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11 Good Study Habits to Develop

Good study habits include finding a quiet location to study, taking breaks, settings goals, and taking practice tests. Here's the full list, and the psychological reasons why they work.

[Featured image] Woman studying in a quiet place at her home

Studying can be hard. The good news is that anybody can develop good study habits to make studying more effective, efficient, and enjoyable.

Want to develop good study habits? Start small—don’t expect to do everything in this list, at least not right away; pick one or two instead. It’s also important to set realistic and achievable goals for yourself. 

Good study habits to develop

Here are 11 tips to improve your study habits:

Find a good place to study.

Minimize distractions.

Take breaks.

Space out your studying.

Set study goals for each session.

Reward yourself.

Study with a group.

Take practice tests.

Use your own words.

Ask for help.

Take care of yourself.

Let's take a closer look at how you can implement each of these habits.

1. Find a good place to study.

Finding a good location to study is one of the most important elements of studying well. Look for a quiet place with minimal distractions—someplace where you’ll be able to focus, and won’t be interrupted by loud sounds or people who constantly want your attention.

A school or public library, a coffee shop, or a quiet corner of your house can all be good places to start. 

Should I stick to one place to study?

Not necessarily. Some studies show that occasionally changing where you study can help retain information. This is because studying the same material in different locations helps your brain create multiple associations with that material, making it easier for you to remember it [ 1 ]. It can be beneficial to find three or four places you like to study and switch locations when you’re feeling stuck or need a change of pace. That said, everybody is different. Find what works best for you.

2. Minimize distractions.

Picking a good location to study can be the first step in keeping yourself focused on your work. But there are many types of distractions that can reach you no matter where you choose to work. Here are some tips on minimizing these distractions:

Turn off your wifi: If you’re working on a computer and you don’t need your wifi, try turning it off. This can keep you from inadvertently wandering into the distracting parts of the internet.

Be mindful of your phone: It’s no secret that our smartphones can be hugely distracting. Turning off your notifications, keeping your phone out of sight in your bag, or giving it to a friend to keep you from checking it too often can help you stay focused. You might also try a focus app, like Forest or Focus To-Do , that can block distracting apps and set timers for study sessions.

Study with a friend: Sometimes studying with a friend or two, whether or not you’re working on the same material, can help keep you accountable and focused. Make sure you each are on the same page about studying and keeping one another distraction-free, at least until it’s time to take a break.

Should I listen to music while I study?

Listening to music while you study has some benefits; it can boost your mood and calm anxiety or stress. But studies show that reading comprehension tends to fall when the music is too loud, fast-paced, or contains lyrics [ 2 ]. Stick with calming, wordless songs while studying, and save the upbeat numbers for breaks.

3. Take breaks.

Taking intentional breaks has been linked to better retention, increased attention, and boosts in energy. Research shows that working for around 50 minutes, then giving yourself a 15- to 20-minute break, can lead to optimum productivity [ 3 ]. Here are a few ways you can give yourself a break:

Take a short walk

Listen to a mood-boosting song

Relax with a friend

Zone out and daydream

Have a snack

Take a shower

Clean your desk or room

Not all breaks are created equal. Checking your phone or social media as a study break has actually been linked to a decrease in performance [ 4 ]. 

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4. Space out your studying.

Cramming can still help you get a good grade on a test, but studies show that you’re much more likely to forget that information as soon as the test is over. Really holding onto the material you learned (and making exam seasons less stressful) requires consistent and well-spaced study sessions.

Instead of saving your studying for before a test, briefly review material you learned once a week. If you are studying for an exam, space out your studying up to several weeks (or even months, depending on the test) leading up to the exam day. This can help you retain the information long term. 

5. Set study goals for each session.

Set study goals for each session of studying you have. These can be time-based or content-based. For example, you might aim to study for two hours, or review three chapters of your textbook—or both.

Don’t be too harsh on yourself if you didn’t get through as much as you had planned; sometimes studying can take longer than expected. Keep taking well-spaced breaks, and schedule another study session.

6. Reward yourself.

Rewarding yourself with treats—“bribing” yourself—has been linked to better self-control, and can be helpful in forming good habits [ 5 ]. Telling yourself you’ll get a small reward if you finish the section you wanted to get through, or perhaps a larger reward if you have a productive day of studying, can be good motivation to get to your goal. 

Small rewards can be a candy bar, a hot drink from your favorite coffee shop, a quick game of your choice, or a short episode of a TV show. Bigger rewards for a long day of studying or getting done with an exam can include getting your favorite meal, spending some time relaxing with friends, or making time for your favorite activity. 

7. Study with a group.

There are several benefits to forming a study group. Group members can help one another work through difficult problems, provide encouragement, hold each other accountable to studying goals, provide different perspectives, and make studying more enjoyable. Even explaining difficult concepts to others can help with comprehension and retention. 

If you have a group study session, set a goal the group will work towards and take periodic breaks as you would studying by yourself.

8. Take practice tests.

Tests and practice tests have been long seen as useful tools to help students learn and retain information. Besides revealing gaps in knowledge and reducing exam anxiety, being tested makes us retrieve information from memory—a powerful, study-backed way of holding onto information we’ve learned [ 6 ].

Don’t have a practice exam? There are several ways you can “test” yourself and gain the same benefits. Try the following methods:

Create flashcards

Write your own questions

Search for practice questions online

Have a friend quiz you

9. Use your own words.

Expressing an idea in your own words increases your understanding of a subject and helps your brain hang on to information. After you read a section of text, summarize important points by paraphrasing. 

10. Ask for help.

You might find yourself stuck on a problem or unable to understand the explanation in a textbook. Somebody who is able to walk through the issue with you might provide the fresh explanation you need. Approach your teacher or professor, teaching assistant, friend, or study group member for new ways to understand what you’re stuck on. Feel like you can benefit from being coached through a subject? Consider looking for a tutor.

And don’t forget the myriad online tools that might be at your disposal, like the Khan Academy . A quick search through Google or YouTube can also surface helpful articles or videos on subjects you’re trying to grasp.

11. Take care of yourself.

At the end of the day, your brain is an organ in your body—take care of it by taking care of yourself. Get regular exercise, eat well, don’t overdrink, get good sleep, and take care of your mental wellbeing. 

Sleep: Studies have linked sleep deprivation to decreased cognitive function, including reduced attention spans and doing worse on tests [ 7 ]. Everybody’s sleep needs are different, but people typically need between seven and eight-and-a-half hours of sleep a night. Plus, getting more sleep can make you happier and benefit your social life.

Food: Try to incorporate more fruits, vegetables, plant sources of proteins, nuts, and unsaturated oils like olive oil into your diet, all of which have been linked to better cognitive performance [ 8 ]. 

Exercise: Exercise brings oxygen to the part of your brain responsible for thought, encourages the development of new nerve cells, and boosts brain cell connections [ 8 ]. This makes for brains that are more neuroplastic and efficient—plus it brings a host of other health benefits, like lower blood pressure, reduced mental stress, and weight control.

Mental wellness: Mental health is important because it helps us deal with stress, improves our relationships with others, allows us to live more meaningfully, and be more productive in our work. Exercising, eating well, and getting good sleep can each boost our mental health. But there are other ways of fortifying mental strength, such as connecting with others, practicing gratitude, meditating, and developing a sense of meaning in life [ 9 ].

Getting started

Forming good habits can be difficult, but starting with small, achievable steps can set you up to have consistent study habits for the rest of your life. Explore more personal development courses from leading universities and institutions on Coursera. Sign up for a free 7-day trial and start learning today.

Looking to get a degree? Knowing what’s out there is a good first step. Take a look at bachelor’s and master’s degrees on Coursera .

Article sources

New York Times. " Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits , https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html." Accessed July 27, 2022.

University of Wollongong Australia. " Is it OK to listen to music while studying? , https://www.uow.edu.au/media/2019/is-it-ok-to-listen-to-music-while-studying.php." Accessed July 27, 2022.

TIME Magazine. " The Exact Perfect Amount of Time to Take a Break, According to Data , https://time.com/3518053/perfect-break/." Accessed July 27, 2022.

Bustle. " A New Study Says Scrolling Through Social Media Doesn’t Actually Give You A Mental Break , https://www.bustle.com/p/taking-a-break-by-looking-at-social-media-doesnt-help-your-mind-reset-a-new-study-says-18682642." Accessed July 27, 2022.

PsychCentral. " The Pscyhology of Rewarding Yourself with Treats , https://psychcentral.com/blog/psychology-rewarding-yourself-with-treats." Accessed July 27, 2022.

KQED. " A Better Way to Study Through Self-Testing and Distributed Practice , https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/49750/a-better-way-to-study-through-self-testing-and-distributed-practice." Accessed July 27, 2022.

Forbes. " New Studies Show What Sleep Loss Does To The Brain And Cognition , https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2019/11/29/new-studies-show-what-sleep-loss-does-to-the-brain-and-cognition/." Accessed July 27, 2022.

Harvard Health Publishing. " 12 ways to keep your brain young , https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/12-ways-to-keep-your-brain-young." Accessed July 27, 2022.

MedlinePlus. " How to Improve Mental Health , https://medlineplus.gov/howtoimprovementalhealth.html." Accessed July 27, 2022.

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Top 10 Study Tips to Study Like a Harvard Student

Adjusting to a demanding college workload might be a challenge, but these 10 study tips can help you stay prepared and focused.

Lian Parsons

The introduction to a new college curriculum can seem overwhelming, but optimizing your study habits can boost your confidence and success both in and out of the classroom. 

Transitioning from high school to the rigor of college studies can be overwhelming for many students, and finding the best way to study with a new course load can seem like a daunting process. 

Effective study methods work because they engage multiple ways of learning. As Jessie Schwab, psychologist and preceptor at the Harvard College Writing Program, points out, we tend to misjudge our own learning. Being able to recite memorized information is not the same as actually retaining it. 

“One thing we know from decades of cognitive science research is that learners are often bad judges of their own learning,” says Schwab. “Memorization seems like learning, but in reality, we probably haven’t deeply processed that information enough for us to remember it days—or even hours—later.”

Planning ahead and finding support along the way are essential to your success in college. This blog will offer study tips and strategies to help you survive (and thrive!) in your first college class. 

1. Don’t Cram! 

It might be tempting to leave all your studying for that big exam up until the last minute, but research suggests that cramming does not improve longer term learning. 

Students may perform well on a test for which they’ve crammed, but that doesn’t mean they’ve truly learned the material, says an article from the American Psychological Association . Instead of cramming, studies have shown that studying with the goal of long-term retention is best for learning overall.   

2. Plan Ahead—and Stick To It! 

Having a study plan with set goals can help you feel more prepared and can give you a roadmap to follow. Schwab said procrastination is one mistake that students often make when transitioning to a university-level course load. 

“Oftentimes, students are used to less intensive workloads in high school, so one of my biggest pieces of advice is don’t cram,” says Schwab. “Set yourself a study schedule ahead of time and stick to it.”

3. Ask for Help

You don’t have to struggle through difficult material on your own. Many students are not used to seeking help while in high school, but seeking extra support is common in college.

As our guide to pursuing a biology major explains, “Be proactive about identifying areas where you need assistance and seek out that assistance immediately. The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes to catch up.”

There are multiple resources to help you, including your professors, tutors, and fellow classmates. Harvard’s Academic Resource Center offers academic coaching, workshops, peer tutoring, and accountability hours for students to keep you on track.  

4. Use the Buddy System 

Your fellow students are likely going through the same struggles that you are. Reach out to classmates and form a study group to go over material together, brainstorm, and to support each other through challenges.

Having other people to study with means you can explain the material to one another, quiz each other, and build a network you can rely on throughout the rest of the class—and beyond. 

5. Find Your Learning Style

It might take a bit of time (and trial and error!) to figure out what study methods work best for you. There are a variety of ways to test your knowledge beyond simply reviewing your notes or flashcards. 

Schwab recommends trying different strategies through the process of metacognition. Metacognition involves thinking about your own cognitive processes and can help you figure out what study methods are most effective for you. 

Schwab suggests practicing the following steps:

  • Before you start to read a new chapter or watch a lecture, review what you already know about the topic and what you’re expecting to learn.
  • As you read or listen, take additional notes about new information, such as related topics the material reminds you of or potential connections to other courses. Also note down questions you have.
  • Afterward, try to summarize what you’ve learned and seek out answers to your remaining questions. 

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6. Take Breaks

The brain can only absorb so much information at a time. According to the National Institutes of Health , research has shown that taking breaks in between study sessions boosts retention. 

Studies have shown that wakeful rest plays just as important a role as practice in learning a new skill. Rest allows our brains to compress and consolidate memories of what we just practiced. 

Make sure that you are allowing enough time, relaxation, and sleep between study sessions so your brain will be refreshed and ready to accept new information.

7. Cultivate a Productive Space

Where you study can be just as important as how you study. 

Find a space that is free of distractions and has all the materials and supplies you need on hand. Eat a snack and have a water bottle close by so you’re properly fueled for your study session. 

8. Reward Yourself

Studying can be mentally and emotionally exhausting and keeping your stamina up can be challenging.

Studies have shown that giving yourself a reward during your work can increase the enjoyment and interest in a given task.

According to an article for Science Daily , studies have shown small rewards throughout the process can help keep up motivation, rather than saving it all until the end. 

Next time you finish a particularly challenging study session, treat yourself to an ice cream or  an episode of your favorite show.

9. Review, Review, Review

Practicing the information you’ve learned is the best way to retain information. 

Researchers Elizabeth and Robert Bjork have argued that “desirable difficulties” can enhance learning. For example, testing yourself with flashcards is a more difficult process than simply reading a textbook, but will lead to better long-term learning. 

“One common analogy is weightlifting—you have to actually “exercise those muscles” in order to ultimately strengthen your memories,” adds Schwab.

10. Set Specific Goals

Setting specific goals along the way of your studying journey can show how much progress you’ve made. Psychology Today recommends using the SMART method:

  • Specific: Set specific goals with an actionable plan, such as “I will study every day between 2 and 4 p.m. at the library.”  
  • Measurable: Plan to study a certain number of hours or raise your exam score by a certain percent to give you a measurable benchmark.
  • Realistic: It’s important that your goals be realistic so you don’t get discouraged. For example, if you currently study two hours per week, increase the time you spend to three or four hours rather than 10.
  • Time-specific: Keep your goals consistent with your academic calendar and your other responsibilities.

Using a handful of these study tips can ensure that you’re getting the most out of the material in your classes and help set you up for success for the rest of your academic career and beyond. 

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About the Author

Lian Parsons is a Boston-based writer and journalist. She is currently a digital content producer at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education. Her bylines can be found at the Harvard Gazette, Boston Art Review, Radcliffe Magazine, Experience Magazine, and iPondr.

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  • v.20(1); Spring 2021

To What Extent Do Study Habits Relate to Performance?

Elise m. walck-shannon.

† Biology Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130

Shaina F. Rowell

‡ Center for Integrative Research on Cognition, Learning, and Education (CIRCLE), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130

Regina F. Frey

§ Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Associated Data

Students’ study sessions outside class are important learning opportunities in college courses. However, we often depend on students to study effectively without explicit instruction. In this study, we described students’ self-reported study habits and related those habits to their performance on exams. Notably, in these analyses, we controlled for potential confounds, such as academic preparation, self-reported class absences, and self-reported total study time. First, we found that, on average, students used approximately four active strategies to study and that they spent about half of their study time using active strategies. In addition, both the number of active strategies and the proportion of their study time using active strategies positively predicted exam performance. Second, on average, students started studying 6 days before an exam, but how early a student started studying was not related to performance on in-term (immediate) or cumulative (delayed) exams. Third, on average, students reported being distracted about 20% of their study time, and distraction while studying negatively predicted exam performance. These results add nuance to lab findings and help instructors prioritize study habits to target for change.

