Make the Most of Your Time when Studying

Studying differs from one person to the next so what works for one may not for another. The ways that you can make the most of your studying time depends on what works best for you.

Steps

  1. Develop a schedule that will allow you adequate time to study. Having a schedule makes you see that you have certain things to do and will give you an allocated time that you should be focusing only on your studying.
  2. To make the most of time when studying, select the times of day your brain is at its peak performance. This can vary from individual to individual. Study when your brain functions best to help maximize its performance and reduce redundancy.
  3. Study in a comfortable place where you can concentrate without distraction. Distractions slow down performance because they defocus the mind.
  4. Focusing the mind can be difficult especially if you are worrying about something, are tired, and don't know how to study well. Perhaps one of the greatest skills in studying is being able to do this well as it improves test scores and saves time.
  5. Develop a study strategy you know your mind will work well with. Everyone's brain is wired differently, and we all learn in different ways. Some of us are visual learners others are auditory or kinesthetic learners. Find out what you are and increase the method which you brain learns from best to save more time. For example, if you are an auditory learner listening to lectures on tape and going to class may be more important than reading the text. If one is more visual the textbook and notes become the most important aid in studying.
  6. Practice different techniques. Stay on the look out for new ways to study and create some for yourself. After time studying will become easier and more of a routine than a challenge.
  7. Take notes in class on the important things that you are going over so that you have the necessary clues to what you really need to focus on for an exam. Try to study up on the material before class so that you can refresh your memory in case the teacher calls upon you.
  8. Studying itself is a fine art, there may be workshops or even courses on how to improve studying techniques and save time. One of the cornerstones of education and life is being able to and knowing how to study. There are many things in life that need studying whether it be a homework problem, a hole in the wall, building a model, putting a puzzle together or solving a relationship obstacle. The better one know how to study the more time one will save and the greater one will achieve when it comes around to testing time.
  9. Take frequent breaks. Of course, there are instances where you will need to study or work on homework for much longer than a few hours. In these cases, make sure that you are taking frequent breaks. Every 30 minutes to an hour, get up and stretch your legs to avoid stiffness and muscle cramps. Moving around a bit will get your metabolism going and leave you feeling more energized. A small snack that is high in protein and low in sugar is also a good way to boost your energy. Also try to not spend all your time eating

Planning Your Time

  1. In order to make the most of your time when studying, you need to have a plan. Your plan should consider:
    • WHEN you are going to study
    • WHERE you are going to study
    • WHAT you are going to study
    • HOW you are going to study
  2. WHEN - Whenever possible, you should plan your study sessions for the time of day when you are most alert and motivated. If you are a night person, you shouldn't expect yourself to be very productive during morning study session . What might take you only 20 minutes to study when you are at your most alert may take you an hour when you are tired and unable to concentrate. Some people find that they avoid feeling stressed by making time earlier in the day and taking time to relax in the evening. Another trick is to take a quick look at your notes just before falling asleep so the mind can process them while you are sleeping. See what works for you.
  3. WHERE - Some students insist that they can study in crowded places with music blaring, but I find this hard to believe. You will get the most out of your study time when there are few distractions to interrupt your concentration and focus. A quiet corner of the university library is always a good spot. If you study around your friends, you may be tempted to join in with their conversations or give up on your studying all together to do something more fun. Having music or the television playing in the background can cause your mind to wander.
  4. WHAT - Before beginning any study session, you should take a few minutes to prioritize. Make a list of everything you have to do and when you need to have it completed by. Then estimate how long each task will take you to complete so that you can plan your schedule accordingly. When studying, it is tempting to attempt the easiest and most interesting subjects first and save the more difficult and boring subjects for last, even if they are more important or due the soonest. This can result in the more difficult subjects never being tackled. Doing things in order of their priority will help insure that you turn your assignments in on time and are well-prepared for exams.
  5. HOW - In order to make the most of your study time, you should try to schedule short study sessions rather than long ones. One to two hours is ideal, because it is long enough for you to make some good progress, but not so long that you begin to lose focus.

Tips

  • Motivate yourself by writing down a list of your academic goals and viewing it whenever you get lazy!
  • Be well rested before you study. This will allow you to focus on your work while you are alert and well rested so you hopefully can study to your fullest potential.
  • Study the most critical material first and then go through the other stuff. It is most important to focus on what you know the teacher expects of you. Once again that is why it is so important to take notes in classes.
  • Start earlier than the weekend before finals. With multiple exams to be studying for, trying to cram it into 2 short days is not always the best idea.
  • Don't forget, you can also take advantage of time spent waiting, traveling or even at work when you don't have anything to do. Ten minutes here and there that would otherwise be spent surfing the web or reading a magazine can add up quickly. You will have more time for fun activities if you make use of this time that would otherwise be wasted.
  • Make the most of your time but do not work for more than 2 hours at a time without a break. When you are studying too hard you are bound to start feeling tired and you will typically lose your productivity.
  • Study when you feel like studying don't stress over it.
  • Don't worry about your marks. Try to do well and never panic.

Warnings

  • Don't waste study time trying to sort through all your notes and textbooks. You should try to have everything in an order according to your classes.
  • Avoid coffee, anything sugary, soda, and energy drinks that will give you a terrible crash a few hours later.
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