Five Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Studying

Hameedah has come again! She is the top student in the class who radiates confidence like she has been studying the same subject for years. The same student who gets the grades and makes it seem like she could teach the course themselves! You notice that they sit in class, just like you, taking notes and reading the same textbook you have. Her secret? She’s dialled in on what is the best way to study. Listen, you, too, can be the top student everyone admires by assessing your study skills and finding which method works best for you.

Not sure where to start? Take a look at the five ways the top students get the most out of their studying. 

Photo by franco alva on Unsplash

Realize how you study best

Before now, I am sure you must have searched “study tips” on the web, and you must have got hundreds of results from bloggers and researchers on the best ways to do so. Funny enough, they all have the evidence to back it up, but that evidence pertains to a set of people or themselves. These are all options to consider and test out for yourself. Find what works best for you and make that the way you study for everything. There are plenty of people who will say that forming or joining a study group is the best way. That works for extroverts who get energy from engaging with others. For the introverts in the class, study groups can feel draining, and if you don’t involve yourself as much as the others, it can be exhausting and unproductive. Do what feels right for you and you’re sure to succeed.

Tutor Yourself

Whether you are a part of a study group or not, you should be more active in the way you go about tutoring yourself. Create a study guide combining both lecture notes and highlighted information from your textbook, slides or PDFs. Come up with hard-to-answer questions that could be on the test or used as essay prompts. Look back through previous tests and exams to see how the lecturers might word the question too. If you find that you are having a tough time answering the problem, it is time to go and get some clarification from the people who know more. The person might be your fellow coursemates or your seniors. If you are someone who enjoys studying with a group, collectively put together a test or perhaps something more fun like a “Jeopardy” challenge. These memorable questions and study group sessions will allow your mind to retain the information better and ace the course.

Learn from your mistakes

People like Hameedah who are always the top students learn from their mistakes. After an assignment, test or exam, look at the answers you got incorrect and review those concepts. In preparation for the final exam, look for trends that the lecturer exhibits or ideas they spend more time on. If they are passionate about that area of study, you can bet that it is something that will be on the test again. If you don’t have any exams to review, gather your old homework assignments, quizzes, and papers you’ve already received feedback on. Professors don’t assign these to keep you busy. They are hinting at what they feel are the key concepts to take away from the course.

Maintain composure

The top students are the ones who maintain a positive attitude, even when they fail. Michael Jordan once said, “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” This is the type of attitude to adopt after you bombed a test, received a poor grade on a term paper, or answered a question incorrectly during a lecture. Another part of maintaining composure is learning not to complain. Complaining is negativity at its worst. Recognize what you can and can’t change about a situation then act appropriately. 

Study breaks and good time management

The top students will all say the same thing about time management. The best way to do so is by creating a study schedule that should include thirty-minute breaks, “play” time, when to transition to studying for another course, and time for self-care. Powering through an hour-long study session, or worse, the “all-nighter” is never advised. You need periods of rest to give your mind time to digest the information it received. You also need time to not think about tests, grades, and school altogether. Enjoy a fun time with friends, you deserve it!

Do not forget to share. Wish you success in your studies.