INTRODUCTION

One of our goals in college courses is to help students develop into independent, self-regulated learners. This requires students to perform several metacognitive tasks on their own, including setting goals, choosing strategies, monitoring and reflecting on performance, and modifying those steps over time ( Zimmerman, 2002 ). There are many challenges that learners encounter in developing self-regulation. One such challenge is that students often misjudge their learning during the monitoring and reflection phases ( Kornell and Bjork, 2007 ). Often, students feel that they learn more from cognitively superficial tasks than from cognitively effortful tasks. As one example, students may feel that they have learned more if they reread a text passage multiple times than if they are quizzed on that same material ( Karpicke and Roediger, 2008 ). In contrast to students’ judgments, many effortful tasks are highly effective for learning. R. A. Bjork defines these effective, effortful tasks as desirable difficulties ( Bjork, 1994 ). In the present study, we investigated the frequency with which students reported carrying out effortful (active) or superficial (passive) study habits in a large introductory biology course. Additionally, we examined the relationship between study habits and performance on exams while controlling for prior academic preparation and total study time.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Why would difficulties be desirable.

During learning, the goal is to generate knowledge or skills that are robustly integrated with related knowledge and easily accessible. Desirable difficulties promote cognitive processes that either aid forming robust, interconnected knowledge or skills or retrieving that knowledge or skill ( Bjork, 1994 ; also see Marsh and Butler, 2013 , for a chapter written for educators). Learners employing desirable difficulties may feel that they put in more effort and make more mistakes, but they are actually realizing larger gains toward long-term learning than learners using cognitively superficial tasks.

Which Study Habits Are Difficult in a Desirable Way?

Study habits can include a wide variety of behaviors, from the amount of time that students study, to the strategies that they use while studying, to the environment in which they study. The desirable difficulties framework ( Bjork and Bjork, 2011 ), describes two main kinds of effective habits that apply to our study: 1) using effortful study strategies or techniques that prompt students to generate something or test themselves during studying and 2) distributing study time into multiple sessions to avoid “cramming” near the exam. In the following two paragraphs, we expand upon these study habits of interest.

The desirable difficulties framework suggests that study strategies whereby students actively generate a product or test themselves promote greater long-term learning than study strategies whereby students passively consume presentations. This is supported by strong evidence for the “generation effect,” in which new knowledge or skills are more robustly encoded and retrieved if you generate a solution, explanation, or summary, rather than looking it up ( Jacoby, 1978 ). A few generative strategies that are commonly reported among students—summarization, self-explanation, and practice testing—are compared below. Summarization is a learning strategy in which students identify key points and combine them into a succinct explanation in their own words. As predicted by the generation effect, evidence suggests that summarization is more effective than rewriting notes (e.g., laboratory study by Bretzing and Kulhavy, 1979 ) or reviewing notes (e.g., classroom study by King, 1992 ). Self-explanation is a learning strategy wherein students ask “how” and “why” questions for material as they are being exposed to the material or shortly after ( Berry, 1983 ). This is one form of elaborative interrogation, a robust memory technique in which learners generate more expansive details for new knowledge to help them remember that information ( Pressley et al. , 1987 ). Self-explanation requires little instruction and seems to be helpful for a broad array of tasks, including recall, comprehension, and transfer. Further, it is more effective than summarization (e.g., classroom study by King, 1992 ), perhaps because it prompts students to make additional connections between new and existing knowledge. Practice testing is supported by evidence of the “testing effect,” for which retrieving information itself actually promotes learning ( Karpicke and Roediger, 2008 ). The memory benefits of the “testing effect” can be achieved with any strategy in which students complete problems or practice retrieval without relying on external materials (quizzing, practice testing, flashcards, etc.). In this study, we refer to these strategies together as “self-quizzing.” Self-quizzing is especially effective at improving performance on delayed tests, even as long as 9–11 months after initial learning ( Carpenter, 2009 ). Additionally, in the laboratory, self-quizzing has been shown to be effective on a range of tasks from recall to inference ( Karpicke and Blunt, 2011 ). Overall, research suggests that active, more effortful strategies—such as self-quizzing, summarization, and self-explanation—are more effective for learning than passive strategies—such as rereading and rewriting notes. In this study, we asked whether these laboratory findings would extend to students’ self-directed study time, focusing especially on the effectiveness of effortful (herein, “active”) study strategies.

The second effective habit described by the desirable difficulties framework is to avoid cramming study time near exam time. The “spacing effect” describes the phenomenon wherein, when given equal study time, spacing study out into multiple sessions promotes greater long-term learning than massing (i.e., cramming) study into one study session. Like the “testing effect,” the “spacing effect” is especially pronounced for longer-term tests in the laboratory ( Rawson and Kintsch, 2005 ). Based on laboratory studies, we would expect that, in a course context, cramming study time into fewer sessions close to an exam would be less desirable for long-term learning than distributing study time over multiple sessions, especially if that learning is measured on a delay.

However, estimating spacing in practice is more complicated. Classroom studies have used two main methodologies to estimate spacing, either asking the students to report their study schedules directly ( Susser and McCabe, 2013 ) or asking students to choose whether they describe their pattern of study as spaced out or occurring in one session ( Hartwig and Dunlosky, 2012 ; Rodriguez et al. , 2018 ). The results from these analyses have been mixed; in some cases, spacing has been a significant, positive predictor of performance ( Rodriquez et al. , 2018 ; Susser and McCabe, 2013 ), but in other cases it has not ( Hartwig and Dunlosky, 2012 ).

In the present study, we do not claim measure spacing directly. Lab definitions of spacing are based on studying the same topic over multiple sessions. But, because our exams have multiple topics, some students who start studying early may not revisit the same topic in multiple sessions. Rather, in this study, we measure what we refer to as “spacing potential.” For example, if students study only on the day before the exam, there is little potential for spacing. If, instead, they are studying across 7 days, there is more potential for spacing. We collected two spacing potential measurements: (1) cramming , or the number of days in advance that a student began studying for the exam; and (2) consistency , or the number of days in the week leading up to an exam that a student studied. Based on our measurements, students with a higher spacing potential would exhibit less cramming and study more consistently than students with lower spacing potential. Because not every student with a high spacing potential may actually space out the studying of a single topic into multiple sessions, spacing potential is likely to underestimate the spacing effect; however, it is a practical way to indirectly estimate spacing in practice.

Importantly, not all difficult, or effortful, study tasks are desirable ( Bjork and Bjork, 2011 ). For example, in the present study, we examined students’ level of distraction while studying. Distraction can come in many forms, commonly “multitasking,” or splitting one’s attention among multiple tasks (e.g., watching lectures while also scrolling through social media). However, multitasking has been shown to decrease working memory for the study tasks at hand ( May and Elder, 2018 ). Thus, it may make a task more difficult, but in a way that interferes with learning rather than contributing to it.

In summary, available research suggests that active, effortful study strategies are more effective than passive ones; that cramming is less effective than distributing studying over time; and that focused study is more effective than distracted study. Whether students choose to use these more effective practices during their independent study time is a separate question.

How Do Students Actually Study for Their Courses?

There have been several studies surveying students’ general study habits. When asked free-response questions about their study strategies in general, students listed an average of 2.9 total strategies ( Karpicke et al. , 2009 ). In addition, few students listed active strategies, such as self-quizzing, but many students listed more passive strategies, such as rereading.

There have also been studies asking whether what students actually do while they are studying is related to their achievement. Hartwig and Dunlosky (2012) surveyed 324 college students about their general study habits and found that self-quizzing and rereading were positively correlated with grade point average (GPA). Other studies have shown that using Facebook or texting during study sessions was negatively associated with college GPA ( Junco, 2012 ; Junco and Cotten, 2012 ). While these findings are suggestive, we suspect that the use of study strategies and the relationship between study strategies and achievement may differ from discipline to discipline. The research we have reviewed thus far has been conducted for students’ “general” study habits, rather than for specific courses. To learn about how study habits relate to learning biology, it is necessary to look at study habits within the context of biology courses.

How Do Students Study for Biology Courses?

Several prior qualitative studies carried out within the context of specific biology courses have shown that students often report ineffective habits, such as favoring passive strategies or cramming. Hora and Oleson ( 2017 ) found that, when asked about study habits in focus groups, students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses (including biology) used predominantly passive strategies such as reviewing notes or texts, practices that in some cases were unchanged from high school. Tomanek and Montplaisir (2004) found that the majority of 13 interviewed students answered questions on old exams (100% of students) and reread lecture slides (92.3% of students) or the textbook (61.5% of students) to study for a biology exam, but only a small minority participated in deeper tasks such as explaining concepts to a peer (7.7% of students) or generating flashcards for retrieval practice (7.7% of students). We can also learn indirectly about students’ study habits by analyzing what they would change upon reflection. For example, in another study within an introductory biology classroom, Stanton and colleagues ( 2015 ) asked students what they would change about their studying for the next exam. In this context, 13.5% of students said that using active strategies would be more effective for learning, and 55.5% said that they wanted to spend more time studying, many of whom reported following through by studying earlier for the next exam ( Stanton et al. , 2015 ). In the current study, we extended prior research by exploring the prevalence of multiple study habits simultaneously, including the use of active study strategy and study timing, in a large sample of introductory biology students.

In addition to characterizing students’ study habits, we also aimed to show how those study habits were related to performance in a biology classroom. In one existing study, there were positive associations between exam performance and some (but not all) active strategies—such as completing practice exams and taking notes—but no significant associations between performance and some more passive strategies—such as reviewing notes/screencasts or reviewing the textbook ( Sebesta and Bray Speth, 2017 ). In another study, both self-reported study patterns (e.g., spacing studies into multiple sessions or one single session) and self-quizzing were positively related to overall course grade in a molecular biology course ( Rodriguez et al. , 2018 ). We build on this previous work by asking whether associations between performance and a wide variety of study habits still hold when controlling for confounding variables, such as student preparation and total study time.

In this study, we asked whether students actually use cognitive psychologists’ recommendations from the desirable difficulty framework in a specific biology course, and we investigated whether students who reported using those recommendations during studying performed differently on exams than those who did not. We wanted to focus on how students spend their study time, rather than the amount of time that they study, their level of preparation, or engagement. Therefore, we used regression analyses to hold preparation (i.e., ACT math and the course pretest scores), self-reported class absences, and overall study time equal. In this way, we estimated the relationship between particular study habit variables—including the strategies that students use, their timing of using those strategies, and their level of distraction while studying—and exam performance.

Based on previous research and the desirable difficulties framework, we hypothesized that:

  • Students would use a combination of active and passive strategies, but those who used more active study strategies or who devoted more of their study time to active strategies would perform higher on their exams than those who used fewer active strategies or devoted less time to active strategies.
  • Students would vary in their study timing, but those with less spacing potential (e.g., crammed their study time or studied less consistently) would perform worse, especially on long-term tests (final exam and course posttest), than students with more spacing potential.
  • Students would report at least some distraction during their studying, but those who reported being distracted for a smaller percent of their study time would score higher on exams than students who reported being distracted for a larger percent of their study time.

Context and Participants

Data for this study were gathered from a large-enrollment introductory biology course (total class size was 623) during the Spring 2019 semester at a selective, private institution in the Midwest. This course covers basic biochemistry and molecular genetics. It is the first semester of a two-semester sequence. Students who take this course are generally interested in life science majors and/or have pre-health intentions. The data for this study came from an on-campus repository; both the repository and this study have been approved by our internal review board (IRB ID: 201810007 for this study; IRB ID: 201408004 for the repository). There were no exclusion criteria for the study. Anyone who gave consent and for whom all variables were available was considered for the analyses. However, because the variables were different in each analysis, the sample differed slightly from analysis to analysis. When we compared students who were included in the first hypothesis’s analyses to students who gave consent but were not included, we found no significant differences between participants and nonparticipants for ACT math score, pretest score, year in school, sex, or race (Supplemental Table 1). This suggested that our sample did not dramatically differ from the class as a whole.

Other than those analyses labeled “post hoc,” analyses were preplanned before data were retrieved.

Timeline of Assignments Used in This Study

Figure 1 shows a timeline of the assignments analyzed in this study, which included the exam 1 and 2 reflections (both online), exams 1 and 2 (both in person), the course pre and post knowledge tests (both online), and a cumulative final exam (in person). As shown in the text boxes within Figure 1 , the majority (85.7% [430/502] or greater) of students completed each of the assignments that were used in this study.

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Timeline of assignments used in this study organized by mode of submission (online vs. in person) and grading (completion vs. accuracy). Exam days are indicated by thick lines. There were other course assignments (including a third exam), but they are not depicted here, because they were not analyzed in this study. Exam return is indicated by dotted lines. Light gray boxes represent weeks that class was in session. The number of consenting students who completed each assignment is indicated in the corresponding assignment box; the total number of consenting students was 502.

Exam Reflections

Students’ responses to exam 1 and 2 study habits reflections were central to all of our hypotheses. In these reflection assignments, students were asked to indicate their study habits leading up to the exam (see Supplemental Item 1 for prompts), including the timing of studying and type of study strategies. The list of strategies for students to choose from came from preliminary analysis of open-response questions in previous years. To increase the likelihood that students accurately remembered their study habits, we made the exercise available online immediately after each exam for 5 days. The reflection assignment was completed before exam grades were returned to students so that their performance did not bias their memory of studying. Students received 0.20% of the total course points for completion of each reflection.

Exams in this course contained both structured-response (multiple-choice, matching, etc.) and free-response questions. The exams were given in person and contained a mixture of lower-order cognitive level (i.e., recall and comprehension) and higher-order cognitive level (i.e., application, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation) questions. Two independent (A.B and G. Y.) raters qualitatively coded exam questions by cognitive level using a rubric slightly modified from Crowe et al. (2008) to bin lower-order and higher-order level questions. This revealed that 38% of exam points were derived from higher-order questions. Each in-term exam was worth 22.5% of the course grade, and the cumulative final exam was worth 25% of the course grade. To prepare for the exams, students were assigned weekly quizzes and were given opportunities for optional practice quizzing and in-class clicker questions as formative assessment. Students were also provided with weekly learning objectives and access to the previous year’s exams. None of the exam questions were identical to questions presented previously in problem sets, old exams, or quizzes. Additionally, in the first week of class, students were given a handout about effective study strategies that included a list of active study techniques along with content-specific examples. Further, on the first quiz, students were asked to determine the most active way to use a particular resource from a list of options. The mean and SD of these exams, and all other variables used in this analysis, can be found in Supplemental Table 2. Pairwise correlations for all variables can be found in Supplemental Table 3

Pre and Post Knowledge Test

As described previously ( Walck-Shannon et al. , 2019 ), the pre/posttest is a multiple-choice test that had been developed by the instructor team. The test contained 38 questions, but the percentage of questions correct is reported here for ease of interpretation. The same test was given online in the first week of classes and after class sessions had ended. One percent extra credit was given to students who completed both tests. To encourage students to participate fully, we presented the pre and posttests as learning opportunities in the course to foreshadow topics for the course (pretest) or review topics for the final (posttest). Additionally, we told students that “reasonable effort” was required for credit. Expressing this rationale seemed to be effective for participation rates. While others have found that participation is low when extra credit is offered as an incentive (38%, Padilla-Walker et al. , 2005 ), we found participation rates for the pre- and posttests to be high; 97.4% of students completed the pretest and 85.9% of students completed the posttest.

