Now that school is back in session, studying is about to become a necessity. Some of us are already out of school, but we may need to study for a new work event or promotion. Having healthy study habits is very important to your success. Without proper study habits you may be ineffective in securing your future success.
Find the Right Time and Space
Studying is never a highly anticipated activity, so ensure you set aside time to study and make sure that you have a space that is comfortable and conducive to learning. Some people learn better in a public space and some people learn better in a quite space, choose what is best for you. Some enjoy music playing in the background.
Get Organized
Staying organized is important for healthy study habits. If you are not organized, study time can be crammed and ineffective. You want to ensure you have enough time to go over the material a week out and then some extra time to study the night before. This type of studying enforces repetition and it takes advantage of short and long-term memories.
Work Little and Often
Taking time to study often is the best way to handle things. Repetition is the best way to remember activities and information. Some days you may not be motivated or in the mood, so just set a small goal of a chapter to read. Give yourself rewards for completing tasks, like a movie break.
Breaks
Never cram for hours at a time. Make sure to take regularly scheduled breaks, which clears your mind and hits the reset button. Once you get a break, your mind can refocus on the information at hand. You also get a moment to get all of your distractions out of the way and leave room in your brain for study material. The break is even more effective if you consider caffeinating during your break time to energize your body and get ready for a learning session.
Spice it Up
Don’t sit there and review notes in a book all day. Make sure to spice things up and listen to podcasts and consider music to help with your studying. Play matching games or flash cards to change up the studying process.
Ask for Help
When you are learning information, don’t try to memorize a concept if you don’t fully understand it. Ask for help and check with your teacher to ensure they don’t have any tips to help convey the information in a new light. Let someone else give a new explanation on the topic at hand.
Take Care of Yourself
If you are studying and learning, you need to ensure that you are taking care of yourself. Make sure you are eating a healthy and balanced diet. Ensure that you are drinking plenty of water. Keep your body active and your mind ready to learn. Get plenty of sleep and spend time relaxing and relieving stress so you can truly devote time to learning.
