While some students take to studying with complete ease naturally, most of them, happen to feel it as a burden. The key to becoming an effective student is to study smarter and not harder. As you go to high levels in your education, the rule of studying smarter becomes even more necessary.
The burden of the exams as you pass each year will keep going up. Hence, the ways of getting through it will need extra effort and smart work.
You do not have to keep spending hours and days in a locked up room to get everything printed in your brain. Be smart enough to make yourself study for a maximum of 2-3 hours and not more. That time should suffice to get your everyday tasks and studies done. This habit is the core of any level of studies, basic or advanced. It is important to reach a point where minimal effort should be required to get done with the matter. Like everything, studies also need to be kept up with highly effective habits.
Being organized and having a routine to study is the most important thing to start at a very young age. Habits help you develop a good affinity between your mind and the books! To become a successful student, don’t get discouraged with the intensity of your books and knowledge. Keep up with new, good habits and you’ll gradually see your grades and your ability to go up. Assimilate your brain power and start working on your habits right away. You’ll be fine before you know it! 
Smooth study sessions:
Make your study sessions smooth. Do not mix and cramp all the study to-do list together. All different subjects, each assignment, plan it all differently. Do one after the other in an organized manner. And if you’ve been struggling to study late at night, battling sleep, then it is high time this needs to change. This is one of the most common bad habits that students have. Space out your work. Successful students space out their work into sessions. The sessions can be 2-3 hours max. More than that and you’ll have to take a break! Study with focus and shorter periods.
Never avoid or miss the session:
We have all been there. It is effortless not to feel like completing your study sessions every day. You will very easily find ways to miss your sessions. And that’s exactly what you are supposed to overcome. Lack of interest is the main reason for missing out on sessions. And interest comes with habits. You might have other things on your list that you want to complete or the assignment/study may be too hard to have any interest. This is what you’ll have to overcome. Force yourself to start the session even if you are not feeling like it. Push yourself and you’ll soon be in a strong habit of effective studying. Don’t procrastinate. It will make your rush and cause many errors in your studies.
Keep distractions at bay:
You can help yourself the best. There will be hundreds of distractions that will come your way. The human brain works like that. Ever unimportant task will look attractive when you sit for your sessions. Turn off your tech devices. Ipads, phones, television, everything. Close all your social media tabs. Do not keep the music on. Some think they work better around music but the human brain takes it just like any other distraction. However, soft music can help.
Start with harder subjects:
The hardest subject will take more focus and time for you. So start with that first. After that, the others will come very easily. It will increase the efficiency of your study. You’ll be less tense and will make out the most from that 2-3 hours session. You will feel the academic progress increasing in abundance too.
Review notes:
Always review and double check any notes that you’ve got. Make sure your assignments and notes are good. Before studying or doing your assignment, review the notes. Going through the notes a couple of times will make sure you do your work according to the notes you need to follow. There will be less number of errors and will make your time effective.
Time management:
Compare your today’s timetable with your study pattern and make the necessary changes. Make a list of your time-consuming habits. Simple things like eating, snacking, sleep timetable and more will have to be rescheduled if needed. However, sleep is vital for your brain to work. A minimum of 7 hours should be put in. Keep a calendar for your following tests, deadlines, and assignments. Plan ahead as much as possible. Helps with last moment anxiety too.
Study effectively:
Lastly, study effectively. Make sure what you’re doing is actually getting into your head. Pay attention. Observe what you are doing with your books.
- Read the chapter before every class you attend. You’ll know the basic before it is explained to the class. This helps you register things well.
- Study what you need to only. Don’t keep extra information.
- Question yourself for what you’re doing. Test yourself and generate examples.
- Know well what’s expected from you in the class.
- Highlight what’s difficult to remember and don’t forget to come back to it. Make flash cards, use pins, use post-its. This is great for later reference too.
Develop these ideas and see yourself rising up with your academic progress.
