Some students just seem to naturally have good study habits, while others really struggle – they would rather be playing computer games or watching videos than studying something they believe “doesn’t matter to them”. The problem with this is at a young age, and throughout their teenage years, it doesn’t matter what they believe to be important or irrelevant to them because everything is important. At these young ages, they have no idea what they will be in the future, so studying everything is important, and developing good study habits while they are young carries on through high school, through college, and even into their careers. (It’s a big secret that they will continue to be required to study and learn even when they began their careers!)
Developing good study habits has some proven measure that have worked for many decades, including the following:
- One way of developing good study habits is to find the best time of day for studying. For some students (the morning people who love getting up early) studying in the early morning when their mind is fresh seems to be the best time. For other students (who are the night owls) studying late in the evening seems to provide the best results for them. Other students prefer to study in the early evening right before dinner so that the material is fresh on their minds from class and studying at this time helps solidify the concepts or information.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s an absolutely undeniable certainty that if one student asks questions, several more in the class had the same question but were afraid to ask. Be the brave one in class and don’t be afraid to ask questions for clarification.
- Staying organized is also one method of developing good study habits. Have specific notebooks for each class and make sure they are easy to find. Highlight important material (using different colored highlighters to identify different levels of importance) to help keep relevant material obvious.
- Study the least favorite topics first and get them out of the way, and particularly if there are assignments due. Never leave the most difficult subject (or least favorite) until last because this causes undue stress and getting them out of the way and completing them early reduces stress and may actually lead to enjoying the subject more.
- Turning off all distractions is very important in developing good study habits. This means no video games, no computer games, no cell phone, no television, and no radio while studying. Don’t provide a reason for missing questions on a test because of greater interest in the television show or because a friend would rather talk on the phone.
- Set goals. When there is a lot of work to be done, set realistic goals of when each task must be finished before the next one can begin. Keep in mind the goal of making a good grade and focus on the objective that the studying results in good grades, which results in successful careers.
- Managing time well is also critical in developing good study habits. If there are multiple tests coming up on the same day, study some material from each subject every night. Don’t study similar topics back to back – mix them up a bit. If there are tests scheduled for history, English and calculus on the same day mix up the studying and put the math subject in between the history and English to break up the topics. It gives the brain a rest. Also don’t stay up too late the night before a test, get plenty of rest.
- Prepare test questions and have a friend or family member ask them to ensure the preparations for the test have been effective. Concentrate on areas of uncertainty and make sure the areas which are comfortable are correct – don’t continue giving wrong answers because they “seemed to be the most logical answer”. Study the right material and give the right answers.
When developing good study habits there are many ways that work for each student, but being prepared, taking good notes, and having good listening skills are among the most important habits to develop. Above all pay attention and do the best job possible in every class and on every test.