Statistical Analyses

To test our three hypotheses, we used hierarchical regression. We controlled for potential confounding variables in step 1 and factored in the study variable of interest at step 2 for each model. We performed the following steps to check that the assumptions of linear regression were met for each model: first, we made scatter plots and found that the relationship was roughly linear, rather than curved; second, we plotted the histogram of residuals and found that they were normally distributed and centered around zero; and finally, we checked for multicollinearity by verifying that no two variables in the model were highly correlated (greater than 0.8). All statistical analyses were performed in JMP Pro (SAS Institute).

Base Model Selection

The purpose of the base model was to account for potential confounding variables. Thus, we included variables that we theoretically expected to explain some variance in exam performance based on previous studies. First, based on a meta-analysis ( Westrick et al. , 2015 ) and our own previous study with a different cohort in this same course ( Walck-Shannon et al. , 2019 ), we expected academic preparation to predict performance. Therefore, we included ACT math and biology pretest scores in our base model. Second, the negative relationship between self-reported class absences and exam or course performance is well documented ( Gump, 2005 ; Lin and Chen, 2006 ; Credé et al. , 2010 ). Therefore, we included the number of class sessions missed in our base model. Finally, our research questions focus on how students use their study time, rather than the relationship between study time itself and performance. Because others have found a small but significant relationship between total study time and performance ( Credé and Kuncel, 2008 ), we controlled for the total number of hours spent studying in our base model. In summary, theoretical considerations of confounds prompted us to include ACT math score, biology pretest score, self-reported class absences, and self-reported exam study time as the base for each model.

Calculated Indices

In the following sections we provide descriptions of variables that were calculated from the reported data. If variables were used directly as input by the student (e.g., class absences, percent of study time distracted) or directly as reported by the registrar (e.g., ACT score), they are not listed below.

Total Exam Study Time.

In students’ exam reflections, they were asked to report both the number of hours that they studied each day in the week leading up to the exam and any hours that they spent studying more than 1 week ahead of the exam. The total exam study time was the sum of these study hours.

Number of Active Strategies Used.

To determine the number of active strategies used, we first had to define which strategies were active. To do so, all authors reviewed literature about desirable difficulties and effective study strategies (also reviewed in Bjork and Bjork, 2011 , and Dunlosky et al. , 2013 , respectively). Then, each author categorized the strategies independently. Finally, we met to discuss until agreement was reached. The resulting categorizations are given in Table 1 . Students who selected “other” and wrote a text description were recoded into existing categories. After the coding was in place, we summed the number of active strategies that each student reported to yield the number of active strategies variable.

Specific study strategy prompts from exam reflections, listed in prevalence of use for exam 1 a

a The classification of the strategy into active and passive is stated in “type.” Prevalences for exam 1 ( n = 424) and exam 2 ( n = 471) are reported.

Proportion of Study Time Using Active Strategies.

In addition to asking students which strategies they used, we also asked them to estimate the percentage of their study time they spent using each strategy. To calculate the proportion of study time using active strategies, we summed the percentages of time using each of the active strategies, then divided by the sum of the percentages for all strategies. For most students (90.0% for exam 1 and 92.8% for exam 2), the sum of all percentages was 100%. However, there were some students whose reported percentages did not add to 100%. If the summed percentages added to between 90 and 110%, they were still included in analyses. If, for example, the sum of all percentages was 90%, and 40% of that was using active strategies, this would become 0.44 (40/90). If the summed percentages were lower than 90% or higher than 110%, students were excluded from the analyses involving the proportion of active study time index.

Number of Days in Advance Studying Began.

In the exam 2 reflection, we asked students to report: 1) their study hours in the week leading up to the exam; and 2) if they began before this time, the total number of hours and date that they began studying. If students did not report any study hours earlier than the week leading up to the exam, we used their first reported study hour as the first day of study. If students did report study time before the week before the exam, we used the reported date that studying began as the first day of study. To get the number of days in advance variable, we counted the number of days between the first day of study and the day of the exam. If a student began studying on exam day, this would be recorded as 0. All students reported some amount of studying.

Number of Days Studied in Week Leading Up to the Exam.

As a measure of studying consistency, we counted the number of days that each student reported studying in the week leading up to exam 2. More specifically, the number of days with nonzero reported study hours were summed to give the number of days studied.

The study strategies that students selected, the timing with which they implemented those strategies, and the level of distraction they reported while doing so are described below. We depict the frequencies with which certain study variables were reported and correlate those study variables to exam 1 and exam 2 scores. For all performance analyses described in the Results section, we first controlled for a base model described below.

We attempted to control for some confounding variables using a base model, which included preparation (ACT math and course pretest percentage), self-reported class absences, and self-reported total study hours. For each analysis, we included all consenting individuals who responded to the relevant reflection questions for the model. Thus, the sample size and values for the variables in the base model differed slightly from analysis to analysis. For brevity, only the first base model is reported in the main text; the other base models included the same variables and are reported in Supplemental Tables 5A, 7A, and 8A.

The base model significantly predicted exam 1 score and exam 2 score for all analyses. Table 2 shows these results for the first analysis; exam 1: R 2 = 0.327, F (4, 419) = 51.010, p < 0.0001; exam 2: R 2 = 0.219, F(4, 466) = 32.751, p < 0.0001. As expected, all individual predictor terms were significant for both exams, with preparation and study time variables positively associated and absences negatively associated. For means and SDs of all continuous variables in this study, see Supplemental Table 2. We found that the preparatory variables were the most predictive, with the course pretest being more predictive than ACT math score. Total study time and class absences were predictive of performance to a similar degree. In summary, our base model accounted for a substantial proportion (32.7%) of the variance due to preparation, class absences, and study time, which allowed us to interpret the relationship between particular study habits and performance more directly.

Base model for hierarchical regression analyses in Table 3 for exam 1 ( n = 424) and exam 2 ( n = 471) a

Did Students Who Used More Active Study Strategies Perform Better on Exams?

We first investigated the specific study strategies listed in Table 1 . Then, we examined the total amount of time spent on active strategies to test our hypothesis that students who spent more time actively studying performed better on exams. Further, we counted the number of different types of active strategies that students used to test whether students who used a more diverse set of active strategies performed better on exams than those who used fewer active strategies.

Study Strategies Differed in Their Frequency of Use and Effectiveness.

The frequency with which specific study strategies were employed is reported in Table 1 . Almost all students reported reading notes. The next most prevalent strategies were active in nature, including that students (in order of prevalence) completed problem sets, completed old exams, self-quizzed, synthesized notes, explained concepts, and made diagrams. Surprisingly, each of these active strategies was used by the majority of students (54.7–86.1%) for both exams 1 and 2 ( Table 1 ). Less frequently used strategies included those more passive in nature, including that students (in order of prevalence) watched lectures, reviewed online content, read the textbook, and rewrote notes. A relatively infrequent strategy was attending review sessions, office hours, and help sessions. Because student engagement varied dramatically in these different venues, we classified this category as mixed. In summary, our results showed that, after reading notes, the most frequently used strategies were active strategies.

Next, we wondered whether the types of strategies that students reported using were related to exam performance. For these analyses, we added whether a student used a specific strategy (0 or 1) into the model, after controlling for the base model reported in Table 2 . When holding preparation, class absences, and total study time equal, we found that, on average, students who reported having completed problem sets, explained concepts, self-quizzed, or attended review sessions earned 4.0–7.7% higher on average on both exams 1 and 2 than students who did not report using the strategy (see b unstd. in Table 3 ). Notably, these strategies were active in nature, except for the category attending review session, which was mixed in nature. The remaining active strategies were positively correlated to performance for only one of the exams. Additionally, we observed that the strategies categorized as passive were either nonsignificant or negatively related to performance on at least one exam. Together, these results suggest that active strategies tended to be positively related to exam performance. In our sample, each of these active strategies was used by the majority (more than half) of the students.

Relating specific study strategy use to performance on exam 1 ( n = 424) and exam 2 ( n = 471) when controlling for preparation, class absences, and total study hours (base model) a

The Proportion of Time Spent Using Active Strategies Positively Predicted Exam Score.

To further understand how active strategies related to performance, we investigated the proportion of study time that students spent using active strategies. On average, students spent about half of their study time using active strategies for exam 1 (M = 0.524, SD = 0.244) and exam 2 (M = 0.548, SD = 0.243), though values varied from 0 to 1 ( Figure 2 ). Importantly, students who spent a larger proportion of their study time on active strategies tended to perform better on exams 1 and 2. More specifically, after accounting for our base model (Supplemental Table 5A), the proportion of time students spent using active strategies added significant additional predictive value for exam 1, F (1, 416) = 8.770, p = 0.003, Δ R 2 = 0.014; and exam 2, F (1, 450) = 14.848, p = 0.0001, Δ R 2 = 0.024. When holding preparation, class absences, and total study time equal, we found that students who spent all of their study time on active strategies scored 5.5% higher and 10.0% higher on exams 1 and 2, respectively, than those who spent none of their study time on active strategies ( Table 4 ). Overall, these two results suggested that, on average, students spent about half of their study time using active strategies and students who devoted more study time to active strategies tended to perform better on exams.

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Distribution of the proportion of time that students devoted to active study for exam 1 ( n = 422) and exam 2 ( n = 456). Percentages of students in each bin are indicated.

Relating active study strategy use to performance on exam 1 ( n = 422) and exam 2 ( n = 456) when controlling for preparation, class absences, and total study hours (base model) a

The Number of Active Strategies Used Positively Predicted Exam Score.

We next investigated the number of active strategies used by each student. On average, students used approximately four active strategies for exam 1 (M = 4.212, SD = 1.510) and exam 2 (M = 4.239, SD = 1.501). Very few students used no active strategies and most students (73%) used four or more active strategies ( Figure 3 ). Further, those students who used more active strategies tended to perform higher on exams 1 and 2. More specifically, after accounting for our base model, the number of active strategies students used added significant additional predictive value for exam 1, ( F (1, 416) = 33.698, p < 0.0001 Δ R 2 = 0.024; and exam 2, F (1, 450) = 91.083, p < 0.0001, Δ R 2 = 0.066. When holding preparation, class absences, and total study time equal, we found that, for each additional active strategy used, students scored 1.9% and 2.8% higher on exams 1 and 2, respectively. Students who used all six active strategies scored 11.1% higher and 16.6% higher on exams 1 and 2, respectively, than those who used no active strategies ( Table 4 , See Supplemental Table 5A for base model). In summary, students who used a greater diversity of active strategies tended to perform better on exams.

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Distribution of the number of active strategies that each student used for exam 1 ( n = 422) and exam 2 ( n = 456). Percentages of students in each bin are indicated.

Post Hoc Analysis 1: Are Certain Active Strategies Uniquely Predictive of Performance?

Though it was not part of our planned analyses, the previous finding that the number of active strategies is predictive of performance made us question whether certain active strategies are uniquely predictive or whether they each have overlapping benefits. To test this, we added all six of the active strategies into the model as separate variables in the same step. When doing so, we found that the following active strategies were distinctly predictive for both exams 1 and 2: explaining concepts, self-quizzing, and completing problem sets (Supplemental Table 6). In other words, the portion of exam-score variance explained by certain active strategies was non-overlapping.

Did Study Timing Predict Performance on Immediate or Delayed Exams?

We next characterized students’ spacing potential using two indices: 1) the number of days in advance that studying began (cramming) and 2) the number of days in the week leading up to the exam that a student studied (consistency). Notably, in these results, we adjusted for our base model, which included total study time. In this way, we addressed the timing of studying while holding the total amount of studying equal. We examined outcomes at two different times: exam 2, which came close after studying; and the cumulative final exam and the posttest, which came after about a 5-week delay.

Cramming Was Not a Significant Predictor of Exam 2, the Final Exam, or the Posttest.

While there was variation in the degree of cramming among students, this was not predictive of exam score on either immediate or delayed tests. On average, students began studying 5.842 d in advance of exam 2 (SD = 4.377). About a third of students began studying 0–3 days before the exam, and another third began studying 4–6 days before the exam ( Figure 4 A). When holding preparation, class absences, and total study time equal, we found that the number of days in advance that studying began was not a significant predictor of in-term exam 2, the posttest, or the cumulative final ( Table 5 ; see Supplemental Table 7A for base model).

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Distributions of spacing potential variables for exam 2 ( n = 450). (A) The distribution of the days in advance that exam 2 studying began (cramming); (B) the distribution of the number of days studied in the week before exam 2 (consistency). Percentages of students in each bin are indicated.

Relating spacing potential to performance on in-term exam 2 ( n = 447), the posttest ( n = 392), and the cumulative final exam ( n = 450) when controlling for preparation, class absences, and total study hours (base model) a

Studying Consistency Was Not a Significant Predictor of Exam 2, the Final Exam, or the Posttest.

While there was variation in how consistently students studied in the week leading up to exam 2, this consistency was not predictive of exam score either immediately or on delayed tests. On average, students studied 5 of the 8 days leading up to the exam (M = 5.082, SD = 1.810 ). Sixteen percent of students studied every day, and no students studied fewer than 2 days in the week leading up to the exam ( Figure 4 B). When holding preparation, class absences, and total study time equal, we found that the number of days studied in the week leading up to the exam was not a significant predictor of in-term exam 2, the posttest, or the cumulative final ( Table 5 ; see Supplemental Table 7A for base model).

In summary, our students varied in both the degree of cramming and the consistency of their studying. Even so, when holding preparation, class absences, and study time equal as part of our base model, neither of these spacing potential measures were predictive of performance on immediate or delayed tests.

Did Students Who Reported Being Less Distracted while Studying Perform Better on Exams?

In addition to the timing of studying, another factor that contextualizes the study strategies is how focused students are during study sessions. In the exam reflections, we asked students how distracted they were while studying. Here, we relate those estimates to exam scores while controlling for our base model of preparation, class absences, and total study time.

Distraction while Studying Was a Negative Predictor of Exam Score.

On average, students reported being distracted during 20% of their exam 1 and exam 2 study time (exam 1: M = 20.733, SD = 16.478; exam 2: M = 20.239, SD = 15.506) . Sixty-one percent of students reported being distracted during more than 10% of their study time ( Figure 5 ). Further, students who were more distracted while studying tended to perform lower on exams 1 and 2. After accounting for our base model, the percent of study time that students reported being distracted added significant additional predictive value for exam 1 and exam 2; exam 1: F (1, 429) = 12.365, p = 0.000, Δ R 2 = 0.019; exam 2: F (1, 467) = 8.942, p = 0.003, Δ R 2 = 0.015. When holding preparation, class absences, and total study time equal, we found that students who reported being distracted 10% more than other students scored about 1% lower on exams 1 and 2 ( Table 6 ; see Supplemental Table 8A for base model). In summary, this suggests that not only was it common for students to be distracted while studying, but this was also negatively related to exam performance.

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Distribution of the percent of time students reported being distracted while studying for exam 1 ( n = 435) and exam 2 ( n = 473). Percentages of students in each bin are indicated.

