4 Ways to Maximize Your Study Habits
/As we all get back into the flow of things during a new school year, we need to find ways to help us study in a more efficient way that will allow us to stay grounded and prevent unwanted stress. You may be wondering, how can I successfully study and retain information without over stressing?
Here are a few tips to help you within this next school year and hopefully the rest of your life!
1. Space out your studying - We are all guilty of cramming for exams the day before. However, this is not the best way to study for exams! It’s best to space out your study sessions over a longer period of time. A great way to do this is to schedule an hour a day or every other day until the day of your exam. Flash cards is a great way to do this.
2. Practice! - When you look at a musician at a concert, do you think that they simply woke up one morning and knew how to play as seamlessly as they currently do? Of course not! It took them many years of practice to master and hone in on their skills. Why would you be any different? When learning a new subject practicing is VERY important. Make sure you practice as much as possible. The more you do it, the more it’ll become second nature.
3. Don’t just re-read books and notes - You may think that simply re-reading material is best and will allow you to retain the material, but it’s no different that memorizing the answers to an exam. Actually read the material and notes to understand them. If you understand what you are reading and learn how to apply it you will have a higher success rate on your exams.
4. Test yourself! - Once you are done studying and practicing as much as you can, test yourself! If you think it’s better to have someone test you instead, ask a family member or even a friend. A great way to test yourself is to use Quizlet’s flash cards or even their testing options! This will allow you to see how much you truly understand and have retained.
Following these steps will allow you to formulate a routine and healthier studying habits and in turn reduce the amount of stress as exams get closer.
