Study Smart Guide
Students all over the world have a lot of pressure to complete classwork assignments, term papers and tests at the end of the semester. On top of this, other commitments and activities demand your time as well. Luckily, with study smart guide you can efficiently manage your time.
There is also the need to create and maintain a social life since there is more to schooling than studying. For this reason, it would be better to study smart and not hard to get good grades and lead a balanced life.
While you might be taking a major that you love, there comes a time when it becomes challenging to study and grasp the concepts. Most students procrastinate and end up burning the midnight oil, looking to beat the deadlines.
However, there are always better options for getting good grades and leading a balanced life. Most study smart guides focus on being organised, but how do you know you are getting the most out of the time that you put in? For starters, you could use online tutoring services.
The challenge is that you will commit yourself to a minimum of 40-study hours a week, but if the results are not worth it, motivation will drop significantly. This is why we are committed to researching and testing new study guides to better your results. Here are a few proven tips to help you study better, get good grades and still have a social life to enjoy at the end of the semester.
Bigger Is Not Always Better
Most students usually allocate a huge chunk of time to concentrate on their studies. They will stop using social media and refuse to watch movies to study for hours on end. While you could always use more time for studying, this is not an effective way to do it.
Studies show that productivity decreases over time. For this reason, it is better to have many short study sessions than a few big ones. This is for the sole reason that the brain is like any other muscle in the body, and it gets fatigued the longer it works without a break. You will need a study timetable to plan to ensure that you are studying for success.
Learn the Same Information in Different Ways
A 2008 research by Willis J. showed that different media stimulates different parts of our brains. The more parts of the brain that get stimulated, the more likely to understand and retain the information. To make the best use of this tip, you could:
- Read the notes you take in class
- Read a textbook in the same discipline
- Watch YouTube videos
- Create a mind map
- Look up other online resources
- Teach someone else what you have learned
- Do practice problems from a variety of sources
With that said, it is not possible to do all these things in one sitting. Every time you review the topic, use a different resource, and you will retain much more information. After you are through, you could use quiz questions to test your understanding.
Study Multiple Subjects per Day
If you take subjects that are similar to each other, the chances are that you will confuse one concept with the other and apply them incorrectly. For example, if you are taking chemistry, mathematics and physics exams, you are best placed to a bit of each subject every day. You could also meet your tutor to help you with tips on how to study multiple subjects per day without burning out.
This study smart approach will help you learn faster other than focusing on one subject every day. To ensure that you are taking an effective approach of studying, and then spread out the time it takes you to study for each subject. Your brain will have more time to consolidate the concepts you have been learning.
Do It More Than Once
The brain has more than one database where it stores information. The information you consume is copied between them, and it moves from the short-term memory and is ten stored into the long term, which will come in handy on exam day. You could use a weekly to-do list to achieve the necessary repetition.
By studying more than once, you give the brain clues that the information is important, and it needs to be available in the future. The best way of hacking this is by rereading the information at different intervals of the day. For example, study the topic the day after learning it, repeat it after two or three days, then weekly and monthly until you have to sit for the assessment or final exam.
Build Models
Models are simple concepts that are not true by themselves but can be used to describe abstract ideas. For example, crystallising a particular experience or image, you can create a model that you can use for referencing and make it easier for you to understand different concepts. Models are also great study motivators since they will help you link different information, which leads to better understanding.
Write Flash Cards
No matter how good your short-term memory is, the brain tends to remember things longer if you write it down. For this reason, you need to put the highlighter down and start taking notes on flashcards. The Leitner system is the most widely used method of effectively using flashcards that relies on spaced repetition and reviewing the cards in increasing intervals.
You could also read the flashcards aloud or with a study partner. Close your eyes and try to recall what the cards say. This will help you increase your understanding of the arguments and main points.
Sleep Well and Exercise
This might seem as being counterproductive when you have impending deadlines. However, you will absorb information when you are relaxed, rested and alert. On top of this, eating nutritious foods such as nuts, fish, yoghurt and berries will keep your brain powered for better studying.
It is important that you also stay hydrated, take a break every half-hour and move around to improve circulation.
Find a Happy Place
While it is important to make your study environment as comfortable as possible, it is also important to set up the study area as similar to the examination room. This is a subtle way of conditioning your brain to remember information on the test day.
For example, do not listen to music, or wear the same clothes or perfume, and if possible, find a similar temperature. The olfactory bulb, the part that processes smells, is linked to the hippocampus, which plays a crucial role in recalling information and memories.
Do Not Be Too Hard on Yourself
The truth of the matter is that you are not going to get interested in everything that you read. However, you can still push through the boring sections of the topic or subject by finding the parts you are interested in. The chances are that you will find ways to connect the interesting bit to the uninteresting sections. This study smart guide does not mean that you give up working hard. There is a lot of dedication and discipline that goes into passing exams. However, it is important that you allocate your time appropriately.
