Study strategies that work!

Studying effectively for a class or an exam can be hard. It is easy to become distracted and to not learn what you need. But there are some effective ways and tips for studying to make the most of your studying time.

First of all, make sure you have a good space for studying. The space must be where you will not be bothered by other people or distracted by outside things. For example, studying at a coffee house might seem like a good idea, but if you can not focus because you always want a coffee, or to read a magazine or talk with friends, then you will not get a lot o studying done. The coffee house might not be a good place for you then. Libraries are very quiet and it is hard to talk to other people, so a library can be a good place to study.

Make sure you have all the tools you need to study. Sharp pencils, pens with ink, a calculator, and the right books are important so you can study without being distracted. Having to search for a pencil or a pen will make you waste your time. If you need things for making flashcard, make sure you have everything with you before you sit down so that your mind can focus on thinking of the right things.

Trying to study for a very long period of time or when you are already tired is not a good habit. You should study when you still have plenty of energy. Many students begin studying very late at night when they are already tired and want to go to sleep. It will be hard to remember what you studied if you are tired so don’t start late at night. Also, try to study for short periods that are spaced apart. This keeps the mind fresh and will make it so you do not get tired of studying as quickly. Studying is difficult for the mind and can make you very tired. But if you study for two hours, take a break, then study again, you will be able to remember the information better and stay alert and focused while you study.

It is also helpful to break up your studying in parts. For example, if you have lots of chapters to read and also lots of writing and also a lot of solving problems, you will be more effective studying if you do a little bit of each rather then all at the same time. You can do like this: first read a little bit, do a few problems then do some writing and go back to reading again. By doing this, you force the mind to stay alert and fresh and you won’t fall asleep reading or become frustrated with doing problems or not having things to write.

Sometimes it can be helpful to study with another person. They can help you when you can not find the answer or do not understand something and you can help them also. By teaching someone else, you make sure that you know the information very thoroughly yourself. But be careful because many times they will only distract you and you will talk about social things instead of studying well. If you study with a friend, you might talk about the weekend instead of talking about studying.