Relating study distraction to performance on exam 1 ( n = 435) and exam 2 ( n = 473) when controlling for preparation, class absences, and total study hours (base model) a

Students’ independent study behaviors are an important part of their learning in college courses. When holding preparation, class absences, and total study time equal, we found that students who spent more time on effortful, active study strategies and used a greater number of active strategies had higher scores for exams. Yet neither students who started studying earlier nor those who studied over more sessions scored differently than students who started later or studied over fewer sessions. Additionally, students who were more distracted while studying tended to perform worse than students who were less distracted. In other words, both the degree to which students employed desirably difficult strategies while studying and their level of focus when doing so were important for performance.

Specific Study Strategies (Hypothesis 1)

Our finding that more time and diversity of active study strategies were associated with higher exam grades was consistent with our hypothesis based on the desirable difficulties framework, laboratory, and classroom research studies ( Berry, 1983 ; King, 1992 ; Bjork, 1994 ; Karpicke and Roediger, 2008 ; Karpicke and Blunt, 2011 ; Hartwig and Dunlosky, 2012 ). Our study brought together lab research about effective strategies with what students did during self-directed study in an actual course. In doing so, we affirmed the lab findings that active strategies are generally effective, but also uncovered further nuances that highlight the value of investigating course-specific study strategies.

First, our study, when combined with other work, may have revealed that certain study strategies are more common than course-nonspecific surveys would predict. For example, compared with surveys of general study habits, our students reported relatively high use of active strategies. We found that the majority of students (73%) reported using four or more active strategies, which was more than the 2.9 average total strategies listed by students in a survey about general study habits at this same institution ( Karpicke et al. , 2009 ). In particular, we found that two-thirds of students reported the active study strategy of self-quizzing. This was considerably higher than what was found in a free-response survey about general habits not focused on a specific course at the same institution ( Karpicke et al. , 2009 ). In this survey, only 10.7% reported self-testing and 40.1% reported using flashcards. This higher frequency of self-quizzing behaviors may be due to a combination of factors in the course, the measures, and/or the students. In this course, we attempted to make self-quizzing easier by reopening the weekly quiz questions near exam time ( Walck-Shannon et al. , 2019 ). We also used a course-specific survey rather than the more general, course-nonspecific surveys used in the previous research. Additionally, it is possible that, in recent years, more students have become more aware of the benefits of self-testing and so are using this strategy with greater frequency. When we compared our frequencies of several categories to analogous categories from course-specific surveys of introductory biology students ( Sebesta and Bray Speth, 2017 ) and molecular biology students ( Rodriguez et al. , 2018 ), we saw similar results. Combined with our work, these studies suggest that when students focused on a particular course, they reported more active strategies than when prompted about studying in general.

Second, the opportunity to control for potential confounding variables in our study, including total study time, allowed us to better estimate the relationships between specific strategies and performance. This approach was important, given concerns raised by others that in classroom studies, benefits of certain strategies, such as explanation, could simply have been due to greater total study time ( Dunlosky et al. , 2013 ). Our results showed that, even when controlling for total study time, self-explanation and other strategies were still significant predictors of performance. This helped illustrate that the strategies themselves, and not just the time on task, were important considerations of students’ study habits.

Third, we were surprised by how predictive the diversity of active strategies was of performance. While we found that the proportion of active study time and the number of active strategies were both important predictors of performance, we found that the latter was a stronger predictor. This suggests that, if total study time was held equal, students who used a larger number of active strategies tended to perform better than those that used a smaller number of active strategies. This finding also deserves to be followed up in subsequent study to determine whether any of the active strategies that students use tend to co-occur in a “suite,” and whether any of those suites are particularly predictive of performance. We suspect that there is some limit to the benefit of using diverse strategies, as some strategies take a considerable amount of time to master ( Bean and Steenwyk, 1984 ; Armbruster et al. , 1987 ; Wong et al. , 2002 ), and students need to devote enough time to each strategy to learn how to use it well.

Additionally, we found that particular active study strategies—explanation, self-quizzing, and answering problem sets—were uniquely predictive of higher performance in a biology course context. Undergraduate biology courses introduce a large amount of discipline-specific terminology, in addition to requiring the higher-order prediction and application skills found among STEM courses ( Wandersee, 1988 ; Zukswert et al. , 2019 ). This is true for the course studied here, which covers biochemistry and molecular genetics, and the assessments that we used as our outcomes reflect this combination of terminology, comprehension, prediction, and application skills. Our results support the finding that active, effortful strategies can be effective on a variety of cognitive levels ( Butler, 2010 ; Karpicke and Blunt, 2011 ; Smith and Karpicke, 2014 ); and this work extends support of the desirable difficulties framework into biology by finding unique value for distinct generative or testing strategies.

Study Timing (Hypothesis 2)

Inconsistent with our second hypothesis that students with less spacing potential would perform worse than students with more spacing potential, we found no relationship between study timing and performance on in-term or cumulative exams. Because we knew that spacing was difficult to estimate, we analyzed two spacing potential indices, the degree of cramming (i.e., the number of days in advance that students started studying) and the consistency of studying (i.e., the number of days studied in the week leading up to the exam). We controlled for total study time, because the spacing effect is defined as identical study time spread over multiple sessions rather than fewer, massed sessions. When doing so, neither of these measures were significantly related to performance.

There are a few possible explanations why we may not have observed a “spacing effect.” First, as explained in the Introduction , we measured spacing potential. It could be that students with high spacing potential may have arranged their studies to mass studying each topic, rather than spacing it out, which would lead us to underestimate the spacing effect. Second, students likely studied again before our cumulative final. This delayed test is where we expected to see the largest effect, and restudying may have masked any spacing effect that did exist. Third, we asked students to directly report their study time, and some may have struggled to remember the exact dates that they studied. While this has the advantage that it results in more sensitive and direct measures of students’ spacing potential than asking students to interpret for themselves whether they binarily spaced their studies or crammed ( Hartwig and Dunlosky, 2012 ; Rodriguez et al. , 2018 ), students who did not remember their study schedules may have reported idealized study schedules with greater spacing, rather than realistic schedules with more cramming ( Susser and McCabe, 2013 ), thus minimizing the expected spacing effect.

Despite the lack of a spacing effect in our data, we certainly do not advocate that students cram their studying, as we find it likely that students who started studying earlier may also have tended to study more. Also, those same students who studied earlier may have felt less stressed and gotten more sleep. In other words, even though our estimation of spacing potential did not capture performance benefits, benefits of spacing for well-being may be multifaceted and not wholly captured by our study.

Distraction (Hypothesis 3)

Consistent with our third hypothesis, we found a negative relationship between distraction while studying and performance. This finding agreed with the few available studies that related distraction during self-directed out-of-class studying and grade, but differs in that our students reported a lower level of distraction than other published studies ( Junco, 2012 ; Junco and Cotten, 2012 ). One possible reason for our low distraction estimate may have been that students were inadvertently underestimating their distraction, as has been reported ( Kraushaar and Novak, 2010 ). In addition, some students may not have been including multitasking as a type of distraction, and this habit of multitasking while studying will likely be difficult to change, as students tend to underestimate how negatively it will affect performance ( Calderwood et al. , 2016 ).

Implications for Instruction

How can we leverage these results to help students change their habits? We present a few ideas of course structural changes that follow from some of the results from this study:

  • To encourage students to use more active study strategies, try asking students to turn in the output of the strategy as a low-stakes assignment. For example, to encourage self-explanation, you could ask students to turn in a short video of themselves verbally explaining a concept for credit. To encourage practice quizzing, try to publish or reopen quizzes near exam time ( Walck-Shannon et al. , 2019 ) and ask students to complete them for credit.
  • To encourage students to use active study strategies effectively, model those strategies during class. For example, when doing a clicker question, explicitly state your approach to answering the question and self-explain your reasoning out loud. This also gives you an opportunity to add the rationale for why certain strategies are effective or provide advice about carrying them out. In addition to modeling a strategy, remind students to do it often. Simply prompting students to explain their reasoning to their neighbors or themselves during a clicker question helps shifts students’ conversations toward explanation ( Knight et al. , 2013 ).
  • To encourage students to stay focused during studying, provide voluntary, structured study sessions. These could include highly structured peer-led team-learning sessions during which students work through a packet of new questions ( Hockings et al. , 2008 ; Snyder et al. , 2015 ) or more relaxed sessions during which students work through problems that have already been provided ( Kudish et al. , 2016 ).

Limitations and Future Directions

There are multiple caveats to these analyses, which may be addressed in future studies. First, our data about study behaviors were self-reported. While we opened the reflection exercise immediately after the exam to mitigate students forgetting their behaviors, some may still have misremembered. Further, some students may not have forgotten, but rather were unable to accurately self-report certain behaviors. As stated earlier, one behavior that is especially prone to this is distraction. But, similarly, we suspect that some students had trouble estimating the percent of study time that they spent using each strategy, while their binary report of whether they used it or not may be more accurate. This may be one reason why the number of active strategies has more explanatory power than the percent of time using an active strategy. Separately, although students were told that we would not analyze their responses until after the semester had ended, some may have conformed their responses to what they thought was desirable. However, there is not strong evidence that students conform their study habit responses to their beliefs about what is effective. For example, Blasiman and colleagues found that, even though students believed rereading was an ineffective strategy, they still reported using it more than other strategies ( Blasiman et al. , 2017 ). Another limitation due to self-reporting is that we lack knowledge of the exact, nuanced behaviors that a student carried out. Thus, a student who chose a strategy that we defined as active—such as “completing problem sets”—may have actually performed more passive behaviors. Specifically, while we did use verbal reminders and delay the release of a key when encouraging students to complete the problem sets and old exams before looking at the answers, some students may have looked up answers prematurely or may have read passively through portions of the key. These more passive behaviors may have underestimated the importance of active strategies. A second limitation is that these data were collected from a course at a selective research-intensive institution and may not be applicable to all student populations. A third limitation is that our analyses are correlational. While we have carefully selected potential confounds, there may be other important confounding variables that we did not account for. Finally, it was beyond the scope of this study to ask whether certain subgroups of students employed different strategies or whether strategies were more or less predictive of performance for different subgroups of students.

Despite these caveats, the main point is clear. Students’ course-specific study habits predict their performance. While many students in our sample reported using effective strategies, some students still had room to improve, especially with their level of distraction. One open question that remains is how we can encourage these students to change their study habits over time.

Supplementary Material

Acknowledgments.

We would like to thank April Bednarski, Kathleen Weston-Hafer, and Barbara Kunkel for their flexibility and feedback on the exam reflection exercises. We would also like to acknowledge Grace Yuan and Ashton Barber for their assistance categorizing exam questions. This research was supported in part by an internal grant titled “Transformational Initiative for Educators in STEM,” which aimed to foster the adoption of evidence-based teaching practices in science classrooms at Washington University in St. Louis.

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Developing Good Study Habits for Academic Success: The Power of Habits

Developing good study habits is crucial for academic success, as well as for personal and professional growth. Good study habits not only help you retain information more effectively, but they also enhance critical thinking skills, boost memory, and improve overall productivity. Whether you’re a student in high school, college, or a working professional pursuing a new skill, the benefits of good study habits are undeniable.

By establishing good study habits, you can optimize your learning experience and achieve better results. This includes setting up a conducive study environment, utilizing active reading strategies, employing effective study techniques, managing your time well, and mastering test-taking strategies. These habits may take time and effort to develop, but the rewards are worth it.

In the following sections, we’ll explore the various aspects of good study habits and provide actionable tips and techniques to help you achieve success.

How to Develop Good Study Habits

Table of Contents

Have a close look at how to develop good study habits.

Setting Up Your Study Environment

The study environment plays a crucial role in your ability to focus and retain information. Here are some tips to create a conducive study environment:

Choosing a comfortable and quiet place to study

Find a location where you can sit comfortably for an extended period. This may be a desk in a quiet room, a local library, or a coffee shop with a relaxed ambiance.

Eliminating distractions

Distractions can make it difficult to concentrate and stay focused. Turn off your phone or set it to airplane mode to avoid notifications. Avoid studying in a busy area or near loud noises. Consider using noise-cancelling headphones to block out any distracting sounds.

Creating a study schedule and sticking to it

Establishing a consistent study schedule can help you stay organized and focused. Identify your most productive hours of the day and allocate specific blocks of time for studying. Use a planner or a scheduling app to help you stay on track.

Ensuring proper lighting

Adequate lighting can help reduce eye strain and improve focus. Make sure your study area is well-lit with natural or artificial light. Avoid studying in dimly lit areas that can cause eye fatigue.

Keeping the study area organized

A clean and organized study space can help you stay focused and reduce stress levels. Keep your study materials and supplies organized and tidy. Use storage containers or shelves to store books, notes, and other materials.

Choosing the right temperature

The temperature of your study environment can affect your focus and productivity. Choose a temperature that’s comfortable for you and helps you concentrate. Avoid extreme temperatures that can cause discomfort or distract you.

Adjusting your posture

Poor posture can cause physical discomfort and reduce your ability to focus. Ensure that your chair and desk are ergonomically designed and properly adjusted to support your back and reduce strain on your neck and shoulders.

By following these additional tips, you can create an ideal study environment that maximizes your concentration and learning potential.

Active Reading Strategies

Active reading is an essential skill that can help you retain information, identify key concepts, and analyze complex ideas. Here are some effective active reading strategies:

Previewing the material before reading

Before you start reading, take a few minutes to scan through the text. Look at the headings, subheadings, and any bolded or italicized text to get an idea of what the passage is about.

Highlighting key points

Highlighting can help you identify and remember important information. Use a highlighter to mark key concepts, definitions, and examples. Avoid highlighting too much, as it can reduce the effectiveness of the technique.

Taking effective notes

Taking notes while reading can help you retain information and organize your thoughts. Use abbreviations, bullet points, and other symbols to make note-taking more efficient. Consider using a separate notebook or binder to keep your notes organized.

Summarizing main ideas

Summarizing can help you remember key concepts and ensure that you understand the material. After reading a section, try to summarize the main points in your own words. This will help you remember the material better and identify any areas where you need further clarification.

Asking questions

Asking questions while you read can help you better understand the material and identify any areas of confusion. Try to ask questions about the main idea, key concepts, and any examples or illustrations in the text.

Making connections

Making connections between the material you’re reading and your own experiences or other readings can help you remember and understand the material better. Look for similarities or differences between the current text and other texts you’ve read, or connect the material to real-life situations.

Visualizing

Visualizing can help you create mental images of the material, making it easier to remember and understand. Try to create visual images in your mind of the concepts, ideas, or examples in the text.

Engaging with the text

Engaging with the text can help you stay focused and interested in the material. Ask yourself questions, make predictions, and reflect on your own experiences as you read. This can help you stay engaged with the material and increase your overall understanding.

By utilizing these active reading strategies, you can enhance your comprehension and retention of the material. These strategies also encourage critical thinking and help you engage more deeply with the text.

Effective Study Techniques

Effective study techniques are important for retaining information and achieving academic success. Here are some additional techniques that can help improve your study habits:

Creating outlines

Creating an outline of the material you need to study can help you organize your thoughts and break down complex information into manageable sections. Use headings and subheadings to categorize information and create a clear structure for your study material.

Using visual aids

Visual aids such as diagrams, charts, and graphs can help you understand complex information more easily. Use these aids to supplement your notes and highlight key concepts or relationships.

Testing yourself

Testing yourself is an effective way to reinforce your learning and identify areas where you need to focus your study efforts. Use flashcards, quizzes, or practice exams to test your knowledge and help you recall information more easily.

