In college, balancing multiple classes, self-care, a social life and even a job can seem overwhelming, if not impossible. Learning how to get into a study routine, though, can help you stay organized and sane during your crazy, work-filled semester. Here are the top five routine studying tips you should learn before ending your college-career to help you be as successful as you can be.
1. Take good notes: One of the most important studying tips you can learn before leaving college is taking good notes. If your notes are messy, all over the place or don’t exist at all, you are doing it wrong. When note taking, be sure to keep things simple by writing down the key points from the lecture or textbook. If you write down too much information, it can overwhelm you. Another good tip for note taking is to color-code your notes. By highlighting in different colors or using different colored pens, it can make notetaking more fun and enjoyable!
2. Change up your studying location: Studying in the same location can become boring and repetitive. By switching up your venue, it can help you retain more information as memory is influenced by locations. Go to the library, student union or even a local park. Get creative and find a comfortable place to make the best out of your studying time.
3. Make some flashcards: Not only does good note taking help you study better, but making flashcards is helpful, too. Flashcards are especially helpful for learning vocabulary words in information-heavy science classes. This can be a fun way to study when you’re with friends. Have a friend hold up a card and see if you know the answer on the other side. Once you get the hang of the flashcards, try and guess the answers faster and faster. It is a guaranteed trick to help you retain and remember content for your classes.
4. Don’t multitask when studying: When you sit down to study for a class or exam, it is important to make sure you focus only on studying. This means you need to eliminate all distractions. Let your friends know you will see them later, place yourself in a quiet environment and put your phone away on silent. By deciding to focus only on studying, your brain can process information faster and engage fully with the content you need to learn.
5. Take breaks in between: Remember to always take breaks in between studying. If you study all of your material at once, your brain will retain less information due to a lack of rest and reflection. Staying energized is the best way to keep up with learning, so take a short break every hour or so. Not only do small breaks every hour help but taking a day or two off from studying during the week is beneficial as well. Self-care is just as important as doing well in your classes, so if you don’t put your mental health on your top priority list, it could hurt your academics farther down the road.
