It’s not about how long you study; it’s about HOW you study. Trust me, having a few study hacks under your belt will give you the push you need to study efficiently and make those A’s. Take it from a fellow student; having the right study skills will make the biggest difference when it comes to taking tests. If you’re in need of some study hacks, we recommend you keep reading.
This is my number one hack that has worked absolute wonders. Your resting place is sacred! Don’t add the stresses of studying to your bedroom, bed, or couch. If you study in these spaces, your body gets confused and your studying will be interrupted by invitations to sleep and get distracted. Study in a space that tells your body that you are there for the purpose of getting stuff done. Then, when you have finished studying, you can go to your place of rest.
Designate a certain flavor or snack for when you are studying, and only for when you are studying. A lot of students like to designate a specific gum to chew or mint-flavored snack to eat during their study sessions. For me, I only chew cinnamon gum when I’m studying. This gives you something to look forward to when you’re preparing for those daunting exams. Snacking on the same food also signals one of your senses that it is time to study and work. Then, when you are taking the test, chew the same gum. This is a subconscious way to trigger your brain to recall information.
This is a simple hack, but it’s crucial to efficient studying. Do you ever just read a page in a book and forget entirely what you read? This can happen a lot if you are studying longer texts or reading very dry content. Use a highlighter to highlight the important information. This keeps you attentive during your reading, as you will want to do a certain task (highlight) as you read, forcing you to comprehend the information. Even if you don’t understand exactly what it is you’re reading, highlight it anyway because you know it is important. The key is to re-scan your reading when you’re finished, but this time, only read the highlighted parts and make sure you understand them.
Consider taking breaks as you study. It is so important to take breaks in between studying and completing other assignments because you need to let your brain rest and process the information that you just studied before moving onto other information. On your break, do something outside of your study space and don’t even think about what you are studying. After your break, see how much you remember and quiz yourself. When you return to your study space, you will be refreshed and ready to focus. Breaks are also perfect if you are stuck on a difficult problem because you come back refreshed and can view the problem differently.
This is a really important study hack! Playing music while you study might be a game changer for retaining information. But it’s important to note that this hack might not work for everyone, as everyone’s mind works differently. Play around with what works best for you. If you work well with music, consider what music works best for your study habits. Some genre suggestions are classical, chill, or film scores from your favorite movie! Also, different study settings may require different sounds. Some people work well in complete silence while others work well with the hustle and bustle of a coffee shop!
Studying with someone is a fantastic way to retain information and to stay focused on your work. That is, if you are both getting your work done and not distracting one another! Your study people usually are not your best-est friends. Instead of working with your close friends, plan to study with people who are in your same class who are also serious about getting work done. Or, work with someone that you are not super close with. This way, you can feed off of each other’s focused energy without the temptations to chit-chat. It also helps to study with people who know the material you are studying!
Okay, this study hack seriously works wonders, especially if you are trying to understand a concept or memorize material. This hack encourages you to use the creative side of your brain to fully conceptualize what you are studying. Rewriting your notes in creative and beautiful ways allows you to see the material that your studying in different ways. Be sure to recreate your notes by hand. This will help you visualize and recall your notes when you are being tested. Visual learners and creatives will absolutely love this!
Using this study hack is amazing. Who knew that whiteboards and erasable markers are perfect study tools? If you have access to a classroom or giant white boards, fill these out with your notes and everything else you need to study. It’s also a great idea to have a small white board in your room to practice different skills and to rewrite your notes. When you are using the white board, start erasing information and seeing if you can remember what you’ve erased. Then, see if you can rewrite the correct information.
If your professor shares the lecture slides with you, be sure to print them out! This study hack is truly life-changing. It is even better if the professor shares there lectures before the class because you can print them out and take notes on the slides. If the professor shares their notes after the slides, print out after and try to recall what is important. All you need is a binder and some notes! This hack is one you simply must incorporate into your study routine.
Planners are the 8th wonder of the world! Seriously. Using a schedule or planner is the perfect way to organize times to study and to get ahead on homework. If your professor provides a syllabus at the beginning of the year, take time to fill out every test and assignment that is due in your planner before your classes. Doing this will give you a visual of how much time you have to study for each test. Organization is key!
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