Taking breaks

Taking regular breaks can help you stay focused and prevent burnout. Take short breaks every hour or so, and use the time to rest, exercise, or do something you enjoy.

Using technology

Technology can be a useful tool for studying, with a variety of apps and online resources available to help you learn more efficiently. Use online flashcards or study apps to help you stay organized and reinforce your learning.

Teaching others

Teaching others is a great way to reinforce your own learning and identify areas where you need to improve your understanding. Try explaining the material to a friend or family member, or join a study group where you can take turns teaching each other.

Setting goals

Setting clear goals for your study session can help you stay motivated and focused. Set specific, achievable goals for each study session, such as reading a certain number of pages or mastering a particular concept.

Practicing self-care

Practicing self-care is essential for maintaining good study habits. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and taking care of your mental health. This can help you stay focused and alert while you study.

Varying your study techniques

Varying your study techniques can help prevent boredom and improve your retention of information. Try using different techniques for different types of material, or switch up your study environment to keep things fresh.

Seeking help when needed

Don’t be afraid to seek help when you’re struggling with a particular concept or assignment. Talk to your teacher, a tutor, or a study partner for assistance, or seek out online resources or instructional videos to supplement your learning.

By incorporating these additional techniques into your study habits, you can improve your efficiency, motivation, and overall academic performance. Remember to tailor your study habits to your individual needs and preferences, and be willing to experiment with different techniques until you find the ones that work best for you.

Time Management Strategies

Effective time management is crucial for achieving your goals and avoiding stress and burnout. Here are some additional time management strategies that can help you make the most of your time:

Setting realistic goals

Setting realistic goals can help you stay motivated and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, and set realistic deadlines for each step.

Using a planner or calendar

Using a planner or calendar can help you keep track of deadlines, appointments, and other important tasks. Use your planner to schedule study sessions, meetings, and other activities, and make sure to block out time for self-care and relaxation.

Minimizing distractions

Minimizing distractions can help you stay focused and productive. Turn off notifications on your phone, close unnecessary tabs on your computer, and find a quiet, distraction-free environment to work in.

Delegating tasks

Delegating tasks can help you free up time for more important activities. If you have a group project or other collaborative assignment, delegate tasks to other group members based on their strengths and interests.

Using the Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro technique is a time management strategy that involves working for a set amount of time (usually 25 minutes) and then taking a short break (usually 5 minutes). Repeat this cycle several times, and then take a longer break (usually 15-30 minutes). This can help you stay focused and productive while avoiding burnout.

Practicing self-care is essential for maintaining good time management habits. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, exercise, and social interaction, and take time to do activities you enjoy.

Using time-blocking

Time-blocking involves scheduling specific blocks of time for certain tasks or activities. This can help you stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked by other tasks or distractions. For example, you might schedule a block of time for studying, a block of time for exercising, and a block of time for running errands.

Eliminating time-wasting activities

Identify any activities that are not essential or that are not helping you reach your goals, and eliminate them from your routine. For example, if you spend a lot of time scrolling through social media, consider limiting your social media use or deleting the apps from your phone altogether.

Breaking up large task

Breaking up large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and make it easier to stay motivated. Try breaking up a large project into smaller milestones, and celebrate your progress along the way.

Prioritizing self-reflection

Taking time to reflect on your goals and priorities can help you stay focused and motivated. Schedule regular check-ins with yourself to evaluate your progress, identify areas for improvement, and adjust your goals or strategies as needed.

Remember that effective time management is a skill that takes time and practice to develop. Be patient with yourself as you experiment with different strategies, and don’t be afraid to seek out additional resources or support if you need it. With a little effort and dedication, you can develop the time management skills you need to achieve your goals and thrive in all areas of your life.

Test-Taking Strategies

Test-taking can be a stressful experience, but with the right strategies, you can improve your performance and reduce your stress levels. Here are some additional test-taking strategies to help you succeed:

Reviewing your notes

One of the best ways to prepare for tests is to review your notes regularly. This can help you retain the material and identify areas where you need more practice.

Using practice tests

Practice tests can help you familiarize yourself with the format and content of the test, as well as identify areas where you need more practice.

Understanding the instructions

Make sure you understand the instructions for the test and each question before you begin. This can help you avoid making mistakes and wasting time.

Managing your time

Use your time wisely during the test. Start with the questions you know and move on to the more challenging questions later. If you get stuck on a question, move on and come back to it later.

Answering questions strategically

Use strategic guessing to maximize your chances of getting the right answer on multiple-choice questions. Eliminate obviously wrong answers, and make an educated guess based on the remaining options.

Managing test anxiety

Test anxiety can interfere with your performance, so it’s important to manage your stress levels. Practice deep breathing or other relaxation techniques, and use positive self-talk to boost your confidence.

Checking your work

Take the time to review your answers before submitting your test. Double-check your calculations, spelling, and grammar to avoid careless mistakes.

Understanding the scoring system

Understanding how the test is scored can help you focus your efforts on the questions that are worth the most points, and avoid wasting time on questions that are less important.

Practicing time management

Practice answering questions quickly and efficiently to manage your time effectively during the test. Use a timer to simulate test conditions and practice pacing yourself.

Reading the question carefully

Make sure you read each question carefully and understand what it is asking before you begin answering. Pay attention to key words, phrases , and instructions that can guide your answer.

By incorporating these additional test-taking strategies into your routine, you can reduce your stress levels, improve your performance, and achieve better results on your tests. Remember to stay calm, focused, and confident, and trust in your preparation and abilities.

In conclusion, good study habits are essential for academic success and personal growth. By setting up a comfortable study environment, using active reading strategies, practicing effective study techniques, managing your time wisely, and using strategic test-taking strategies, you can improve your learning outcomes and reduce stress levels.

It’s important to remember that developing good study habits takes time and practice, but the benefits are well worth the effort. By committing to these habits, you can increase your confidence, improve your grades, and achieve your academic goals.

So, let’s continue to practice good study habits, stay focused, and work towards our academic success. With dedication and persistence, we can all achieve our goals and reach our full potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good study habits.

Good study habits are practices and techniques that promote effective learning and help students achieve their academic goals. These habits include setting up a comfortable study environment, using active reading strategies, practicing effective study techniques, managing time wisely, and using strategic test-taking strategies.

Why are good study habits important?

Good study habits are important because they help students learn more effectively, improve their grades, reduce stress levels, and increase their confidence. By practicing good study habits, students can also develop important life skills such as time management, organization, and critical thinking.

How can I develop good study habits?

Developing good study habits takes time and practice. Start by setting up a comfortable and distraction-free study environment, creating a study schedule, and breaking down material into manageable chunks. Use active reading strategies such as highlighting and note-taking, and practice effective study techniques such as using mnemonic devices and practicing active recall. Finally, use time management strategies to stay organized and manage your time effectively.

How can I stick to my study schedule?

Sticking to a study schedule requires discipline and commitment. One way to stay on track is to make your schedule realistic and achievable, and to break down tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Use a planner or calendar to keep track of your schedule, and try to study at the same time each day to establish a routine.

How can I manage test anxiety?

Test anxiety can be managed by using relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and visualization, staying organized and prepared, getting enough rest, and taking care of your physical and emotional health. Practice positive self-talk and focus on your strengths and abilities, rather than your fears and doubts. And remember, it’s okay to ask for help or support from a teacher, counselor, or friend.

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Temma Ehrenfeld

14 Great Study Habits for a Lifetime

These tips can help at all ages, from high-school students to job-changers..

Posted May 10, 2023 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

  • Discipline and focus are skills that can develop over time with incremental practice.
  • Avoid multitasking whenever possible. People tend to think they're better at multitasking than they are.
  • Getting creative with memory devices can enhance recall and productivity.

Photo by Windows on Unsplash

Whether you’re a retiree learning for fun, adapting to meet challenges at a job, or boning up as part of a career switch, study habits can come in handy.

Here are 14 ways to improve how you learn. They may be especially helpful if you have ADHD or a low mood that limits your energy.

1. Take a little time to get into the right frame of mind.

Take a little time, not so much that you’ve used up all of your available time. For example, dance to an upbeat song for 10 minutes. If you’re distracted by chores that need doing, list them, then put the list away for later. If you’re completely obsessed with a distraction, be honest with yourself. But don’t just procrastinate . Decide exactly when you’ll do your studying and commit to being in the right frame of mind.

Be positive. Instead of thinking, “I don’t have enough time,” think, “I’m starting now.” Remember that discipline and focus are skills that you can build over time in small steps.

2. Find a quiet spot without distractions and return to it next time.

Think, “Where did I do well?” Look for the ideal situation, not just “good enough.” It might be as simple as choosing to sit up on a living room chair rather than lie down on the sofa to read. The bed probably isn’t the best place.

3. Bring what you need, but only what you need.

If you need a book, don’t forget it. But if you can leave your smartphone well out of reach, do so. Do you truly learn best while listening to music? If so, have your music and earphones, but otherwise, don’t have them handy.

4. Don’t multitask.

You may think you’re an expert at watching a video with the information you need and scrolling through Instagram . However, evidence suggests that common sense applies: You have only so much working memory , and you’re taking some of it up on Instagram. Your multitasking means you won’t absorb and retain as much of the video.

5. Outline your notes. Make lists and fill them in.

Make outlines that work for you, even if they might be confusing to someone else. Use words that make sense to you, translating the words in material you may be reading. “Chunk” together the groups of words or facts or ideas that you feel belong in a group. The goal is to produce an outline that will help you—not someone else—remember the material.

Writing may work better than keyboarding into a laptop. There’s some evidence that that helps us think. Read aloud an important sentence if you’re alone or mouth the words if you’re in a library. You may think it’s babyish to mouth or read aloud. Actually, poetry was the first way that human beings remembered stories, and we haven’t changed that much.

6. If you like memory devices, use them and get creative.

Make up a catchy rhyme to associate ideas and repeat it out loud. Make up a sentence. For example, “Never Ever Seem Worried,” is a way to remember “North, East, South, West.” “Every Good Boy Deserves Fun” helps music students remember the five notes of the treble clef, “E, G, B, D, F.”

If you don’t know if you like memory devices, try one out and see if it sticks. Then the next time you’re studying, you can try another one.

If you tend to be visual, take your time looking at the illustrations or photos in the book you’re reading to associate them with the information.

7. Practice.

If you’re taking a class and will be writing the answer to a surprise question on a test, make up a likely question and do the exercise of writing an answer with a timer on. Do it again.

Actually try to solve the sample problems in the materials you’re using; don’t just read the answers. Make up similar problems, try to solve them, and later on, at the end of a study period, find sources that can tell you whether your answers were correct. If you’re learning a new language, you might write out some questions and answers and show them to a native speaker at your next opportunity. Research suggests that an activity in which you generate a product or test yourself is more powerful than time spent consuming information—for example, reviewing notes.

why good study habits are important

8. Find buddies.

Some people like to work with a group of four or five other people who are at about their level. Quiz each other. Try to do as well as the person you most admire. Turn envy into a source of motivation rather than resentment.

9. Make a schedule you can stick to.

If you have any flexibility, notice the times of day when you’re sharpest and dedicate them to learning. If you’re studying at home on a weekend or work at home, take a warm morning shower to gear up for analytical work, advises biologist and body-clock expert Steve Kay. Get your studying or work done before lunch, especially if you’re an early riser. You’re likely to be most distractible from noon to 4 p.m.

Sticking to a schedule may seem like a burden, but you’ll appreciate the investment if you can avoid last-minute cramming. How many minutes you spend each time is less important than regularity.

9. Space it out.

Most work goes better if you divide it into realistic chunks. Try not to cram for an exam in one burst. The evidence against cramming is mixed, but the common-sense advice to plan ahead and proceed in a consistent way, spacing out your study time, does seem to be right.

10. Take breaks.

If you’re falling asleep while reading, you may have picked the wrong time of day to study. Consider a nap if you’re sleep-deprived and then get back to work.

If you’re losing focus, but not short of sleep, move. It’ll help you more than extra coffee and stoking yourself with sugar is a mistake. Stretch and walk to the other end of the library at least once an hour. Even better, go for a short jog.

Bouts of movement—typically 15 to 20 minutes at moderate intensity—can measurably boost your mood and cognitive performance. Even 10 minutes can make a difference. Take time to look out the window, especially if you have a view of trees or other greenery. Nature is a good stress -reliever , even if you can’t climb the Himalayas today. If you succeed at a significant goal—maybe reading an entire chapter—treat yourself by a break flying over the Himalayas on Google’s satellite map.

10. Reward yourself.

It’s healthy to set goals and then reward yourself in ways you decide in advance—not French fries, but something you won’t regret later. Facebook is an OK break if you haven’t let it become a substitute for what you meant to do.

11. Students need to learn about finding balance.

This means getting enough sleep, eating regularly and well, exercising, and not becoming too distracted or obsessed by personal problems. As adults, we, too, need to keep that kind of balance.

12. Don’t depend on drugs to make you more focused and productive.

Also don’t indulge in partying in ways that will interfere with the next day.

13. If you’re taking a course, talk to the instructor early on, or an assistant, to know what to expect.

You may be aiming high, so plan on working harder or be realistic about your grade. Suss out what’s most important to the instructor. Establish a connection so you can talk to the instructor if you find yourself falling behind or do badly on a project. Pay attention in class.

14. Recall your original goals and motivations.

Sometimes we lose track of our original impetus once we're midway through an endeavor. Why did you want to master this material? If you're resenting the time, money, or difficulty, talk to someone you trust to reorient yourself.

Temma Ehrenfeld

Temma Ehrenfeld is a New York-based science writer, and former assistant editor at Newsweek .

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Best Methods for Developing Effective Study Habits

  • Muhammad Asif
  • December 24, 2023

how to Develop Effective Study Habits

You can  develop effective study  habits with the help of understanding the power of rewards, the tranquility of a beautiful study environment, and the importance of self-awareness.

From setting goals that ignite your passion for learning to understanding the importance of discipline and mentorship, you need practical tips beyond the ordinary. 

I adopted some of the best methods for  building successful study habits . Here! I share a comprehensive guide on  developing good study habits  in this enlightening journey. 

What is effective study?

Effective study involves learning more in less time. It means more output for less input, which involves multiple ways of learning. Effective study aims for brilliant work focusing on the learning process. It is a purposeful and systematic approach to more productivity.

What are effective study habits?

With effective study habits, you will achieve and adopt productive and systematic behaviors or routines to increase personal, academic, and learning performance.

Reasons: Why are good study habits important?

Here are several reasons why developing effective study habits are important:

  • Developing good study habits is essential for academic success and personal growth.
  • It is essential to  build healthy study habits  because we sometimes get distracted as humans. We become victims of negative thoughts about our progress. Building and adapting to study habits are vital to avoid such a situation.
  • Efficient study methods optimize learning time, improving information retention and understanding.
  • Study habits foster discipline and responsibility, reduce stress, and increase productivity.
  • Moreover, good study habits prepare you for future challenges, equipping you with transferable skills like critical thinking and time management. These are crucial in both education and the workforce.
  • Forming effective study habits  is a key to time management and saving. It also makes you mentally relaxed.
  • Ultimately, good study habits establish a foundation for long-term success, encouraging a lifelong commitment to personal development and the pursuit of knowledge.

11 Best Methods for Developing Effective Study Habits

There can be different ways and methods for developing effective study habits. Some of the practical tips are given as follows:

Best Methods for Developing Effective Study Habits

1.      Set Goals

Setting goals is one of the most essential tips for making successful study habits . Goals are your plans that keep you on the right path. They motivate and convince you to do great things. Goal setting is the best remedy for creating interest in studies.

