Studying is never an easy task. But not everyone is endowed genetically to be great at studying. With the advent of technology, there are more ways to distract and hinder you from getting good grades. However, you don’t need to come from a family of geniuses to get good grades. You just need to study well. You can’t do anything with your innate intelligence, but you can manipulate your environment to be conducive for studying.
- Attend your classes. This is the most important thing to remember. There are things that you can’t understand on your own. Not all books can explain concepts in the way you easily understand, and you can’t ask books if you have questions. It is much easier to retain concepts explained to you by another person.
- Choose your happy place. Find a place where you can study well – a place where you can’t be disturb. People usually go to the library or coffeehouse for a noise-free environment. But you don’t need to go outside to look for a place. You can study in your room or any place in your house, as long as you you’re comfortable and won’t be disturbed or distracted. Don’t study in your bed, sofa, or cushion chair; you will only fall asleep. It is best to have a hard surface supporting your body like a wooden chair, or even the floor.
- Stay away from distractions. People have limited attention span. When you get bored or tired from studying, the tendency is that you’ll look for other things to do. It is good to take a break now and then, but if it’s consuming your time more than studying, you should stay away from it. Turn off your phone if you are not expecting any important calls. Stay away from the TV and computer, unless you need them in studying. Tell your friends not to call while you’re studying.
- Take breaks. Don’t study for 7 hours straight. You won’t probably remember most of what you studied. The optimal time of studying is about 1-2 hours then take a 10-15 minute break after. You can do some stretching, munch something, or go for a bladder break. Resume studying afterwards. Your brain also gets exhausted, so balance its work and break.
- Don’t force yourself into studying. Sleep when you are sleepy. You won’t remember most of what you studied if you force yourself as compared to studying when you’re rested. There is a specific time of the day when you are most productive. You may have a past experience when you got a higher grade when you studied at a particular time of the day, e.g. from 10pm -2am. This is because that’s the time when you are at your peak of productivity. You will most likely retain what you studied at this time.
- Study over and over again. Repetition is the key. You won’t remember everything when you study the first time. After you studied the first time, read it over and over. This way, the concepts will retain more as you become familiarize with it. Sometimes there are concepts that you can’t understand the first time you encounter them.
There are a lot of tips in how to study well. The ones stated above may or may not work for you. You can also ask a friend who’s good with the subject you’re studying. What is important is that you understand the concepts.
