While finding enough motivation to study can be difficult for many students, developing better study habits can be a brilliant place to start. In most instances, inefficient learning habits stem from those old practices you might have been using in your educational journey thus far, which might not be quite as effective in higher education when you’re faced with broader and more complicated information.
To help you let go of old practices and find motivation through new and improved habits, here are some efficient study methods that might help:
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Know your learning style
When considering the best study tips for success, it’s essential to know there are a number of different learning styles and approaches that might be more suited to different students. For example, visual learners study best with the help of images, auditory learners might utilize sounds and music, logical learners retain information better through logic and reasoning, while social learners could thrive in pairs or groups.
Try to understand which learning style works best for you. This will allow you to study more efficiently by helping you determine how and where you should study, as well as which aids you should use during your study sessions.
Organize your material
Whether you use notebooks, laptops, or even recording devices, writing down and transcribing lessons can be a difficult task, particularly when you’re short on time. Not only can this lead to quite a messy collection of notes, but it can also force you to quickly forget the material if your sole focus is transcribing it.
For that reason, it’s recommended to neatly rewrite or retype all of your notes after the class, and organize them into relevant categories. This will allow you to go over the new information once more, helping you to retain it more easily, and it will make revising in the future a significantly simpler and more efficient task.
Use additional resources
Sometimes the official learning material we are presented with isn’t sufficient for effectively explaining the matter and allowing us to understand the subject better. Students from some of the world’s most prestigious universities, such as University of Liverpool, have found a way around that by making use of helpful Liverpool docs from past students to improve their studying efforts.
By providing an extensive library of past notes, assignments, and exam papers on all relevant subjects that students can easily access anytime and from anywhere, such beneficial resources are a great way to improve knowledge and gain an academic advantage, and they might just help you in your learning efforts as well.
Find a spot for studying
In American schools, on the other hand, studying in the library is quite a common practice, and for a good reason. It’s a quiet and calm environment that allows students to learn in peace, while also providing an abundance of additional resources and learning material.
Whether you choose a library, a coffee shop, an on-campus study area, or even your home, it’s important to find a designated space for studying as well. Having a special area solely for studying will provide you with some additional motivation and allow you to stay focused on the task at hand. However, you do need to ensure the environment is quiet, peaceful, and free of distractions, for the most successful study sessions.
Avoid all distractions
To ensure more efficient studying and better exam term time management, a calm and silent study area might not be enough. You will also need to eliminate other common distractions that might prevent you from focusing and devoting yourself to learning. In most instances, this will mean avoiding scrolling through social media and texting or talking on your phone, as the notifications we receive can instantly pique our curiosity.
While this might not seem quite so important at first, opening a notification can easily turn into a 30-minute conversation, thus diverting our attention and preventing us from studying in the most effective manner. So, try to turn off your phone, or at least put it on silent while learning.
Final thoughts
Studying is never easy, but there are evidently plenty of ways you could make this experience a bit more manageable, and improve your habits in the process. Above all, remember to keep it simple, and utilize your resources efficiently for the best results.
Written by Mike Johnston
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