If you find it challenging to study regularly, then set a goal.

For example, you can tell yourself you will learn two chapters today. Then, make levels for this one chapter. Level 1 may include reading two paragraphs. Level 2 may consist of reading four sections and so on.

When you set such goals, you are convincing yourself to build a study habit.

2.      Reward yourself

When you achieve the specified goals, like reading one chapter, feel free to reward yourself. There are several ways to treat yourself. You can watch a movie, a celebrity, a recent sports game you missed, talk to your favorite person, etc.

Know how to reward yourself for good habits .

Rewards are like food for humans. You can have one or two whenever you perform your studies. Don’t be ashamed and hesitate to get too many tips from yourself.

3.      Study in a beautiful place

Beauty is something that gives pleasure. It makes you feel good and fresh. You will like to read there when you have a neat and clean library, room, table, and other necessary study items. It is because your mind will feel relaxed, and your heart will find solace.

When you get command of your heart and mind through beauty, it is where you become addicted to a healthy study habit.

4.      Set a proper time

Most people find studies hard because they need to follow a proper schedule. You are at risk if you don’t decide a time of the day for reading. Make a time and table. Mention what time you want to study and for how long.

Remain consistent with your set time. Study only at that specific time and Follow the hours. After you form an effective study habit, you can study anytime.

5.      Know the requirements

Your first task for making successful study habits is to know the format and requirements of your studies. Many of you cannot learn because you must see the course expectations.

For example, our fiction teacher assigned us an assignment. She asked me to write a one-page review of the article based on our course novel. She also said we should present the same work. We didn’t write and study the report because we needed clarification as we were confused. We prepared well when asked and got clear instructions about the requirements and format.

So, it is essential to get a clear picture of what you are studying, how you should prepare for it, and so on.

6.      Practice and solve previous or model papers

Model papers are the best tools to engage your-self in healthy reading . When you successfully solve them, you get some motivation, which paves the way for building a reading routine. This strategy is helpful for exam preparation.

Practice makes a man perfect, so if you fail to develop a study routine effectively, you are safe because you know the pattern and type of questions you can expect.

7.      Learn some of the best study plans and methods

I improved my study skills after reading the book STUDY SKILLS by Stella Cottrell.

It was helpful and strategic. You can save time and energy when you start studying with a strategy. For example, SQ3R is one of the critical methods for making a healthy study schedule. Explore what SQ3R is.

You can also make your plan. Your method will be very workable and motivate you. For example, if you struggle to form an effective study habit, you can name your body organs with the chapters in your course. When you move any organ, it will directly remind you something about the system.

8.      Write your achievements

One of the tips for rewarding yourself is to write what you have completed. Note down how much you have read. For example, pick a pen and diary before sleeping and write if you have read one chapter or two or more.

Writing your achievements will give you happiness and satisfaction. Besides, it is also a way to record how much you study on a specific day.

9.      Bring variety and novelty

Don’t limit yourself to one method. Always search for new strategies. Discuss your way of reading with your colleagues and find other ways. Also, try to read different subjects on different days.

Make your reading creative and intelligent. Don’t cram, but be a competent reader.

10. Group study

While finding your strength, know if you like group study. Some people can read better when they discuss a topic in group form. If you want group discussions, request and make a group of your fellows and learn through discussions.

11. Include pleasure reading in your schedule

If you still need to improve your studies, give yourself time for pleasure reading. This is one of the best strategies to develop effective study habits . As a student, you lose interest in scientific or course reading because you must memorize it by hook or crook. But pleasure reading does not involve any such action.

Read a short story, a novel, or a poem that will make you happy. So through pleasure reading you can make successful study habits. 

How do you study effectively in college?

College is the first step in all our plans. If you become successful here, you have better chances to succeed. As you know, every type of success requires study in one way or another, and so is college. For a beneficial journey and lifelong plans to be executed, you should actively study in college.

There are many ways to perform well in college. Some of them are

Stay disciplined

Discipline is the most crucial part of successful people. Start following discipline if you want to form good study habits and make your time valuable. It will be the door to your success at college and life ahead.

Manage your time

Time management is a crucial skill. Every college student should master time management to develop an effective study schedule . You must manage time to perform any activity effectively.

Make mentors

Mentors are people who guide you towards the best. Finding a mentor in college is such a bliss that your life will be in the right direction. You can save time and energy. They can shape your future. I feel blessed as I found my mentor in my first days of college.

Select best friends

Friend selection is also significant for college students. If you want to study effectively in college , select hardworking students as your friends. They also help you form study habits that can change your life.

Mastering effective study habits is a transformative expedition that empowers you with the tools to navigate the challenges of learning and academia. From setting purposeful goals to creating a harmonious study environment, each step is a building block toward a more productive and fulfilling academic experience. As you embrace the art of self-awareness, discipline, and strategic planning, you unlock the door to success in your current educational endeavors and the broader landscape of life.

Time management is crucial for a successful study routine. Setting a specific time for studying, remaining consistent, and following a schedule contribute to forming effective study habits , allowing for better productivity.

Discipline is essential for success. Following a schedule and dedicating specific hours to study daily helps maintain consistency. Over time, as effective study habits develop, flexibility in study times becomes achievable.

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How to Build Good Study Habits: 5 Areas to Focus On

why good study habits are important

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why good study habits are important

Growing up, I learned the importance of good study habits early.

I was responsible for writing down my homework assignments each day, checking I had all the right books the night before school, and making flashcards to study spelling or vocab words. If I didn’t stay diligent in these study habits, then I was bound to hear about it from my mom.

Establishing good study habits at an early age paid off. In high school and college, I was able to focus on learning the material instead of learning how to study. I never got bad grades because I forgot to turn in homework, and if I ever did poorly on a test I had no one to blame but myself.

However, I recognize that not everyone has the benefit of learning good study habits early in life. For many people, college is the first time you even have to think about how to study and manage a schedule all on your own.

To bridge the gap, I’ve put together the following guide to good study habits. First, we’ll look at what good study habits are and why they matter. Then, we’ll give some practical examples of good study habits in action (and how they can solve some common academic issues).

What Is a Good Study Habit?

Before we go any further, we need to define what a good study habit is. To start, we should define “habit”.

A habit is an action (or series of actions) that you perform automatically in response to a particular cue. For instance, the sound of your alarm going off might cue the habit of getting out of bed and walking into the kitchen to make coffee (or, for some of us, hitting the snooze button).

But what makes a habit “good”? Generally, we define a good habit as one that helps you achieve your goals and live in line with your values . A bad habit, meanwhile, is detrimental to your goals and values in the long-term (even if it relieves pain or provides pleasure in the short-term).

A good study habit, then, is a habit that helps you achieve your academic objectives while still supporting your broader goals and values.

3 Reasons Good Study Habits Matter

Good study habits matter for three main reasons: focus, grades, and mental health.

Starting with focus, having the right study habits in place frees up your mind to concentrate on the material you’re learning.

Instead of having to think about how to create flashcards, for example, you can focus on using flashcards to learn a new language .

If your study techniques aren’t automatic, meanwhile, they can distract you from the larger work you’re trying to do.

While good study habits won’t automatically raise your GPA , they’ll certainly improve your chances.

As an example, you’re likely to perform better on an exam if you’re in the habit of studying for it over several days (or weeks) instead of the night before.

Mental Health

Most important of all, however, is the benefit good study habits have for your mental health.

No matter how much “raw intelligence” you might have, poor study habits will make college stressful and anxious.

If you aren’t in the habit of starting research papers well in advance, for instance, then you’ll be in for some sleepless, caffeine-fueled nights. But if you habitually start your research papers early, then you can avoid the unnecessary stress that comes from procrastination.

5 Types of Good Study Habits (and How to Build Them)

Originally, this section was going to contain a long list of good study habits. But since we already have an extensive list of study tips , many of which are specific study habits, I decided to do something different.

Instead of listing yet more study tips, I’m going to examine some common college academic struggles that good study habits can help eliminate or avoid. This way, you can get some practical tips for building good study habits and putting them into action.

This section focuses on how to build good study habits, specifically. For a more general overview of how to build good habits, read this .

Study Habits for Doing Better on Exams

Are your exam grades lower than you’d like? If so, your study habits could be the culprit.

When it comes to studying for exams effectively, here are some habits to keep in mind:

Go to Review Sessions

Usually, your professor and/or TA will hold a review session before each exam. This review will only be helpful, however, if you attend it. Therefore, make a habit of going to any scheduled exam review sessions, especially in classes you find difficult.

How to build the habit: This is one of the easier habits on this list to build. All you have to do is put the review session on your calendar and then be sure you go to it. To make this easier, pay attention in class for any announcements of review sessions.

Make and Study Flashcards

If you’re studying for an exam that requires you to memorize lots of information, then flashcards are your friend. In particular, building a habit of daily flashcard review leading up to an exam can help your performance greatly.

How to build the habit: First, be sure you understand the best ways to make and study flashcards .

From there, we recommend using a flashcard app that reminds you to study the cards each day (and focuses your efforts on the cards you struggle with). This is a case where notifications on your phone can be a study aid instead of a distraction.

Study Habits for Writing Better Papers

No matter your major, you’ll have to write a paper at some point in college. And having the right study habits will make the process much easier and less stressful. Here are some study habits that will help you write better papers:

Don’t Procrastinate on Writing

I won’t deny it: I pulled my share of all-nighters in college. And usually, I was staying up late to finish a paper I’d procrastinated on.

While you can certainly write a paper in one night, it’s unlikely to be your best work. Instead, make it a habit to work on your paper a little bit each day in the week before the due date.

How to build the habit: If you’re struggling with procrastination, then read into the science behind why we do it .

From there, consider the stress and pain that will come from writing a paper in one night. Use that as motivation to work on your paper a little bit at a time.

Once you’ve done this for one paper and seen how much better it makes your life, you’ll be more inclined to do it with future papers.

Visit the Writing Center

While procrastination is a common issue with writing papers, you may also struggle with the writing itself. Depending on where you went to high school, in fact, you might never have learned how to write the kind of papers college requires.

If this is the case, get in the habit of visiting your college’s writing center when you’re working on a paper. The staff there would be more than happy to help you improve your writing.

How to build the habit: Going to the writing center is a fairly easy habit to build if you schedule your writing center appointments in advance.

This should be possible at most colleges, and it’s often required during high-demand times such as finals season. Making an appointment in advance adds some external accountability, so you’re more likely to show up.

For more paper writing tips, read this .

Study Habits for Completing Homework Faster

Homework is important for practicing and solidifying the concepts your professor discusses in lectures, but that doesn’t mean you should spend all your time outside of class doing it.

Here are some study habits to help you complete your homework faster, without sacrificing quality:

Schedule Your Homework Time

If you can fit all of your homework into a defined block each day, it will be much easier to get started on it. Plus, knowing that you only have to spend a defined amount of time working will reduce the dread that generally accompanies homework.

How to build the habit: First, find a time each day that’s free of obligations. Evenings will work well for some, while mornings are better for others; it depends on your schedule.

Then, put that block of time on your calendar with the title “Homework Time.” If you like, you can also break that block down into smaller chunks for each of the courses you’re taking.

Next, decide on a study space where you’ll do your homework: dorm room, library, student center, etc. Note that location on your calendar as well.

Finally, treat this block of study time like any other class, meeting, or appointment. If someone tries to schedule something during that time, tell them you already have an obligation.

Focus Completely On Your Work

You’ll get your homework done much faster if you only focus on the assignment at hand. But if you’re checking social media and your phone as your work, the process will take longer overall.

To avoid this issue, make a habit of distraction-free homework. When you’re working on homework, let nothing else fragment your attention.

How to build the habit: First, turn off your phone and put it away. If you can’t do that, then at least take some steps to make it less distracting .

Next, try to work without an internet connection whenever possible. If that isn’t practical, then use an app like Freedom to block distracting sites and apps.

If that still isn’t enough, then you can also try the Pomodoro technique .

Study Habits for Being Less Stressed

As I mentioned earlier, one of the main advantages of good study habits is reduced levels of stress.

Some study habits, in particular, are great at making the studying process less stressful. Here are a couple to try:

Use the Fudge Ratio

Due to something called the planning fallacy , humans are terrible at estimating how long things will take. The fudge ratio is a solution to this problem. It helps you create more accurate time estimates for tasks, using a simple formula that we’ll explain below.

Applying the fudge ratio to your studies will help you be less stressed since you’ll be in the habit of planning more time than you need to do assignments. If you get done early, then you’ll get a great sense of accomplishment. But if something takes the full time you “fudged,” then you won’t be caught off guard.

How to build the habit: To work the fudge ratio into your planning, you’ll need to keep track of how long you think tasks take vs. how long they truly take. Record these numbers somewhere you can review them regularly. For an accurate measure of how long tasks actually take, you can use time-tracking software .

Once you’ve done this for a bit, you can then compare your estimated times to your actual completion times. This will allow you to calculate a literal ratio that you can use to make future time estimates.

To calculate the fudge ratio for a task, use this formula:

Estimated completion time / Actual completion time = Fudge ratio

For instance, if you think it will take you 30 minutes to finish your Intro to Sociology reading but it actually takes you 45, then your fudge ratio for these reading assignments is 45/30 = 1.5. Now, you know that whenever you’re estimating how long reading will take for this class, you should multiply your estimate by 1.5.

Doing this for each class and assignment can be time-consuming. But with time, using the fudge ratio will help you get into the habit of making better time estimates overall. Eventually, you won’t need to do the tracking and math described here.

Not all classes are created equal. Sure, each instructor thinks their class is the most important on your schedule, but we all know that isn’t true. Some classes require more time and effort than others, and how you study should reflect that.

Specifically, you’ll be much less stressed if you prioritize studying the subjects that take the most work.

How to build the habit: During the first couple weeks of the semester, pay attention to how much work each class on your schedule will require. From there, you can decide where to prioritize your attention.

Then, spend most of your study time on the most difficult classes. Of course, you’ll still need to spend some time on your easier classes, but not nearly as much. Doing this will give you more free time and reduce your general stress levels.

Study Habits for the Forgetful

For our final area of habits, we turn to the pernicious problem of forgetting. Whether you’re having trouble remembering homework assignments or even showing up for class, these habits will help.

Keep a List of Your Assignments

If you’re having trouble remembering your assignments, then build the habit of keeping them on a list. This is a classic piece of advice. But if you put it into practice, it can change your life.

How to build the habit: First, decide where you’ll write down your assignments. We’re a big fan of to-do list apps for this purpose. But you could also go analog and use a paper planner. Just make sure it’s something you can easily carry with you to class.

Then, write down assignments as the professor gives them. In many cases, of course, the professor will expect you to refer to the syllabus for homework assignments. So be sure to review your syllabus each week (and bring a copy to class so you can note any changes).

Finally, review your list of assignments at the start of each homework session. As you complete an assignment, cross or check it off the list. With this habit in place, you’ll be much less likely to forget assignments.

Put Your Classes on Your Calendar

Unlike in high school, where your schedule is regimented and closely supervised, college offers more independence. While this can be exciting, it also means greater responsibility. And one of the first responsibilities you’ll face as a college student is showing up for class at the right time.

While simple in theory, it can be challenging to remember the time and location of all of your classes. Especially during the first couple weeks of class. To ensure you don’t forget when and where your classes are, put them on your calendar.

