A Guide to Study Smarter in School

Studying can be a struggle, but judging by your interest in this blog, you are one step closer to taking the weight of unproductive studying off of your shoulders. Congratulations!

By learning about and utilizing studying skill strategies, you will find yourself able to focus clearly on the information that matters in your classes, resulting in productive and effective learning.

Here is a guide to study smarter in school:

1. Design a Personalized Study Schedule

Take a few minutes to create a study schedule that aligns perfectly with your personality and daily life. When making this schedule try to not shove all your tasks into one day, but spread out your tasks in a realistic manner, starting from what is of highest priority to least.

Ensure that you keep your schedule somewhere that is highly visible and easy to access. You can set up your schedule on your laptop or place it in a diary, planning journal or a piece of paper.

Try to commit yourself to your schedule and don't get frustrated if some days don't go according to plan. Remember, a new habit takes at least 21 days of repetition to form.

2. Be Prepared

Make it your mission to always do your assignments and read up on the upcoming lecture topic before you go to class. This allows you to better understand your lecture and also allows you to ask helpful questions.

3. Improve Your Note-Taking

Note-taking is an important skill for students to have. By having good note taking habits, you gain a higher chance of retaining information and making connections between ideas.

Focus on these tips when taking notes:

• Listen for the main ideas of the topic.
• Don't try to write down everything that is said; when possible, abbreviate.
• Always write down examples, solutions, outlines or definitions.
• Write (or re-write) your notes in an organized and legible fashion.
• Utilize your textbooks for additional note-taking to aid with focusing on important details and the organization of your ideas.

4. Never Read Aimlessly

Textbook chapters can already be a chore to read through at times. Not learning anything from the chapter after spending so much time reading it makes it 2x worse.

When reading the material for your class you should always use these skills in order to gain the best results:

• Skim through the introduction and conclusion of the chapter to know the headings of the material you will be tackling.
• When reading your chapters, you may come across important points. Make sure that you note both the point and the answer to the point.
• Remember that speed reading can be beneficial sometimes but not all the time. If you know you are at risk of missing certain details based on your type reading material then be meticulous.
• Don't be afraid to move your lips or read aloud.
• Use underlines and highlights to help guide you when reading.

5. Use Effective Memory Strategies

Focus on finding strategies that are able to help you remember the material that you are studying. Here are a few examples of popular and effective memory strategies:

• Recite your material out loud.
• If you have a partner, always try to do self-quizzes with them.
• Take on a positive attitude and expect that you will remember the answers to your questions.
• Always test and retest yourself.
• Don't be hesitant to over-learn.
• Use hooks, catchwords, and rhyming phrases or sentences to remember your answers.

Final Thoughts

These are the five tips that can guide you into taking a smarter approach to your studies. Always remember:

"The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The willingness to learn is a choice." — Brian Herbert

Start implementing these strategies today, and you'll notice a significant improvement in your academic performance and confidence in the classroom.