Study Tips & Study Guides
When you study, you devote your time and attention to gaining knowledge and skills in a subject area. This often requires discipline where you need to do research, reading, identification of important information and note taking for the purpose of increasing your knowledge and skills in the topic. Learning how to study effectively is an important skill. When it is difficult to balance commitments, students can feel stressed and worn out from their life.
Effective study skills
Studying is a skill that you can acquire through proper discipline. Here are some practical study skills for success.
TIME MANAGEMENT Schedule a certain time of the week devoted mainly for studying. Make sure that your space for studying is uncluttered and free from any distractions. You may choose a corner of your house or room mainly for this purpose. Make a weekly list over the subject areas that you need to study. A planner or a calendar is helpful. Prioritise subjects that are challenging for you and allocate more time on these. Participate in a study group if this is available – other’s viewpoints will give you a fresh perspective when studying. Plus studying with others can be motivating!
PLAN AHEAD OF TIME Make a list of your priorities and when you draft your schedule, make sure not to draft it too tight! Make room for emergencies because you will never know when it might happen. At least you are prepared in case something happens. Socialising is important but make sure to keep it minimal, especially if you have a tight schedule. You can meet your friends or do your not-so-important activities after you have done your important tasks.
FIND YOUR RHYTHM It is important to find your rhythm when you study. You will also gain better focus if your body and mind are in unison. It would be hard to concentrate if your body keeps doing other activities (such as checking your mobile phone) as your mind tries to focus on studying. Your body and mind should be doing things that can help you study better.
PRACTICE HEALTHY HABITS AND LIFESTYLE You need to give your body the right sustenance it needs to stay fit and healthy. You need to rest when it is time to rest. Don’t stay up late! You need to be asleep at a reasonable time such as 10.00 to 10.30pm. As you sleep, your brain is busy converting all the information you gathered for the day into long term memory.
Motivating yourself to Study
Motivation is helpful for our daily lives to achieve positive results in any activity. This includes with studying. A motivated student finds it easier to reach the extra mile and all the necessary steps that are needed to be successful. Greater motivation will assist you to learn and study more with focus and concentration. Procrastination is a number one enemy!
Create a goal Goals and objectives are very powerful motivation setters. These can either be short-term goals or long-term goals. They will keep you on track and stay positive to reach your goals.
Start studying now This may sound cliché, but difficulty in studying has a lot of causes. These includes watching TV, social networking, being distracted by friends, and more. Stop wasting time! Therefore, to start studying, is just to start studying itself. Boost yourself to get started, or you might force yourself to study for now and eventually learn the basics. It is all worth it!
A comfortable environment This is vital. Even if you are well motivated, if you are in a crowded and noisy place, your concentration level will drop. It adds to your motivation when your environment is relaxed, quiet and conducive to study.
Reward yourself! Celebrate when you achieve a goal or finish a difficult topic. Rewarding yourself for small achievements on an ongoing basis will assist with motivation and support your hard work. Your enthusiasm will overcome the initial hindrance and obstacles to motivate yourself.
Managing Study Time
There are a number of different strategies that you can use to manage your time effectively and allocate study time. It is useful to consider how you spend your time every day. You can jot down your activities and try to eliminate the things that you find unnecessary. You might find it challenging to manage study time at first until a routine is established.
Prepare a schedule Once you have your course schedule, you can prepare your overall weekly schedule to follow. When preparing a schedule, start with all your fixed commitments. From there, it is easier to consider study time and free time.
Look for the ideal study spaces In each location where you study – such as at home, work or at the course provider, look for the most ideal spot to study. This should be free from distraction. You also need to refrain from using your phone and other gadgets while you are in that area. Your goal is to maximise your concentration. It is also advisable to have a back-up space in case your ideal study space won’t be able to serve its purpose at a certain time.
Review your notes and readings Before the class or event starts, it is best to review your readings and your notes so you can ask your facilitator if something is unclear to you. This will also demonstrate that you are interested to learn more. You also need to review your notes and materials soon after an event concludes. The first 24 hours of covering fresh information is critical – this is the time where information is held in your short-term memory and further review is needed to assist in memorising the information for the longer term.
Do the most difficult task first When studying, your mind works at its best if you are full of energy. Make it a point to do the most difficult task first when you still have ample amount of energy. You need to determine which subject or task is most difficult for you and start with that subject first.
Use your free time wisely You might need to devote your free time searching for other resources that can help you with your study. Don’t make room for other activities, which are not important, until your work is done. Keep in mind that it is easier to enjoy fun moments if you don’t need to worry about overdue course or study matters.
Conduct Weekly reviews It can help you remember and refresh the things that you have learned so you won’t forget them. And it will also assist you monitor your own progress and keep you on track. It is important to determine the best time to do your weekly review, and learn to turn it into a useful habit.