How to build the habit: Leading up to the first week of school, go online and consult the syllabus for each of your classes.

Note the class times and locations, and put that information on your calendar in recurring events. Make sure your calendar is set up to send you event notifications on your phone, and you should be able to remember each class no problem.

With time, of course, you’re likely to memorize you schedule and won’t need to consult the calendar. But having your classes on your calendar will still be helpful for planning, ensuring you don’t schedule a meeting or other event during a class.

If you’ve never set up a digital calendar, check out this guide to using your calendar efficiently in college .

Good Study Habits Aren’t Built in a Day

I hope this article has shown you the importance of good study habits, as well as how to start making them a part of your academic life.

As with any new habit, forming good study habits takes time and focus. For greater odds of success, work on forming one or two of these habits at a time. When they’re a solid part of your routine, you can add new ones.

Habit formation is such a vast topic, there was no way we could cover all the details in one article. For a deep dive into building habits that last, check out our habit-building course:

Building habits isn’t just about discipline; there are real-world steps you can take to set yourself up for success! In this course, you'll learn how to set realistic goals, handle failure without giving up, and get going on the habits you want in your life.

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27 Good Study Habits of Straight-A Students

good study habits, explained below

Study habits refer to the consistent practice and approach to study, on a regular basis, to enhance academic performance.

The good thing about a habit is that once you do it on a regular basis, it becomes easy. So, your job is to get into this habit early. Once you’re into the habit, university becomes easy (well, easier ).

Good study habits that I recommend include getting into the routine of heading to the library (or a similar study space) to study without distractions, chunking your studies by subject, and using spaced repetition for things that require rote memorization .

I also recommend studying with friends – such as by testing one another – whenever possible.

The integration of efficient study habits enhances academic performance and motivation to study . By developing effective study strategies adjusted to your personal learning style, you improve concentration and retention of information – and concentration, more than time spent studying, is found to be a key factor for success (Nonis & Hudson, 2010).

Good Study Habits

1. Time Management Time management refers to being able to efficiently allocate your time so you don’t run out of time, and so you have enough time to allocate to all important tasks. As a basis, you could initiate a dedicated study schedule, specifying the time slots for each subject. For instance, you might want to allot your mornings for theory-heavy subjects like Anatomy, and save the afternoons for practice-oriented subjects like Clinical Skills. Don’t forget to also block time for regular study breaks and social events. This is crucial to prevent burnout and maintain longevity – university is a marathon, not a sprint.

Read Also: 7 Things to do in your First Week of University

2. Using Active Reading Strategies This is the process of engaging with the material by asking questions and drawing connections. Instead of passively reading your texts, you can participate more actively by summarizing the information in your own words, teaching it to someone else, quizzing yourself, or creating visual aids like diagrams and mind maps. As Issa et al. (2012) found, reading relevant information daily is an effective study habit for improving grades.

3. Setting Realistic Goals This strategy involves laying out achievable objectives for each study session or topic. Setting goals not only keeps you focused, but also helps gauge your progress. For example, instead of aiming to read an entire biology textbook in two days, you might target mastering one chapter per day. I recommend setting both short-term study goals and long-term study goals using the SMART Goals method .

4. Prioritization Successful students often prioritize tasks based on their deadlines and degree of importance. You might follow the Eisenhower Box method: divide your tasks into four categories, namely, important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important but urgent, and not important and not urgent. For instance, an upcoming exam translates into an important and urgent task, hence it would be first on your list.

5. Spaced Repetition This strategy involves studying information over incremental intervals instead of cramming it in one sitting. You might review your notes on the day you learn something, then again in a couple of days, then after a week, and so forth. There are even apps like the Anki flashcards app that have a built-in spaced repetition algorithm that can space how often ideas are presented to you.

6. Creating a Suitable Environment Each individual’s ideal study environment may differ based on personal preferences . Some people need complete silence, while others work better with some background noise. If you like silence, the quite section of a library is a good place to start – I recommend making it a habit to go to the library at your university as often as possible. Conversely, if you feel background noise helps you to concentrate, consider studying at a cafe. But the key is to ensure your environment is right for you. As Ogbodo (2010, p. 229) argues: “Where to study is as important as what to study and how to go about studying.”

7. Taking Breaks Integrating regular short breaks into your study pattern can boost your productivity and mental agility because it decreases distractions during focused study time. And this is important. As Walck-Shannon, Rowell and Frey (2021) found, “students reported being distracted about 20% of their study time, and distraction while studying negatively predicted exam performance.” So, let’s avoid that – by splitting our time between strong focus, then rest. Typically, the Pomodoro technique is a popular method for this, where you study for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After four such cycles, you take a longer break of 15-20 minutes. During your breaks, you can engage in some light activity such as stretching or walking to invigorate yourself.

8. Maintaining Physical Health Eating well, getting regular exercise, and ensuring enough sleep are often overlooked aspects of efficient studying. Research shows that a balanced diet, physical activity, and proper sleep improve cognitive functions , including memory and concentration. You may want to establish a regular sleep schedule, incorporate a balanced diet, and schedule regular exercise sessions each week into your routine.

9. Using Technology Wisely Technology offers a range of tools that can streamline your study process. For instance, you can use apps for time management (e.g., Rescue Time), note-taking (e.g., Evernote), or spaced repetition (e.g., Anki). While these apps can be beneficial, remember to keep checks on screens’ disruptive nature and the habit of digital distraction. As practice, try turning off your phone’s notifications when you study, or set ‘Do Not Disturb’ intervals.

10. Review and Revise Sessions Regular review of study materials aids in long-term retention of information. You can allocate specific time slots each week to revisit old notes, attempt self-test papers or engage in group discussions. For instance, you might dedicate your Sunday mornings to revising everything you’ve covered during the preceding week.

11. Active Writing Transcribing information demands active engagement, thereby reinforcing your understanding and memory of the subject. You might opt to rewrite complex concepts in your own words or diagrammatically represent intricate processes. For example, instead of merely reading about the human circulatory system, consider drawing it out with brief annotations.

12. Seeking Help When Needed Understanding when to seek help is an underrated study habit. If you find yourself struggling with a subject, don’t hesitate to approach your professors, peers, or study groups for clarification. You might also seek online resources such as academic forums or educational websites. Remember, it’s better to clarify doubts initially than to have misconceptions hamper your overall learning.

13. Mindfulness and Focus Mindfulness, or present-moment awareness, can help enhance your comprehension and retention during studying. You could practice mindfulness by removing distractions, concentrating on the task at hand, and making a conscious effort to absorb the material.

14. Integrating Study with Real-Life Scenarios Applying the theoretical knowledge learned during study sessions to real-life instances can facilitate a deeper understanding. You might relate basic principles of economics to household budgeting or chemistry to cooking. This practice can help convert abstract concepts into tangible examples.

15. Regular Self-Assessment Implementing regular exams or quizzes to assess your understanding and memory can be a direct way to monitor progress. You can either use ready-made quizzes available online or design a short assessment yourself. As you answer, mark out the areas you struggled with for further review. This method will help you know where you stand in your preparation and what areas need extra effort.

16. Employing Mnemonics This involves using techniques to retain and retrieve information. The method could be as simple as creating an acronym or conjuring up a relevant mental image. For example, in recalling the taxonomical rank in biology – Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species – you might use the well-known mnemonic phrase: “King Phillip Came Over For Good Soup.” Examples of additional mnemonic techniques include the method of loci and memory linking .

17. Incorporating Understandable Examples Since abstract concepts can be confusing, associating them with relateable analogies can help you grasp the idea. This technique depends heavily on your creativity and could be as simple as linking a literary theme to a popular movie plot. Ensuring your examples make sense to you is vital.

18. Varying Study Methods It is beneficial to avoid monotony and experiment with multiple learning techniques. This can include oscillating between solitary studying and group study sessions, or alternating between text-based learning and audio-visual aids. For instance, following a hefty reading session, you might want to watch a related documentary or podcast on the topic. Switching up strategies not only prevents burnout but also caters to different facets of your learning style.

19. Note-Taking Strategy Effective note-taking is a skill that helps in better understanding and remembrance of knowledge. You should decide a note-taking strategy which could be outlining, mind mapping, or the Cornell method, and stick to it. For example, you might use the Cornell Method, which divides the paper into notes, cues, and a summary section for enhancing retention and review.

20. Regularity and Consistency Consistency is the cornerstone of strong study habits. Establishing a regular routine that allocates specific periods for study each day leads to better academic performance. For instance, studying for two hours per day consistently is more effective than cramming for fourteen hours once a week.

21. Engage All Senses Engaging multiple senses aids in strengthening your memory of the subject matter. This could involve reading aloud, rewriting notes, creating visual aids, or even using software to convert text to speech. The goal is to consume the information through as many sensory channels as possible to maximize retention. For example, if you’re studying foreign vocabulary, you could listen to the pronunciation, read the definition, write the word several times, and visualize an image related to it.

22. Reflective Learning Reflective learning involves regularly taking a few moments to contemplate what you’ve learned. This process ensures you understand the main concepts and helps you evaluate how effectively the learning material has been understood. For instance, after reading a section on World History, take a moment to think about what questions have been answered and what new questions have arisen in your mind about the topic.

23. Preparing for the Next Class Reviewing the material that will be covered in the next class helps make the class more productive and understandable. By having prior knowledge of the topic, you can better participate in class discussions and raise insightful queries. For example, if tomorrow’s Physics class covers Electromagnetic Waves, you might want to read the corresponding chapter tonight.

24. Constructive Procrastination While complete avoidance of procrastination is the goal, sometimes it’s unavoidable. Constructive procrastination involves doing another task that also needs to be done when you feel like procrastinating. If you find yourself unable to study Civil Law, consider switching to another pending task, such as completing your Mathematics assignment. This way, you remain productive while giving in to the urge to procrastinate.

25. Visualization Techniques Visualization involves picturing the information in your mind, which can significantly improve memory and recall. For instance, when studying Anatomy, envisioning the body parts, systems, and processes can enhance your understanding. If you’d like to explore this strategy more, read my article on the visual peg-word system for memorization .

26. Listen to Music Without Lyrics Listening to music while studying is a controversial topic. Some people think it helps them to achieve a flow state, while most research suggests that “ media multitasking ” is a distraction whether we realize it or not (Xu, Wang, & Woods, 2019). Generally, I recommend that if you do like that background nose, try to listen to music without lyrics, like lo-fi playlists from YouTube, which act as background noise and could potentially prevent your mind from wandering.

27. Study with Friends Thalluri (2016) found that “study buddy support groups” significantly support studying. Friends can keep each other accountable and help motivate one another. And, according to social learning theory , working in groups helps us to reinforce knowledge. For example, if you’re talking about the course content with friends, you’ll hear their unique perspectives, which you can critically compare to your own, which augments, supports, positively alters, and strengthens your own perspectives.

Study habits act as the building blocks of your academic journey. Efficient study habits not only ensure better academic performance but also help in gaining lifelong skills like time management, goal-setting, and self-discipline. By adopting effective study habits, you modulate your academic journey to a more favorable and fruitful path.

If you want to dive deeper into getting good study habits, I’d recommend James Clear’s Atomic Habits book – it’s an amazing book for learning to get more productive and optimize your time as a student.

Issa, A.O., Aliyu, M.B., Akangbe, R.B., and Adedeji, A.F. (2012). Reading interest and habits of the federal polytechnic students. International Journal of Learning & Development, 2 (1): 470-486.

Nonis, S. A., & Hudson, G. I. (2010). Performance of college students: Impact of study time and study habits.  Journal of education for Business ,  85 (4), 229-238.

Ogbodo, R. O. (2010). Effective Study Habits in Educational Sector: Counselling Implications.  Edo Journal of Counselling ,  3 (2), 230-242.

Thalluri, J. (2016). Who benefits most from peer support group?–First year student success for Pathology students.  Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences ,  228 , 39-44.

Walck-Shannon, E. M., Rowell, S. F., & Frey, R. F. (2021). To what extent do study habits relate to performance?.  CBE—Life Sciences Education ,  20 (1). doi: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.20-05-0091

Xu, S., Wang, Z., & Woods, K. (2019). Multitasking and dual motivational systems: A dynamic longitudinal study.  Human Communication Research ,  45 (4), 371-394. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqz009

Chris

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Learning Good Study Habits

Many of the tips for success for online students are the same as those for students in an onsite classroom. Consider asking your school’s student council to take on a study tips project. Following a few simple study tips can help students effectively learn new concepts and theories. There have been numerous published tips students can use as a guide for good study habits.

A good way to stay organized is to use folders so you child can keep his/her assignments until needed and it is a great way of staying organized. Once children reach the grades where homework and tests are part of the curriculum, there are many things parents can do to encourage good study habits. An effective way to study is to study before and while you do the homework. A little amount of homework may help elementary school students build study habits. Being organized and having homework routines are the most important things in helping your child develop good study habits for life.

All learning, however, is a process which settles into certain steps. Students with learning problems, however, may still have generally inefficient and ineffective study habits and skills. Becoming aware of your learning style will help you to understand why you sometimes get frustrated with common study methods.

Effective study habits are a very import part of the learning process. Good study habits are all about keeping to a daily routine and giving all subjects equal treatment. If your study habits are weak, take a “study skills” course or have someone show you good study habits. The problem is that those high school study habits are hard to shake. Hard work and good study habits are assets that should be nurtured. Motivation and study habits are obviously crucial as well. Good habits are important for all students to protect investments of time and money and to achieve educational goals. After that experience your study habits are permanently altered, this will help your own preparation as you start teaching and last a lifetime. The main priorities are class attendance, time management, and great studying habits are necessary workings for an academic success.

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Why are Good Study Habits Important?

Whether you’re currently a student or thinking about becoming one, one of the most important things to have are good study habits. Without a good set of practices and schedule, even the best course materials won’t help you to achieve your best.

Contrary to popular belief, good study habits aren’t something that you either have or don’t, all A* students have the same thing in common and that’s that they have worked hard and stuck to their study goals, schedule and plans to get to where they wanted to be.

The key is planning. When you start on a course you will know your estimated end date, whether that’s when you will have to have handed in all your assessments for your Diploma or when you are expected to sit your exams to complete your A-Levels or GCSEs . So, if you work back from that date and work out how many hours each day or week you have free to study and how many hours of study the course is, you already have a good foundation to build your study habits on.

How to Develop Good Study Habits

Now you have a schedule that fits into your other commitments, you can begin to put in place the key factors to develop your habits. We always advise our students to start with small goals and rewards for when they hit certain milestones. So for example, complete the reading of Unit 1 of your studies and have made good notes, then go ahead and treat yourself to those sparkly red shoes you have been dreaming about. The use of rewards for achievements will help to keep you motivated and on track.

Always make sure that when you come to sit down and study, you’re ready for it. Don’t be half focused on your course and half on the TV, that’s not going to help anyone! You need to have a set space where you can settle down and give your learning your all. That way, what you’re studying will stick and you will make more comprehensive notes along the way.

Speaking of all things notes, make sure the notes you are making and relevant and will make sense to you when you come back to them in a few months times. You would be surprised how many students make the mistake of making their notes too vague or simple, so when they come back to them, they can’t remember what they relate to!

Lastly, studying is one of those things that is best done in bitesize chunks. There is absolutely no point in sitting down to a marathon study or reading session of 8 hours each week, as that’s just not going to make what you’re learning stick. You need to spread it out, try and spend no more than 45 minutes to an hour on each topic and you will quickly find your brain is much happier to digest what you’re covering.

