10 Study Tips for Success

Studying for an exam can be extremely challenging, especially when you are faced with the obstacles of daily life. When trying to do the best you can in school, you might find yourself not studying as well as you had hoped. That is why ACC suggests these 10 study tips to help improve your study habits. Read the tips below to help you relax and comprehend the material you need to know for your next exam.

1. Take notes. Taking notes sounds easy. But when you listen to a captivating lecture, it may be hard to concentrate on both writing down key points and thinking about the lecture. There are a few techniques you can use to take notes that will allow you to comprehend what you hear and still have thorough notes to review later. Pick and choose significant concepts to write down. These are usually concepts that the professor emphasizes or repeats. You can also bring a recording device and write out the lecture later, so your full attention is on the professor. Auditory learners may find this strategy the most helpful. Lastly, if you are really having trouble listening and taking notes, you can type your notes and read them later. If you learn best by reading, choose this option. Try out each of these strategies to see which type of note taker you are.
2. Review. Discovering the right way to review notes is crucial for studying. You shouldn’t just memorize information; you need to understand it so that no matter how questions are presented on a test, you will be able to use the information you have memorized. You can review your notes in many places and in many ways. Record and listen to lectures while you work out, rewrite them on a whiteboard, or take a picture of your notes and place the picture on your fridge or in another location where you will see it every day.
3. Highlight. Our brains are extremely receptive to color. Try using different colors to highlight your notes; this can separate topics visually so that they are easier to scan through. Using color association, you can review your notes easily and remember them.
4. Be comfortable. If you are not in a comfortable space where you can focus, you may not be able to retain information. Find a place where you can relax and study, like your living room or a park.  Diminish your stress by finding an environment where your mind won’t race, where it will let go of your day-to-day worries. Concentrate solely on reading and comprehending your study materials.
5. Take breaks. Did you know that your brain can focus for only 15 minutes per subject? “The problem lies in the brain’s inability to pay attention for long periods of time; in fact, it is commonly cited that the brain can only focus on a single concept for about 10-15 minutes,” a research article explains from scientificminds.com on Research Supporting Science Starters. By studying in chunks, students are able to take in the information they need with enough time to process that information. Therefore, by allowing yourself study breaks, you will be able to process and memorize the knowledge you need.
6. Stay focused. Many students use multiple methods to stay focused. Some that may work for you are listening to classical music while studying, or taking a walk and reading your notes out loud. You may feel the need to move around, or study in a quiet place. Whatever your needs and preferred methods, incorporate them into your plan for study time. By putting yourself in an environment that helps you focus, you will be able to study to your maximum capacity. If you find yourself in a place where it is very hard to study, find either a different place or a new way to focus. If you still can’t focus, try a new study technique.
7. Tutor. Did you know that by teaching someone else information, you retain it better? If you understand something that someone else does not, by tutoring them, you can reinforce your own understanding of the concept and apply it readily.
8. Study in a group. Studying with other people will allow you to go over many topics successfully, since each person may have a better or even a different understanding of each topic than you. If you feel that you are not strong in one area, then another person can help you – and vice versa. You can each cover a topic, and teach it to one another. If you have a lot of study materials, together, you can effectively cover all bases.
9. Time management. Create a schedule of optimal study times in order to make sure that you have enough time for everything on your schedule. You can create a calendar or a list of subjects for which you need to study– you can even break up topics into different study times so that you don’t have to study everything all at once. All-nighters rarely work, and so it is important to plan ahead.
10. Repetition. Ever hear the saying “Repetition, repetition, repetition?” You can use the review techniques listed above to help you use repetition to study in your everyday life. That way, you’ll be studying repeatedly, throughout the day. Other repetition techniques you can use are reading and re-writing your notes, or reading your notes over again throughout the day. Using repetition techniques, you will be able to reinforce all of the information you need to retain.