Throughout my time in high school, I have struggled to find different studying techniques that work for me. I have tried many different methods and now, during my junior year, I feel confident that I have discovered techniques that will hopefully work for others too. One thing that I really struggled with was procrastination, so if I didn’t determine a way to overcome this, or discover methods of studying while dealing with procrastination, I would have greatly struggled in school. Below are my top 5 methods that have helped me while studying and I hope that some of these work for you all too!
- Take breaks during your study session. I have noticed that I am way more productive if I start my homework earlier in the day and take periodic breaks. For example, I would study for about 30 minutes, and then take a 5 minute break, then study for another 30 minutes. I would continue this process until I finished all of my homework or finished studying. I believe this method also allows me to retain information better; giving your brain breaks and more time to process information will be greatly beneficial to you in the long run!
- I know this one might be slightly controversial, but I do not listen to music while I’m studying. This might be a personal preference, but I have found that listening to music, may give the illusion that I was being productive, but in reality, it was taking me a lot longer to grasp information, especially on complex reading assignments.
- Begin studying early! In the past, I have waited until the night before to study for big exams, even though they had been assigned for a long time. This has caused me greater stress, and I ended up not doing as well on the exam. Now, for my difficult classes, I begin studying about a week before the exam giving me ample time to truly understand the information rather than relying on complete memorization.
- Use a whiteboard to study! I have realized that whiteboards are one of my favorite ways to practice problems while studying for a math or science exam. I think it is definitely important to take notes on paper so that you can refer back to them. However, during the studying process, a whiteboard can be greatly beneficial.
- Go to a local library or cafe to get work done! I find myself to be more productive when I am in a public space as opposed to my room where I can easily get distracted. Whenever I go to the library, I notice that I retain information better and quicker!
I hope these study tips and techniques help you the next time you’re completing homework, or studying for an exam!
