10 Essential Study Habits to Pick Up Now
The beginning of the fall semester is the most opportune time to get into some effective study habits that can carry you throughout the semester. After spending a long summer in the sun and on the beach, it’s time to hit the books again. We’ve come up with some essential study habits to get you back in the groove of things.
In order to succeed and pass college courses, you must cut out time to study and develop effective study habits.
1. Keep a planner
It may make you feel like you are in grade school again, keeping a planner with you at all times, but they are one of the most essential books you will have in your bag. Instead of typing the due dates of assignments into your phone where they can get lost within your messages, Instagram notifications and Snaps, put a pen to paper and write it down.
Keeping a planner can help you visualize what assignments are due when and how much time you have to complete them. You can even find some pretty cute planners out there!
2. Go to class
This may be the best habit to get into. When you choose not to go to class, you can miss out on important information and conversations. Reading the assigned material and completing assignments may not be enough to pass the class, especially if a major portion of your grade is exams. When you go to class, you can actively engage with the professor and other students and retain the information from the course better.
3. Actively read
There’s no doubt that you will be assigned a ton of reading, no matter what class you are taking. A great study habit to form is to actively read. Highlight important sentences and passages and make notes in the margins. This allows you to retain and comprehend the information better, which you can then recall during an exam. Engage with the text and ask questions; you’ll see a difference.
4. Make a schedule — and stick to it
At the beginning of the semester, you are bombarded with syllabi. You may feel the urge to kick them under your bed and forget about them until you’re cleaning out your dorm before winter break. Keep them. Add the due dates of every assignment listed (in pencil in case the professor falls behind) to your planner so you can visualize how much work you have ahead of you.
Then, take the extra step and make a schedule of when you will start each assignment. This is especially helpful if you have long papers or projects due.
5. Look over your notes
Since you have made it a habit to go to class and take notes, take some time to look over the notes you’ve taken. Feel free to add to your notes as the semester goes on and the more you learn about the topic of the course. You can even rewrite them, reorganize them, or type them so you have a digital copy.
Looking over your notes is an essential study habit to keep information in the front of your brain.
6. Find a study space
Sometimes studying in your dorm room or apartment isn’t the most effective place to study. Your roommates may be loud or your belongings or dirty dishes may distract you. Find a comfortable place on campus where you can concentrate. This can be the library, a coffee shop, or even the cafeteria. It doesn’t matter where it is, as long as it works for you.
7. Form a study group
Make some friends in your classes and ask if they would like to form a study group. It’s a great way to meet new people and pass a class. A couple of weeks before a big exam, get together in someone’s dorm or at the local coffee shop and go over your notes with each other. It’s beneficial to talk with other students studying the same topic and to get different views.
8. Make flashcards
It isn’t the most exciting activity in the world, but making flashcards has proven to be an effective study habit. Even if you do not have to study vocabulary words, flashcards are great with broad topics, names, dates, and many other topics.
9. Make a “to do” list
Each day, make yourself a “To Do” list of things you would like to accomplish. Make sure it is realistic. If you put too many things on your list, it can be overwhelming and cause you to forget about completing the tasks. This list will keep you on track for working on projects, writing papers, and studying for exams.
10. Take care of yourself
In too many cases, college students forget to take care of themselves. Make sure to get plenty of sleep and eat clean. Take some time out of your week to exercise and unwind. Drink plenty of water too. When you are on your best game, your grades will be too.