Good study skills really help. They save you time, help you understand and learn a bit more, get more reasonable grades, and make exams less stressful.
Here are five effective ways to improve your study skills. Get ready to explore!
Take Notes
To keep your brain active during class, take notes that you can look at later as you improve your study methods.
Taking notes helps you remember information better. These notes will be useful when you review for tests and assignments.
After class, you might find it helpful to condense your notes to make them clear and easy to read. Highlight or underline key points. If something is confusing, ask your teacher for clarification. You can also use visual aids like flowcharts and mind maps to make information easier to understand. These tools can help you remember complex details and study more effectively.
If you miss a class, request a mate or friend for their notes. This way, you won’t skip any essential data or details.
Prepare for your class at the best time
If you are in a lecture, study right after it ends. If your class involves answering questions, study before it starts.
After a lecture, review and organize your notes. Before classes where you have to answer questions, spend time memorizing facts and preparing questions about what you learned before. Also, you can consider online tutoring for time and space. Asking questions helps you understand the material better and shows you what you need to work on more.
Keep in mind that regular breaks are imperative
After studying for an hour, take a short break. You can walk around, eat a snack, do some push-ups, or get some fresh air. Aim for a 10-minute break before getting back to studying. Taking regular active breaks helps you learn more over time compared to studying for 4 hours straight without stopping. Your brain and body need a bit of activity and fun to stay focused.
Reward yourself
Giving yourself treats as rewards can improve self-control and help build good habits. Promise yourself a small reward for finishing a section, or a bigger reward for a productive day of studying. This can motivate you to reach your goals.
Practice testing
The main idea of practice testing is that actively testing your memory helps you learn better than just reviewing the material. Tests aren’t just for evaluation anymore.
Testing helps you learn by making you retrieve information from your memory. When you answer a test question, you actively search your long-term memory, which creates stronger pathways to the answer, further making it easier to recall the next time. Scientists call this retrieval practice.
The five effective study skills in this post give you a good way to really learn your material. They help you see how well you’re learning, get ready for exams, and fully understand what you’re studying.