Study Well

The main thing about studying well is to first study smart. Preparing for a test shouldn't involve staying up all night before an exam. Studying well requires preparation ahead of time. The trick to studying well is learning a few tricks as well as your own preferences. Studying depends on your commitment and what type of environment you strive in.

Steps

Taking Care of Yourself

1. Drink plenty of water. Water is the elixir of our bodies. Having a glass of water available while studying will help fuel your concentration during studying. Staying hydrated can benefit your memory as well.
2. Eat well. Treating your body well is half the battle of entering the right mindset. There are certain foods you can eat that will improve your focus and your general well-being. Studies show that eating high-carb, high-fiber, slow-digesting foods like oatmeal are best for the morning of a test. The food you consume the two weeks leading up to the exam are just as important and effect how you study. Eat a well balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables.
   • Incorporate superfoods into your diet like blueberries and almonds.
3. Stimulate your circulatory system. This system controls your heart and blood path. Part of healthy studying is a healthy flow of blood to your brain. Studies have proved that 20 minutes stimulating this system improves your memory. Don't feel obliged to go on a run if you don't want to. Bust a move in your living room to your favorite dance track. Let this be your time to unwind and alleviate stress during your study break.
   • The main thing is get your heart rate up. Once it is faster continue doing an exercise for at least twenty minutes.
4. Sleep well. Getting a full nights rest, between 7-8 hours, helps motivate you to study. If you are sleep deprived, studying will feel like a chore. You won't learn nearly as much information sleepy as you will after a good night's rest.

Studying Smart

1. Stick to a schedule. After planning out when the best time for you to work, follow through. Set aside a chunk of time every day for studying. Even if your exam or presentation is two weeks away, a little each day goes a long way.
2. Understand what you're learning. It's common for students to memorize what they know they'll be tested on, but it's not as efficient. Understanding what you study increases your chances of retaining it. You might not care to retain trigonometry past your final exam, but in the long run, you will.
   • Create links to what you are studying. Establishing connections to what you are studying to your everyday life is not always the easy. This is a skill that you can improve over time. Spend extra time using your imagination to draw links from what you're studying to aspects of your life.
3. Use flash cards. This is one of the best techniques you can use in studying that stretches across almost every subject. The act of writing out the information onto the card begins your brain's focus onto the subject. Once you've finished you can test yourself for an extended period of time, and then let others test you.
   • If you read the definition side of the card and quiz yourself on the term, switch sides. Force yourself to give the definition or formula to the word or concept.
4. Rewrite your notes. Some people may find this excruciating because they already spent a fair amount of time creating the notes in class. Rewrite your notes by adding more information to them. Don't just sift through your notes mindlessly transcribing them. Use external sources like a textbook or an assigned essay.
   • This is a good way to study because it requires you to take an extra step past reading your notes and textbook. Reading, thinking, and writing are all ingredients to an efficient study session.
5. Take breaks. After spending a decent amount of time studying, between 45 minutes to an hour, take a quick break, 10-15 minutes. This is a tried and true learning method. After your break revisit what you were previously working on as a test. Revisiting subjects after distancing yourself will reinforce the materials into your brain.
   • Don't watch a television program or play a video game on your break. You might become too engaged and distracted to go back to work. Try walking the dog or go out for a quick run.
6. Test yourself. After studying for your allotted chunk of time, test yourself during the last 20 or 30 minutes. This is a good way of reviewing everything you just went over and will cause the concepts you've learned to sink deeper into your brain. Textbooks often have practice tests at the end of a chapter. Try your best to go through one of these even if it isn't assigned.
   • You don't need practice tests to test yourself. You can always use your hand to cover up definitions or parts of your notes. Then say the idea of what you've covered up out loud.
   • If you're wrong, go through the correct answers.
7. Avoid cramming. Cramming, or studying extensively the night before, doesn't work. Most people need a few days to review their notes for the information to really sink in. By cramming, the information you're memorizing will not be retained. Ignore those who claim to cram for everything. Sometimes people are freakishly good at testing and school. Don't compare yourself to them! Everyone is different and you'll need to do whatever fits your needs.

