You have been schooled about good study habits since you began school, somewhere around kindergarten. If you ask anyone what are the top 10 good study habits, you will get at least 5 - 7 answers that are the same. Depending on who you ask they may vary slightly.
I started forming good study habits when I was a student-athlete. Its not that I didn't have them before, it"s just that school came easy to me and my time was not stretch. As a student-athlete "YOUR" time is very valuable because everyone else gets a piece of it. You represent the university, the athletic program, the coaches, the alumni and somewhere way down at the bottom, there's you. Not that it's a bad thing, its just very hard to get some "ME" time. So I hope these 10 habits can help you like they helped me.
I started forming good study habits when I was a student-athlete. Its not that I didn't have them before, it"s just that school came easy to me and my time was not stretch. As a student-athlete "YOUR" time is very valuable because everyone else gets a piece of it. You represent the university, the athletic program, the coaches, the alumni and somewhere way down at the bottom, there's you. Not that it's a bad thing, its just very hard to get some "ME" time. So I hope these 10 habits can help you like they helped me.
- Study in a non-distracting place. At times this is going to be very difficult to do. If you have younger siblings, the house is never quite. If you go to the library, you'd be surprised to find that the library is not actually quite. So, find a space that works for you. Somewhere will you will not find yourself constantly looking around at what's going on.
- Lighting. My friends call me "Mole-Woman." Mainly because I like my lighting very dim. When I was growing up my mom used to always say, "Cut the light off when you exit the room." Or, "That TV doesn't need to watch the room, cut it off." So, in my adult years, old habits die hard. Ask my kids I say the same thing. So, study somewhere bright because it will keep you alert and away from being to relaxed, which may make you sleepy.
- Background noise. This is the one that people argue back and forth about. Some people say it needs to be absolutely quiet. Others say, you need just a little something to keep you alert. Most people agree that the TV should be off, but not all agree about the radio. I say, "Know thyself." For me I needed the radio. If I could hear the words of the song, then it was too loud. If jazz music makes you sleepy, don't play that station. Rock, rap, you get the idea. You need to be excited about what you are studying, not what's on the radio.
- Get organized. You've heard that saying, "A cluttered desk means a cluttered mind." Clear you desk! Always prepare to study. Get all the "stuff" you need. Things like pencils, pens, colored pencils, highlighters, paper, books, etc. You know what you need, get it all for all subjects before you sit down and begin. Getting up and down to get things can be a huge distraction.
- Routine - Study at same time everyday. I like this one best. My student-athletes should be able to relate very well to this one. You practice everyday at the same time. You are conditioning your body for a particular sport. You are practicing to be perfect (I have some words on this cliche but we'll go with it for now, that's another blog). So, if you are working your body, why not work the mind. Children are an excellent at this display of routine. Take my 4 year old and my 1 year old. You can tell when 8:30 pm is very near. That's the time they go to bed. Wherever they are a banquet, the car, a friends house, whatever, they are droopy around 8:30 pm. Anything after that, if they are still awake then they are grumpy. Routine, routine, routine get one for your studying.
- Set goals. This is good because I know too many students who like to study all at once. When you have several classes this is very difficult. Your teacher usually gives you a schedule on tests, quizzes, etc, unless it's a pop quiz and those do POP up from time to time. If you get a routine on what you will study, then you will find that you will learn more. Don't save all the studying for the test that's tomorrow. Break it up in chucks. Study that week. Sometimes studying is simply going over the material over and over again. That's when it sticks, not when you cram. If there is a test on Friday, start studying on Monday in sections. You'll learn more and it will stick with you.
- Know when to quit. OK, if you are falling asleep in your books, QUIT. If you are yawning and you keep reading the same line over and over, QUIT. If you space out and say to yourself, "what was I just doing," QUIT. You get nothing accomplished if you repeat, get brain freeze or simply fall asleep. All you get is frustration. QUIT while you're ahead. Don't take a chance on forgetting what you already know because you were trying to squeeze in more information.
- Study breaks. Know when to take them. Get up and get some water, its better than coffee. Get up and go to the bathroom, stop holding it because then you mind is on that and not your studies. Simply stand up and stretch for 60 seconds, you feel more refreshed. The point here is not to overwhelm yourself. You're not going to miss anything if you remove yourself from your study corner for just a minute or two. That's simply undo stress, stay away from that.
- Repetition. Whatever you are studying, you can't just look at one time and think you know it. You have to go over it again and again. Whatever particular chuck of information you are studying needs attention. If you were doing a chapter review in History. You went through the 12 questions in 20 minutes; do you think you know it? Can someone ask you a question and you can retrieve the answer from your brain? I don't think so. My 7th grader tells me all the time, Mom I got it. But when I ask him a question he doesn't. So, I make him write the questions and answers, because he needs to see it. I make him read it and answer it aloud, because he needs to hear it. We take break but we get back to it. We simply extend his 20 minutes to an hour, and then he gets it.
- Commitment. Be committed. School can be easy if you are committed. Think of the many things you like to do, go shopping, playing your Nintendo DS, uploading pictures to your Myspace, posting to the wall in Facebook, talking on the phone and just simply having fun. If you broke up some of that time and gave 2 - 3 hours to school, you'd see a tremendous increase in grades. Try it! Commit for just one quarter/semester. For my student-athletes, you already know what commitment is all about. Represent yourself well by taking that time in school to make the grade.
I hope this helps some of you out there. These are the things that I did and it got my through. I attended the University of Illinois on a full track & field scholarship and then I went back to school to get a degree in Music Business Management at the Art Institute of Atlanta. I own several businesses in the Atlanta area and I'm a mother or 4. Trust me without applying these things today; even though it's not for school, I still have to make it happen. Life becomes a little more challenging when you leave school and we still have the same 24 hours in a day. Make school fun because it actually is. Until next time.
Great information, I agree! I would also add choosing a chair and posture that is conducive to proper breathing. Laying down is not the best position to try and study.
ReplyDeleteGoal setting is so key. It's hard to get an A if you don't plan for it. You must have the goal, the plan and the ability to monitor as you go along.
Thanks for the info.
I would add find a time of day when your mind is at rest. And while study alone is a good point, sometimes studying with one or more peers is helpful too. You can explain difficult concepts out loud to each other--that psychologically helps your own understanding and retention.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this! I realize that the more I strive for these study habits, the better I do on the test-- even when I apply them the night before :)
ReplyDeleteI think that taking breaks and knowing when to stop are the most important tips of all. Breaks allow you to digest and process the information you just took in. The less breaks you take, the more you are processing at the end. Also, even when I am completely unprepared for a test, I try to get at least 5-6 hours of sleep. I always perform better than when I get no sleep at all.
Another tip: Don't stress. Focus on learning the information to the best of your ability and how you can apply it to your career, not on how much you have to do in whatever amount of time. There will always be other tests, and employers are not concerned with your grades. They want to know that you can apply what you have learned to their company.