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While some students manage good grades with minimal effort during high school. Many find college much more difficult to excel in with the same amount of work. Learning to study effectively often becomes a key factor in managing stress levels, test anxiety and, of course, improving grades. In order to study well, it’s best to practice eliminating distractions, employ different methods to find your best fit, and to try some tips and tricks to maximize time and effort.
Firstly, it’s essential to establish a good working environment.
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For some people, that might include some soft background noise or music, or a louder group study session, and for others it means a quiet place with little other noise. Either way, a good study area will be non disruptive – both externally and internally. Internal distractions might mean one’s brain pleads for a quick snack break when they’ve just started, or a desire to get a drink, or the call of nature to quickly visit a bathroom.
Potential external distractions are conversations, phone notifications, or loud noises. Both are undesirable, and both may be easily solved with some planning before study time, such as carefully choosing the ideal place to study, bringing all necessary materials beforehand such as drinks or papers, and most importantly, remove any temptations of checking your phone by putting it away or silencing it. By eliminating distractions before one studies, they’ll have a much easier time becoming focused and able to perform at their best.
Now that we have created an excellent study environment, we may address the manner in which studying is carried out. Too often, students either don’t attempt to study, or they go overboard and cram all their subjects into one incredibly long study session. Neither situation is ideal. Rather, studies suggest that ‘distributed practice’ – or, “studying material over a number of relatively short sessions” (Strauss) is the most effective form of study. Therefore, it’s best to begin studying well before an exam in order to space out studying. As for the studying itself, there are a couple different ways to go about it. Taking occasional breaks is often touted as advice, but there exists an actual strategy involving breaks with careful timing, called the Pomodoro Technique, which involves twenty-five minutes of work followed by five-minute break intervals.
The goal of formulaic studying typically is to give the brain the best chance to perform at a high ability without causing burnout. While utilizing the Pomodoro technique, some good suggestions for effective study include practice tests, flashcards, and ‘reteaching’; rephrasing concepts in one’s own words as if teaching it for the first time to somebody else. With these study strategies in mind, it’s important to note that each individual has methods that work best for them. Research offers opportunities to potentially improve one’s study habits – but really, the best study habits are the ones that the individual will actually use.
On that note, there are also some study tips that don’t have as much wiggle room for individual interpretation. For instance – pulling an all-nighter to study for that math exam will probably hurt someone’s chance at a good grade than help it. Cramming is never a good option. But other habits to avoid include rereading information passively, procrastinating, and trying to study for hours without a break. Truly, studying all comes down to the human brain, and while it takes a lot for it to get frazzled, stress and academics do the job excellently. So, in order to make sure that the brain is adequately armored up for studying and testing, make sure it has energy and rest. Glucose and sleep. That way, it’s ready to handle anything that might come at it.
Finally, with all these tips taken into consideration, studying becomes a beast with no claws or teeth, just something that can be tamed with a little brainpower, planning, plenty of Starbucks, and practice. Practice eliminating distractions, try out different types of studying that suit personal tastes while keeping research in mind, and lastly, work smarter, not harder! Make the brain perform at its best capacity, and the results will show when grades come out. Achieve that beautiful, glorious 4.0, and achieve it well.
Works Cited
Strauss, Valerie. “Popular Study Strategies Called Ineffective — Report.”Washington Post. The Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 Aug. 2016.
“The Pomodoro Technique: Staying Focused Throughout the Day.” The Pomodoro Technique. Mind Tools, n.d. Web. 18 Aug. 2016.
Lisa Doyle
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