There’s a big test coming up, and you’re trying to decide what the best course of action will be to get your studying done effectively before the test date rears its ugly head. Many people revert to the solo method; locking themselves in a room with energy drinks and reading their notes and study materials over and over again until they ultimately go a bit crazy from the monotony of it. (more…)

Reading novels teaches us about different worlds, eras and people. For this reason, they are an integral part of getting educated. It’s important not to be intimidated by the language and issues in novels; instead, practice strategies that help you navigate the text. (more…)

To be a student is to study. Sounds simple right? But studying is a learned skill. It requires commitment, an understanding of the course expectations, time and materials. Most of al, successful learning takes practice, that means showing up everyday and viewing the act of studying as an integral part of student life.

Education is an investment in your self. A healthy approach to any academic endeavor is to first realize that anything worth your time is worth doing to the best of your ability. Your academic success is directly proportional to the effort you put into your work. Nobody can do it for you. Like any large-scale project, it is important to have clear goals and a plan.

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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…)

Freshman year in colleges is also known as the academic baptism of fire; you find yourself thrust into a pool seemingly populated by nothing other than big fishes. Here are some tips for improving college study skills. (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…)

While there are many ways of improving your study skills, they are more effective if you know what your study habits and attitudes are like. Many students have no idea if they are having trouble with their time management, concentration or note taking skills, or if their problems are caused by a combination of problems. Use the following checklist to learn more about your study habits and attitudes.
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One of the key elements in passing any course is taking good notes.  In order to learn the required information, your notes need to be thorough and organized in a way that makes them easy to review later.  For many students, however, note taking is a difficult task, and often notes end up with either too little or too much information to make them useful. Fortunately, there are several techniques for taking better notes. (more…)