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Highly Effective Students’ Study Habits

Learning how to study smarter, not harder, is the key to becoming a good student. This gets increasingly true as your education progresses. You will have to manage more and more complex assignments and also have to handle increasingly larger workloads. This calls for efficient study techniques. Fortunately, there are numerous strategies that will help you learn faster. And if you can’t keep up with your assignments, you can always turn to an online assignment help service.

In this article, we will cover the most effective study habits of advanced students.

1. Record notes during a lecture

There’s no need to be the person who always asks the question—especially if the professor has just asked that question three times already. Try taking notes during the lecture and jotting down important points. This can help you to pay attention and to remember what the professor says. Look back at your notes after the class is over so you can tie them in with what you learned in other classes.

Color coding is another effective study technique for advanced students. Using color codes, students group related information together. This makes it easier to review material before exams.

2. Use your homework as a study tool

Most students begin their homework as soon as they get home. They jot down answers without fully understanding what they’re being asked to solve. Instead, go over your notes or texts after coming home from class.

As a student, one of the best study tools you have at your disposal is your homework. By working on assignments and taking the time to understand the material, you can better prepare yourself for exams and other assessments.

Highly effective students use their homework as a study tool, taking the time to understand the material and using it to prepare for exams.  This approach allows them to retain the information better and perform better on assessments. If you want to be a successful student, take advantage of your homework and use it to improve your understanding of the course material. Write the key points on a piece of paper. This will serve as a review sheet for your next study session.

3. Plan out when you’ll study

Assuming you have a set amount of time to work on an assignment, it is important to plan out when you will study. This allows you to use your time efficiently and avoid last-minute scrambling.

If you have a week to complete a project, for example, you might study for two hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Breaking up your studying into manageable chunks will help you retain information and stay on track.

In addition, it is important to create a study schedule that works for you. Some students prefer to study in the morning, while others find evening studying to be more effective. Find what works best for you and stick to it.

4. Each time you study, you should have a clear goal in mind

Without a study plan or clear goals, your studying will be disorganized and chaotic. Each study session should have a specific objective. Perhaps your goal is to read the materials and create a master list of key ideas. Or you may want to create flashcards or practice quizzes to prepare for an exam.

Regardless of your academic performance in the past, if you approach each study session with a positive attitude and the willingness to put in the effort, you can improve your skills and surpass your expectations.

5. Prioritize your biggest assignments

When assembling a study session, start with your heaviest assignments—the ones due soonest. Work on them first so that other classes and less significant projects can eat up less of your time during this busy time.

6. Study by topic rather than by schedule

Some days you will have more time available than others, but it’s impossible to miss a fixed study schedule. Instead, study according to the topic—and be flexible.

If you start working on a topic and after half an hour you realize you don’t know what you’re doing, then go back to your study schedule and be stricter with yourself. But if you understand the material and are confident you can do good work, then stick with the topic and give yourself a break.

7. Study a new topic for 20 minutes at a time

Pile all your cards and notes onto the table. Start by reviewing any entries in your journal related to the subject. Spend five to ten minutes on this first subject. Move on to your flashcards, spending five to ten minutes per deck. Make sure to focus on the key concepts. Next, practice your spelling words or vocabulary words for 10 minutes. Finish up with your homework or classwork, spending 10–15 minutes on it.

These small, concentrated study sessions serve two very important purposes:

1. They force you to focus on key concepts, and
2. They build confidence in your ability to learn the material.

8. Use multiple techniques to help with retention

Sometimes information is easiest to learn when it is spoken, so consider using audio files to help memorize important material. Reading aloud can help you improve your pronunciation and better understand the meaning of words in Spanish, for example. Additionally, speaking aloud allows you to hear how words sound and helps you memorize new vocabulary words.

Use flashcards to help memorize important information. Creating these cards can be a very effective way to learn and retain new information. Not only does writing out the words over and over again help you memorize them, but these flashcards can also be used to test yourself—and build confidence in your ability to remember key concepts and words.

9. Keep reviewing the same material until you understand it

This includes classwork, homework, tests, or whatever other materials you’ve previously completed. Sometimes students try to cover new material instead of reviewing what they don’t know. This is a waste of time if you don’t understand what you’ve missed because you need to learn what’s already been taught to understand the missing pieces.

10. Be flexible with your study schedule

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the stress of school and/or your homework, take a break. If you’ve been studying all week and feel like taking a day or two off, do it!

• Maybe you need to study in shorter bursts instead of long sessions.
• Maybe you need to relax and spend some time doing fun things with friends to recharge your batteries.

Give yourself some flexibility—you’re probably able to study longer on some days than on others, so be willing to adapt your plans according to how you’re feeling.

11. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get much done

Sometimes students get into really good habits when they’re in the middle of a big project or heavy load of classes. And then maybe an unexpected event comes up—such as a sick day or a birthday party—and suddenly you have too much going on to keep up with your studies. This is totally fine! Give yourself some leeway if you’re too busy or stressed to work for a day or two. Then make sure to get back to it as soon as you can.

12. Keep a journal

As you learn new concepts or complete assignments, write them down in your journal. These entries should be detailed and include explanations. Review your entries whenever you’re assembling a study session. It makes for excellent reading and provides you with valuable insight into the material. This helps you understand the problem deeper. It also creates a foundation for using other study techniques effectively.

13. Get enough sleep

Stress hormones released during the day can interfere with learning until they are cleared out at night. Get into a good routine of going to bed at a consistent time each night and getting a healthy seven to nine hours of sleep. This will help you to perform better in class and reduce stress.

The research on effective students’ study habits concludes that a student’s success depends on a variety of factors. However, the three most important factors are time management, organization, and effort. If a student can manage their time wisely, stay organized, and put forth a lot of effort, they are more likely to succeed than a student who does not possess these qualities.

If you’re looking to boost your grades and work more efficiently, hopefully, this list has given you some ideas of where to start. Time management, organization, and setting goals are key to success, but so are taking regular breaks, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And finally, don’t forget to enjoy your studies!