By Megan Roth
As Honors College students we sometimes find ourselves overwhelmed and overworked. We set high standards for ourselves and often take a higher class load than average college students. There is a reason why we are in the Honors College, and why we remain--we enjoy a challenge. We are not afraid to take more difficult classes in order to gain the knowledge we desire and further our understanding of our major programs and future careers. However, if we do not have sound study habits to help us achieve academic success we set ourselves up for failure. The good news is that there have been numerous studies done that help provide students with tips to succeed in their academic endeavors. Here are 4 areas to consider to help you make the most of your study time:
Time management
The first rule to studying is: SAY NO to cramming! It is an insane expectation to put on yourself that cramming will allow you to learn everything you need before a big test, and it is simply not true. According to Fremont College, cramming before an exam can increase the feeling of desperation and can lead to test anxiety. Instead of panicking here are a few helpful tips to better manage your time:
Plan your study time - Create a study schedule with 30-45 minute segments to better focus on the subject.
Mix up the study strategies- Instead of spending an hour reading the textbook, section time off to try a variety of methods to help better understand the subject. This can include reviewing notes, making a quizlet to review certain terms, or teaching a friend the lesson to further understand the test material yourself.
Reward yourself - After studying for an hour or so, do not forget to reward yourself for staying focused. Take a little break, stretch, get some water or a snack, scratch your pet behind the ears, whatever works.
Notes
Note taking is an extremely important element of good study habits. In fact, I would dare say that good note taking is the foundation to facilitating the best study habits. Note taking provides the student with a starting point on what is most relevant in the materials, it helps to condense the material being studied, and may provide guidance to remember what the instructor focused on as the most important.
Customize notes to fit your needs. There are multiple styles of note taking but notes are only helpful if they make sense to you. Styles of note-taking include:
Linear notes - writing notes from left to right, top to bottom until the page is full.
Cornell notes - create a small vertical column for questions, a large column for note taking, and leave space at the bottom for summarization of the topic.
Mind maps - diagraming that focuses on the visual representation of the information.
Reviewing notes: According to Fremont college research, reviewing notes each evening for 30 minutes, within 24 hours after hearing the information, increases your retention of the material significantly. Strategies for reviewing notes include:
Highlighting key information/terms
Creating flashcards to review important information
Reviewing notes with a study group or a friend from the class
Study Location
According to Fremont College, alternating study spaces is a more effective way to retain information. Research shows that changing study locale increases the likelihood of remembering what you are studying because it decreases the chances of becoming distracted by the familiarity of the study space.
Goal setting
Setting academic goals provides quantifiable ways to measure how much studying you need to get done for the week. Some strategies for goal setting are:
Set chapter goals for each week
Correlate academic goals with assignment and exams
Set deadlines. According to research from Azusa Pacific University, creating deadlines for yourself helps to develop good study habits because it allows you to outline in advance and block off time to study. For some, this can be best accomplished by using a planner to document important dates for assignments and exams, as well as documenting what you have already completed by crossing it off your to-do list, which provides some positive reinforcement for completing those tasks and feeling productive
I hope these strategies will help you next time you study. Studying is an important and necessarily part of college life and is crucial to your success!
References:
https://www.mindmeister.com/blog/effective-note-taking/
https://fremont.edu/8-effective-study-tips-for-college-students/
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-Movie,-Music,-and-Video-Game-Reviews
https://www.apu.edu/articles/6-crucial-study-habits-for-college-students/
https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
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