Successful students study effectively, and that’s one of the main reasons they perform very well academically. Part of studying effectively involves having scheduled study times all through the week and not waiting until the night before an exam to cram. In fact, research shows that studying done bit by bit over a period of time is more effective than the one-time cramming on the night before an [1] exam . (how you can incorporate study times into your weekly routine.)
That said, let’s dive into key things you should consider to study effectively. (Personally, I found these really very helpful and I hope you pick something that works for you 🙂 )
1. Find the right environment:
You aren’t restricted to studying only in the library or in your room or in some other specific place. The only thing that matters
most is that the location you choose promotes concentration and is free from distraction. For example, bright lighting,
minimal or no background sounds, room temperature, and so forth – all these make up an ideal environment for studying.
2. Shut off all distractions:
Having your cell phone, tablet or laptop with you while studying can be quite tempting. There is no way you won’t pause your
reading to check your phone when a new message comes in; not to talk of visiting Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites in the middle of your studying. Beware of these distractors. If you plan to study materials from a hard copy textbook, then I think it is a good idea not to take your laptop along with you to the study area. You can choose to do the same thing with your phone if you know your phone’s got you. Otherwise, consider switching it off or turning it on silent mode, keeping it out of your sight and only looking for it once it’s breaktime or end of study time (don’t worry you won’t miss any urgent calls). If, however, you need your laptop to access an electronic copy of the reading material then try to restrict the number of tabs you have opened. Overcome the temptation of opening a tab for Facebook another for Instagram and yet another for who knows what. Self-discipline is key here. I know you can conquer these distractors.
3. Stick to the required text:
For courses with more than one textbook, find out which one is the required text and which is only recommended. Unless
you want to learn more about certain topics or concepts for a paper or simply for your understanding, you can pick up the
recommended text; otherwise, you should be fine using the required text. Better still, you can confirm with the course
professor on this.
4. Skim through the objectives and summary first:
Before reading a chapter in a book, for example, it helps to first scan the objectives and the summary for new and unfamiliar
concepts and words. This will give you an idea of what to expect in the text, the organization and structure of the chapter as well
as the main points. Having knowledge of the main points from the start makes you aware of what’s important so that you don’t
ignore them accidentally.
5. Read with purpose:
When you pick up a book to read, always define your aim for reading. If you do so, it becomes possible and straightforward to tell whether or not that aim has been achieved by the end of the study time. Example of reading aims can range from reading to get the gist of text (more on the surface level), understanding specific concepts in preparation for an exam or a paper, amongst others. Whatever the case may be, have a purpose before jumping into the material.
6. Engage with the material:
To get the most when you read, think about the information you are gathering as you ask and attempt to answer the – What, When, How, Where, and Why – about concepts and ideas you come across. For example, say, you are reading a chapter on photosynthesis; inside your head, you should ask yourself questions such as: so what exactly is photosynthesis? When, how, where and why does it occur? (Those are only fundamental questions though; there are several complex questions on that topic.) Doing this will help you quickly grasp the relevant information.
7. Practice active reading:
Running your eyes through the words on the pages of a textbook while thinking about the content is a good place to start. However, supplementing that with kinesthetic actions such as – highlighting some key lines, scribbling on page margins, or writing into a note or onto flashcards – will boost your retention rate. When you take time to write and rewrite key definitions or explanations, or draw and redraw diagrams, you impress those more deeply into your memory; the end result is a sharp recall rate. (Obviously, it isn’t a good idea to highlight or scribble on a borrowed textbook. Jotting into your notebook or flashcards will be better in such a case.)
8. Recognize and relate:
It is easier to remember information that is both meaningful and interesting to you. One way to quickly store new information into your memory is to relate it to existing and interesting ones. Since you aren’t likely going to forget facts and information that are meaningful to you, by connecting those to new fact and information recall is eased. Here is where mnemonic, peg-word system and other memory devices come into play.
9. Pause and ponder when you hit a roadblock:
If you ever come across a hard-to-chew concept while reading a book chapter, for example, it helps to spend some time to dissect the concept. This will be necessary especially if that concept is critical to understanding other concepts later in the chapter. If you are unable to crack the nut, then endeavor to seek help.
10. Take breaks:
Doing a marathon study at one go may be tedious and tiring especially after sitting down on one spot for a while especially when the chair has no comfortable cushion. To study effectively, experts recommend taking about 15-20 minutes breaks for every 50-90 minutes that you spend studying . Get up for a stretch to grab some snacks or take a walk while you recall and reflect on what you’ve absorbed or just cast your mind on something relaxing.
11. Test your understanding at the end:
Look for a way to assess what you’ve just assimilated. If you are reading a chapter in a textbook, then go over sample questions at the end of the chapter; most textbooks will have these. However, if you don’t have access to any sample questions, then you can come up with your own questions or approach your prof
to have your brain picked. Testing your understanding of what you have just digested actually stimulates learning and recalling of important information, and hence, gets you fired up for exams.
12. Teach it:
If you can’t teach others what you’ve just taken in, then you probably haven’t got it yet. Here is where a study group can be very helpful. It is usually great to be involved in a study group where its members share and learn from one another. A study group will likely benefit you more when your group members are at least as smart as you are. Remember two or more heads are better than one.
These points helped me a lot as a student especially at the university. In fact, I still apply a number of them as I study non-academic books (I focus on self-help books these days 🙂 ).