Preparing for Your Studies

1. Keep an agenda. In class it's important to write your assignments down. When your teacher tells you about an exam next Friday, write it down. Place a note about the exam for each day until the exam. Writing down your assignments will reinforce homework into your mental to do list.
   • An organized schedule for your school work prevents you from being overwhelmed.
   • For it to work, you need to use it everyday and look at it every time you sit down for homework.
2. Plan your study time. Different people like to work and read at different parts of the day. Try out a few time slots to figure out when you're most productive. It's common for students to take a small break after school and then study. Take time to have a quick snack and then sit down to study. If you finish your work in the afternoon, you can relax in the evening.
   • Some people find it more beneficial to work on homework and study at night or early in the morning. This all depends on your schedule and habits.
   • If you're committed to sports or an after school activity, you'll need designate your time to study carefully. It's easy to blow off studying after an intense training, so be aware.
3. Have a good space to study. You need a desk or a table with a decent amount of space. You will also need good lighting. Students will often say that listening to music, having the TV on, or keeping their phone out helps, but these are all distractions. If you can't work in silence, listen to ambient music instead of music that's lyric driven.
   • Avoid reading textbooks on your bed. The temptation to sleep is too great.
   • Studying outside of your house can help you focus. Changing the literal room of where you study can improve your retention rate. Try visiting a local coffee shop or a nearby library. It depends on your preferences.
4. Plan a study group. A lot of people benefit from participating in study groups. These can be extremely informal and are usually very effective. You don't need to be a lone wolf when it comes to academics. Humans are social creatures. Even if you feel that you don't know as much as these other students, you should still try it. You'll find that you do have something to contribute to the group.
   • Studies show that those who prepare for exams studying in a group have higher passing rates.
5. Know your learning style. There are four different types of learners: visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. If you're a visual learner, you might need to highlight your notes. If you're an auditory learner, you may need to make a song out of your notes. If you're a kinesthetic learner, you might need to act out your notes.
   • Your learning style is a big part of studying success. If you're not studying in a way that complements your learning style, the information won't sink in as well.
   • You need to at least study 2 and half hours everyday. So you need to study 30 minutes for each subject you have.

Setting the Right Mindset

1. Give your full attention. In the classroom, you should be ready to learn and not view it as a time to clown off. Sit in the front row, if you don't have assigned seating. Avoid classmates who like to joke around in class. This attitude will sink into your study time.
2. Change topics. Concentrating on one subject for an entire study session can be counter-productive. If you can do it, power to you. Vary what subject you are studying. This will freshen your concentration by fixing your eyes onto a new topic.
3. Be here now. It can be the hardest thing to do in today's world of distractions. If you begin to feel like you're not being as productive, say to yourself, "be here now." Then slowly focus back to what you were studying. It might sound gimmicky, but reminding yourself in this way could help. It doesn't work for everyone.
   • Say this with a deep breathe while your eyes are closed for a deeper calming effect.

Video

Template:Video:Study Well

Tips

• Switch your phone off.
• In class, always concentrate on what the teacher is saying and ask questions if you're confused.
• Underline the important points from your study material to avoid wasting time learning the less important things.
• Be careful to avoid being bothered or distracted by other matters.
• It is said that if you listen well to the teacher, you have learned 60 percent of what you need. Listening in class is very, very important.
• Seek help before you start studying if you do not understand the material.
• Don't watch TV, listen to music, eat snacks, dream, etc. These will lower your concentration, making it harder to study.
• When you write something in your notebook, understand and try to learn one by one and concentrate.
• Get extra notes and examples from reference books.
• Listen to soft and soothing music which is devoid of lyrics.
• Underline/Highlight the important points from your study material to avoid wasting time stressing over the less important things. But don't end up underlining 7 highlighting EVERYTHING.

Related Articles

• Study when You Are a Visual Learner
• Study As a Visual Learner
• Avoid Cramming

Sources and Citations

See also

• Focus on Studying
• Be a Successful Student
• Calculate Your Grade
• Make a Study Timetable
• Balance School and Work as an Adult
• Ask for Help
• Make the School Year Go Faster
• Take Better Notes
• Be a Good College Student
• Study in One Day

Read more ...

What links here

• Be a Smart Student