make a detailed study schedule

Keeping a planner is always a good idea. What better way to stay on top of things than to plan them out?

Create a calendar that is easy to use somewhere you constantly pass by like a physical one in your room or an online one on your phone. Set all of your future assignments, papers, and tests on their designated days in the calendar and plan around them.

This calendar will help you mark certain days for studying, submitting important tasks, or turning to CustomWritings for professional essay writing help. Like Lauren Bradshaw once cited Mark Twain in her speech, ‘Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today’. By doing so, you never risk forgetting assignments past their deadlines or pushing off studying to the last minute.

6. Don’t underestimate a good night’s sleep

Pulling all-nighters is part of everybody’s school experience, but it isn’t the most healthy way to go. With your studying organized and planned, you don’t need to cram or stay up all night to make a deadline. 

Getting an eight-hour sleep night is key to keep you focused all day in school, all afternoon in a study session, and all evening socializing. Yep, you can have it all with discipline and a good night’s sleep.