College is on its way or already here and with it comes: sleep deprivation.

Sure, it makes sense that the more you sleep the better your grades might be, but has anyone actually looked at this from a research perspective? You bet!

Back in 2001 a group of researchers looked at the GPAs of college students who were: short sleepers (less than six hours); average sleepers (six to eight hours); and long sleepers (eight-plus hours) and … the long sleepers had the highest GPAs.

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It’s 6 p.m. and you’re behind in your studies.  Tests and papers are coming up, so that means it’s not to hit the books and study, study, study.  But then you hit a few roadblocks.  You look around the house and can’t find a pen.  Then you need some scratch paper, and can’t find it.  Fifteen minutes later you find some and sit down to begin.  Now where’s that calculator?  Is it in the other room?  Did your roommate or brother take it?  After you find it, you notice that the batteries are dead.  Now it’s time to find extra batteries. And on and on it goes. (more…)

Regardless of whether you’re getting ready to start college, graduate school, or an external degree program, your success depends in large part on what you do during the first two weeks. These first days will set the stage for the rest of the semester and perhaps the year.  So make sure you take care of the following 7 priorities: (more…)

The study “strategy” for most students is the same:  Wait until the night before an assignment is due or before a test to hit the books and study.  Unfortunately, for most of us, that strategy eventually catches up and hits our grades—hard.

Good news:  There’s a better way!  Here’s a systematic approach that in 30 days can turn you into a master student.  We’ll start with week 1. (more…)

Most of us know in our gut that in high school, you don’t need to study nearly as much as you do in college to get grades.  But while we never think of it in this way, this is a trap that causes many to do poorly in their higher education.  Old habits really do die hard, and yet your old high school study habits will destroy your college GPA. (more…)

Students are under enormous pressure, and they experience a great deal of stress. Keeping up with studies and making good grades is difficult in itself, but there are also the added pressures of work and relationships. When everything starts to seem overwhelming, the use of stress management techniques can make life easier. (more…)

Ever heard of eating brain food to improve your study skills? Studies have shown that there is a link between IQ or mental development and certain nutrients; a study conducted on British schoolgirls revealed that the schoolgirls who were not getting enough iron performed worse in school than those who were able to meet the daily recommended iron allowance. (more…)

In order to understand and retain information, you need to be able to concentrate on what you are studying. This is dependent on you studying in an area that is suited to your learning needs and style, which makes creating a productive study space is an essential element of studying well.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to help you create a productive study space:

Identify your needs. Some people need absolute quiet when they are studying, while others prefer to have music playing in the background. You know what you need to help you concentrate and stay focused, so set up your study area accordingly.

Set up a study place that is equipped for studying. Pens, pencils, paper, calculator, pencil sharpener and other supplies should be within easy access of your study area. If you need to get up and move elsewhere every time you need something, you will not be able to stay focused on studying.

Be consistent. Use the same study area every day, and try to study at the same time each day. This establishes a connection between the time and space and studying, and going to your study space at the same time every day will become habit. Use your study area only for studying and you will associate that place with studying. That will help you stay focused on your studies while you are there.Make sure your study area is a place where you can relax, yet stay focused. Your bedroom may seem like a great place to study, but you may doze off continuously while studying there

Set up study rules. If you study better at certain times or when you are able to take short breaks, then make that part of your study rules. Make sure others realize that’s part of your study routine.

Use study totems. Athletes have lucky socks or lucky shorts. You can have a study hat or study scarf. You can use a figurine, a toy, or any other type of object as your study totem. When it is time to study, put on your study item or set out your study totem. A study item or study totem helps you study in two ways:

Once others understand what your study item or totem means, seeing it will tell them you are studying so they will not interrupt you.

When you start having trouble concentrating, you can look at your study item or totem instead of staring into space. It helps refocus your mind on the task at hand.

Your study area should be comfortable. The temperature should not be too hot or too cold. Make sure your chair is comfortable and you have room to wiggle your toes. Being confined or uncomfortable will become a distraction during a study session.

Establishing good study habits begins with setting up a productive study space. Your space should meet your needs, and personalizing it is always a good option. When you have a space used only for studying, it is easier for you to concentrate on the materials and ignore or avoid distractions.

Study groups are a great way to supplement your individual study. Being involved in a study group provides you with the opportunity to get feedback on how well you know the material, as well as reinforcing what you have learned. In addition, a good study group gives you practice at working as part of a team, a skill that you will need in the world outside of school. (more…)

History is a fascinating subject that can challenge students to question everything that has happened before their existence. It opens up doors to times long ago and lets students know that while there are differences across eras in human history there are also many similarities. Many students roll their eyes when it comes to history class but with the proper perspective this can be their favorite subject. The key is to clear the first hurdle of being engaged in the subject and then it’s time to learn how to study history. Here are five tips for helping students grasp this all-encompassing subject:

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