How to Excel Academically

By Ira Moore

It's never too early to develop good study habits. The sooner you practice good study habits, the better your chances will be to maintain good grades. Here are some key elements to improving your study habits:

Find your Study Space

Everyone has their own idea about the best place and time to study. Whether it's your dorm room at night or the library after class, find a study space and a regular study time that works for you and stick with it.

Set up your study space – Your study space should be conducive to learning : quiet, free from distractions, and with adequate space. It should make you feel happy and inspired. Decorate it with your favorite pictures or objects. If you want to listen to music, you need to pick an area conducive to music being played or have a good set of earbuds.

Find your best time – Some people work better in the morning. Others work better at night. Figure out which time suits your study style and plan to study then. Don't study much later than your usual bedtime. Pushing yourself late at night can make you too tired to study properly.

Study in Increments

Studying a little bit everyday trains your brain to retain information due to the continuous reviewing. This makes learning the subject matter easier. It also helps you avoid the stress of last-minute cramming. Early in the year an hour or two a night might be enough to stay on top of things. Later in the year you might need to study more each day. If you're finding it hard to find time to study, cut back on some of your other activities. Prioritizing studying may mean spending less time online, or it might mean cutting back on shifts at work.

Time Management

It helps to have some plans in motion so you can make the most of your study time.

Set alarms – Set alarms to remind you about your study plans. A regular reminder keeps you accountable and your plans on track.

Use a planner/calendar – Use a calendar on the wall or carry a planner so you can see it whenever you're studying. Mark it up with important dates such as exams and assignment due dates. Use it to block out your regular study times and which assignments will be completed.

Make to-do lists – Lists can be helpful with breaking tasks down into manageable chunks. At the start of the week, make a list of the things that you need to have done by the end of the week. Make a to-do list at the start of each study session too, so that you're clear about what you need to be doing with your time.

Set time limits – Before you start your study session, have a look at your to-do list and give yourself a set time to spend on each task. If you don't get something done in the set time, consider whether it's the best use of your time to keep going with it, or to start working on something else.

Find your learning style

Most of us have a preferred way of learning. Get to know the learning style you're most comfortable with and study in the ways you learn best. Note that these styles are just a way to think about different studying techniques. They're not hard and fast rules that say you should only study in one way. Try each of these out and see which ways you prefer.

Auditory learners prefer to learn by listening. Try reading your notes aloud and discussing them with other people. You might like to record key points and play them back.

Visual learners prefer to learn by seeing. Try using colors in your notes and draw diagrams to help represent key points. You could try to remember some ideas as images.

Tactile/kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing. Try using techniques like role-playing or building models to review key points.

Review and revise

At least once a week you should go back over the things you've studied in class. Thinking things over can help you to understand the concepts and help you remember when you need them the most.

Quiz – Get a friend or classmate to quiz you on key concepts. Offer to help your friends with their work too. Quizzes are great ways to get confident about what you know and find out what you still need to learn.

Make your own study materials – Think up some practice exam questions or create your own flashcards to help you study. This way you learn it all twice: once when you make the study materials and once when you use them to review.

Take breaks

It's important to take breaks while you're studying, especially if you're feeling tired or frustrated. Working too long on a task can actually decrease your performance. When you take a break, make sure you get away from your desk or study space for a set amount of time before returning to your work. A bit of physical activity, even just a walk around the block can sometimes help you to look at a problem in a different way and could even help you to solve it.

Ask for help

If you're stuck on something, or something just doesn't seem to make sense, you can always ask for help. Talk to your professors about the things you don't understand. Office hours with your professors can be quite an insightful time to get all questions answered.Talk to your friends and fellow students too.

Keep your Goals in Mind

When you're studying, it helps to keep in mind your reasons for doing all of this hard work. It can help to have something in your study space to remind you that you are working towards such as pursuing a certain career. You can also decorate your study space with inspirational quotes or photos of people you admire and family members you want to be proud of you.

App it up

There are heaps of apps out there for helping students with all aspects of studying. Have a chat with your friends and professors to see which apps they recommend for classes you will be taking each semester.

Self Care

You’ll study better if you take care of yourself. Make sure you eat well and get enough sleep and physical exercise. Don't reward yourself with too many sugary or fatty snacks or push yourself to study late into the night. It’s also a good idea to make sure you drink lots of water when you’re studying.

Now come up with your own strategies

These tips are only some of the things you can do to get the most out of your studying. You might already have other things that work better for you. Find out what your friends do when they're studying. Maybe your professors have some good recommendations too. Whatever it is, whatever strategy you come up with, when you find something that works for you, put it into practice and go for it!