Often students have trouble with studying and retaining the knowledge they have gained. Generally, these students have not found a way of studying that works for them. This is a process that takes time and effort, but once it is mastered, it will be like the student was never without it. We’ve created a quick list of tips to help guide students to their path to the most effective study time.

1. Do not mistake study time and assignment/homework completion time. They are two separate but related things. Homework and assignments can help you learn, but they will never give you all of the knowledge you need, this is why you study. As a quick note, assignments/homework can cut into study time, but never vice versa.

2. Figure out when you are most productive in studying. Some students prefer to study in the morning when their minds are fresh, while others prefer to end the day with a relaxing study session. Test out different times of the day to find when you absorb new information the best.

3. Study at that time. There is little point in figuring out when you are most productive in studying if you do not study at that time.

4. Remember to take breaks (especially if you are looking at a screen). A quick break can be the key ingredient in helping you understand something that you are stuck on.

HELPFUL HINT:

There is nothing wrong with asking for help. If you cannot figure something out, ask your peers, your teacher, a tutor, your TA (a lot of post-secondary institutions have centres which are dedicated to helping students with a specific topic. For example, a writing centre or a mathematics centre) or a parent for help. Everyone needs help sometimes.

HELPFUL HINT:

There is nothing wrong with asking for help. If you cannot figure something out, ask your peers, your teacher, a tutor, your TA (a lot of post-secondary institutions have centres which are dedicated to helping students with a specific topic. For example, a writing centre or a mathematics centre) or a parent for help. Everyone needs help sometimes.

5. Find out which style of learning works best for you (do you prefer to talk it out, take notes, move around when you study etc.?). Some students like to study in groups, while others prefer to study alone (you can read more about this topic here).

6. Try to limit distractions around you. This does not mean that you should lock yourself in a room without any external stimuli, but it does mean that when you are studying, the only thing you should be thinking about is the subject matter in front of you.

7. Study the material you are having trouble/are unfamiliar with. It will be tempting to spend time on the subjects that you are comfortable with. Now, this is fine in small amounts, but you should be spending most of study time focusing on the material you do not know.

8. Do not just passively read. This is a common (incorrect) way of studying. Just reading something does not mean that you know it. If you do not internalize the knowledge the book is trying to teach you, you are not really studying. You need to understand what you have been reading.

9. Try to teach someone what you have learned. It might be a cliché, but only when you can explain what you have been taught have you truly internalized the knowledge.

10. Do not just be familiar with the topic. This is a common problem. Students think that because they are familiar with something that they know it. Being familiar with and knowing something are different (though connected) points. Being familiar is the first step towards knowing.

11. Start studying in advance. Do not wait for your teacher/professor to schedule a test before you start to review. This can be a great way to stress yourself out (especially during the exam season). If you keep yourself up to date with the topics you are learning, you eliminate the stress of a lack of time.

12. Vary your studying activities. Instead of spending all of your time studying one subject, consider spreading out your time with all of your subjects (spending the most amount on the topics you struggle with and less on the ones you don’t).

13. Test yourself. Studying does not have to be a rigid process where you sit over a book and read (with understanding). You can ask yourself little questions at any point during the day to cement what you studied. If you ask yourself a question you cannot answer, this is an indication that you should spend more time on this topic.

14. Do not beat yourself up if you did not have a productive study session. Like everything in life, there will be good and bad days. The trick is to limit the number of bad.

This list is meant as a helpful start. It is by no means exhaustive. These are some of the hints that we have used ourselves in the past when we were studying.

 

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