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Why Are Good Study Habits So Important?

Why Are Good Study Habits So Important?

What Are the Benefits of Good Study Habits? (5 Points Explored)

It doesn’t matter if you’re in primary school, already in college, or maybe even finishing your master’s degree, you will definitely benefit tremendously from developing good study habits. 

They say it’s all about working smarter, not harder, and it’s the same process for studying. So study smarter, and not harder! 

Let’s explore more of the benefits of good study habits below.

  • Here Are the Benefits of Developing Good Study Habits:

Developing good study habits, ideally early on in your academic journey, paves the way for developing many life skills that you’ll benefit from in the long run. It goes a lot further than getting good grades and also evolves into improving things like discipline, productivity, and overall success.

1. Greatly Improve Your Academic Performance

2. your productivity gets a huge boost, 3. you’ll have more time for extra-curricular activities, 4. reduces stress, 5. gives you a boost in confidence, final thoughts.

Good study habits

We’re talking about honing your organizational skills, self-discipline, and underrated things like time management skills. Take note that we’re still only talking about the benefits from a broader perspective. 

If you take a closer look, then you’ll see how good study habits may make schoolwork a lot easier, help you get better grades, and most of all, have more time for other essential things in life like leisure and hobbies .

5 Benefits of Developing Good Study Habits:

What happens when a muscle is constantly getting a workout? It gets stronger, right? And your brain, while not technically considered a muscle, works pretty much the same way.

If you practice good study habits, then your brain gets disciplined, and you get disciplined. You follow a certain schedule or routine, and you feed your brain useful information regularly. This, in turn, leads to better retention of what you’re trying to learn.

The habit gets you good grades, but it goes deeper than that. Studying at a consistent pace, time, and even place gets your mind and body accustomed to the practice, and in time, your brain cells adapt.

Also, if you keep on schedule, you’ll start to learn more and more about yourself and your learning style. Are you a visual learner? Do you learn better as you listen to discussions? Both? Self-discovery is part of the learning process. The things you learn about yourself and your habits will be valuable for your development.

Good study habits help you recall information better. Your brain gets trained to effectively consume more and more data each day. After all, it’s the world’s most fascinating computer. 

The skill and habit of studying can also be transferred to different fields. Using the same strategies can improve your work performance or help if you want to start your own business, which takes a similar discipline. 

Didn’t they say that practice makes perfect? It turns out that does!

Recommended Reading:   Is learning good for the brain?

If you stick to a study schedule, then chances are you’ll get a lot of things done. Time management is essential, and we think it’s even a great thing to teach kids early on in schools.

With good study habits, you finish tasks faster, submit projects on or before the deadline, and have a lot of time to spend on other important activities due to your efficiency.

If you stick to a schedule, that means you’re not procrastinating, and you know what they say about procrastination, that it’s the enemy of productivity.

Good study habits compel you to stay focused and on track with what needs to get done within a timeline. Sounds a bit stiff? Well, not really. You’ll have a lot of time for fun and other entertainment later because you finished what you needed to study fast. 

As mentioned, because you’ve finished that project or thesis on schedule, then you’ll have a lot more time for extra-curricular activities.

You can hang out with your friends, watch your favorite show, or go to the gym to counter some of the ill effects of sitting down. Further explore your hobbies and passions!

More free time means more leisure time, and that leads to a better quality of life.

Recommended Reading:   4 Common Questions about Hobbies, and their answers.

Part of living a better quality of life is reducing negative stress. Do you like cramming? We certainly don’t. Cramming is stressful and the enemy of productivity and quality.

While we do admit that there are a lot of people who thrive under pressure. Still, getting things done at the last minute is not the way to go, and we discourage developing this kind of habit.

Allowing your work to pile up and not working on it systematically and promptly will lead to stressful situations. It may be tough to overcome, thus resulting in failure and poor performance.

Lead a better, stress-free, and happier life with good study habits.

Once your performance improves and you are under less pressure, your confidence soon follows. If you’re not consistently stressed out, then you make better connections with people and your surroundings.

Many of us get satisfaction and alleviate our mood when we accomplish a lot of things. The same may be true for you!

Success in your studies or other activities can help give you that positivity boost that we all need. Even for that reason alone, we highly recommend practicing good study habits starting today.

Recommended Reading:   7 Common Questions About Studying, and Their Answers.

With good study habits, you will have time to pursue things you‘re passionate about. Being productive can also get quite addicting, so the more you practice it, the more you’ll want to get things done the right way and at the right time.

This habit pays off in more ways than one. Try to look at the big picture and enjoy what you study. 

Other Interesting Reads!

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  • Healthy Study Habits
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Healthy Study Habits  

Many Cougs feel stressed and overwhelmed with everything on their to-do list. Developing healthy study habits can help you stay on top of your tasks and balance your studying with everything you need to do. They can also help you study more efficiently, so you can make the most of your study time.   

Try some of these tips for studying effectively and staying well during the semester.  

What You Can Do

  • Take short breaks. One study method you may find effective is the Pomodoro Technique, where you focus on a task for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. These short breaks give your mind a much-needed rest and give you a chance to hydrate, get a snack, or check your social media feeds.
  • Break up big tasks. Breaking up a big task into smaller steps can help it feel manageable and make it easier to get started. For example, if you need to write a paper you could break it down like this: find research articles, take notes, write paper outline, include citations, write introduction, etc. If you’re struggling to get started on a big project, make it your first task simply to open a new file and create a title page.
  • Set specific study goals and deadlines.  Once you’ve broken your big tasks down into manageable chunks, set deadlines or schedule time for each step. For example, instead of just writing “study for chem final” in your planner, try setting specific goals like make flash cards, review lecture slides, rewrite class notes, meet with study group, and complete practice test. Planning study sessions with specific goals will help you study smarter.
  • Eat that frog.  Let’s imagine you have to eat a frog today. Because eating a frog sounds awful, you keep putting it off. But once you eat the frog and get it out of the way, the rest of your day will be easy by comparison. What’s the most difficult and stressful task on your to-do list? Try tackling that task first – eating the frog – to give yourself a sense of accomplishment and help you feel ready to take on everything else.
  • Take care of yourself.  Having a healthy body and mind can help you succeed during the semester. This means eating well (especially before taking a test), staying hydrated, scheduling some self-care activities, and getting enough sleep.
  • Be aware of what you’re telling yourself.  Try not to get angry if you procrastinate or get off track with your study plan. Getting mad at yourself only increases your stress levels, and it can create a cycle of procrastination, anger, and more procrastination. The key is to practice self-compassion.

Resources to Try

  • Try an  online workshop  from the Academic Success and Career Center. Topics include time management, note-taking strategies, and motivation and procrastination.  
  • Form a study group using  these guidelines .  
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FNU Advising 11 Techniques to Improve Your Study Habits

11 Techniques to Improve Your Study Habits

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When it comes to developing good study habits, there is a method to all of the madness. The type of study habits that you’ve come to practice in high school may not work so well in college. However, you can certainly build on those practices to make your study habits more disciplined—because you’ll need to! In college, you’ll have more responsibility, but you’ll also have more independence. For first-time college students, this could be a challenge to balance. That’s why Florida National University (FNU) wants to help prepare all of our students for how they can improve their study habits with these 11 helpful techniques.

Study Habit #1. Find a good studying spot.

This is important. You need to be in an environment with little to no distractions—an environment that will aid in keeping you focused on your assignments. The library has always been a reliable place to get some real academic work done, but if you prefer someplace else, just make sure that you’re set up for success. Your university may have other places on campus that will provide you with a nice little studying spot. While cafeterias may be quite busy, there are some university campus cafeterias that tend to have just enough silence for students to study while they grab a bite to eat.

You might get campus fever and decide to venture outside of your university to get some work done. Many students find little coffee shops with Wi-Fi that will let them sit there all day long for a buying customer. Outdoor parks and recreational centers, even the public library might be a nice change of scenery.

Even study lighting is also important. If you want to preserve your eyesight and maximize your time and energy, then choose lighting that will not cause eye strain or fatigue so you can keep your study session effective at any time of the day.

Establish rules when you’re in your study zone. Let people living with you know that when your door is closed, it means you do not want to be disturbed. Try not to respond to phone calls or texts, this will break your concentration and you will lose focus.

Let’s not forget about your home. No matter the size of your apartment or house, we recommend dedicating a little office space just for studying—away from any distractions.

Study Habit #2. Avoid social media.

Speaking of distractions, nothing can sap away your time for a good 20-30 minutes like good old social media! Emails used to be the necessary evil in order to keep life going, but now people are communicating through social media platforms more than email or even talking on the phone! As a result, it’s pretty common to have a browser tab open just for social media. The problem with this is the alerts! As much as you may try to ignore it, you won’t be satisfied until you follow through with the alert—an alert that will most likely require a reply! In all likelihood, it will end up being a conversation that could’ve waited an hour—and now you’ve just added another 20-30 minutes to your study time! Congratulations!

Study Habit #3. Stay Away From Your Phone.

Distractions also include avoiding your phone. The best thing you can do is either put your phone on silent, turn off the alerts and flip it over so that you can’t even SEE them, or just turn the thing off! If it helps, place the phone out of sight so that you’re not even tempted to check your messages. The world can wait. Your education is a priority and anyone who’s in your circle of friends should understand this. If you are absolutely adamant about keeping your phone nearby in case of an emergency, then allow yourself some study breaks so that you can dedicate a certain amount of time just for checking your alerts and messages.

Study Habit #4. No Willpower? Enlist the Help of an App.

Apps like Focus Booster and AntiSocial have your back!

AntiSocial blocks your access to a selection of websites with a timer that you select.

Focus Booster is a mobile phone app that relies on the Pomodoro Technique, where you work intensively for 25 minutes and then you break for five minutes. The app also includes productivity reports and revenue charts.

Study Habit #5. Take a break and take care of yourself.

Talking a little more about taking breaks, this really shouldn’t be an option. College is hard work, and just like any other kind of job, you deserve a break. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Working until the wee hours of the morning to complete an assignment might be great for that class, but it’s not for you or other academic courses. You MUST take care of yourself in order to give your academic career the attention it deserves. You’re paying to get an education—to learn. Running yourself into the ground without allowing time for your body and mind to rest is unacceptable.

  • Ophthalmologists will warn you that you need to remember to blink when working on a computer screen to save your sight. Give your eyes a rest by gazing into the horizon, preferably out of a window with natural light. Did you know that your eyes need exercise, too? Especially in today’s world where we are reading everything at such close distances. Keep your head in a neutral position and with just your eyeballs, look at the ceiling or a tree and try to focus. Go from corner to corner, focusing up, then do the same for the floor. Roll your eyes.
  • Your hands also need a break: learn to use the mouse with your other hand, put the keyboard in the most comfortable position, which is actually on your lap. Take a moment to stretch your wrists and fingers.
  • Blueberries

And don’t forget to sleep and reboot!

Study Habit #6. Organize lectures notes.

For some students, the best way to organize notes is to ask if you can record your professors’ lectures for a better understanding of the lesson. The best way to do this is to transcribe the recorded lecture notes. This way, you can rewind what you didn’t understand. It also behooves you to revisit those notes—while the material is fresh in your mind and rewrite them in a style that’s more legible and review-friendly. On the day of the exam, you’ll be glad you did.

Fact: it has been proven that information retention is higher when you go over your notes and repeat the lesson after the class is over. Rewriting your lecture notes is going to be one of the most brilliant study techniques to practice. Rewriting will help you remember the context better and reorganizing them in nice outline forces you to comprehend the lesson.

Study Habit #7. Join or create a study group.

Finding fellow students who are struggling to understand the coursework can be comforting. However, joining or creating a study group can be helpful in many ways.  Guaranteed someone in your study group can help you through a certain assignment you’re struggling with and you’ll be able to do the same. It’s all about helping each other succeed!

Study Habit #8. Aromatherapy, plants and music.

Science is always tinkering with nature, but in this case, in a simple way, only studying the effects of essential oils and plants on concentration, focus, and memory.

Some studies have shown that lavender has a good effect on memory, however, others have shown that its effect is negligible and in fact, lavender oil and teas are used to relax the body in preparation for sleep. So lavender may calm and center yourself, but for focus, sandalwood and frankincense (also known as Boswellia) have shown much more promising results in most studies.

Plants, in general, have a natural, comforting effect and in their presence, humans tend to have a higher pain tolerance and faster recoveries from hospitalizations. Music, also improves brain function, can help you focus and also eases the pain. Learn more about the benefits of studying with music.

Study Habit #9. Leave time for the last-minute review.

Here are where well-organized lecture notes come into play. Always, always leave time for the last-minute review. Here, we’re exercising the tried and true memory game. This is a technique that most students apply as one study habit. That’s just impossible for the amount of college work you’ll be taking on, but it can work quite well as a last-minute review—only if you have good notes!

Better still, ff you can pair reviewing your notes with a good night’s sleep, then you will significantly improve your ability to retain more information. Just know that studying when you’re sleepy is ineffective. If your body is telling you that you’re tired, then have a nap or go to bed early. A good night’s sleep is another technique to use that will help you understand and remember information better.

If you’re finding that you are getting stressed out or tired, reflect back on your study schedule and priorities. Make sure that you have dedicated time for rest and de-stressing activities as well.

Study Habit #10. Understand Your Best Learning Style

It’s important to know that there are many different styles of learning and each person will retain information better in different ways.

  • Visual learners who learn best when pictures, images, and spatial understanding is used.
  • Auditory learners who prefer using music, sounds or both.
  • Kinesthetic learners actually use a more physical style of learning through using the body, sense of touch and hands.
  • Logical learners need to use reasoning, logic, and systems.
  • Verbal learners will prefer using words in writing and speech.
  • Social learners will thrive in learning with other people or in groups.
  • Solitary learners are able to learn best when alone.

Think about which style of learning works best for you, and it will help you determine how to study, where to study when to study and other important factors like what study aids you should use and be aware of, and knowing what things may distract you while you are trying to study.

Study Habit #11. Make Study Time a Part of Your Daily Routine

If cramming all of your study time into a few long days isn’t working for you then it’s time to try something new and less stressful. What you do every day is more important than what you do occasionally, so make time for studying every single day, with or without exams coming up.

Consistency is key and once you start getting into good study habits, so make it a routine that you will be able to maintain throughout the school year.

When it becomes part of your schedule, you don’t need to find the time, you’ve made time for your study sessions each month. Don’t forget to also check your schedule for the week or month, and consider your personal commitments: chores, must-attend activities, and appointments. All you need to do now is to stay committed to your new study schedule.

Make studying your priority and place these sessions when you’re at your peak performance times to make them extra effective. Some people work best in the mornings, and others, at night. Experiment with this and don’t assume that because you wake early you should study early, but instead try morning, noon, and night to see which is best.

FNU Want You To Succeed!

Try to learn and not just memorize and remember, keep it simple. Don’t try to get fancy with your study notes. They are for your eyes only and won’t be graded. The goal is to help you get a high-scoring grade. We hope this quick checklist will alleviate some anxiety you might have for managing college work. If you have questions about this or any of our degree programs, contact an FNU advisor at any of our campus locations today!

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Exam Study Expert

Why Study? 17 Reasons & Benefits To Inspire & Motivate You

by Kerri-Anne Edinburgh | Jun 20, 2021

Have you ever had a day when you’ve thought: “ Why on earth am I studying this? What possible benefits are there in continuing to study? How do I even start? ”

In fact, everyone has days like these.

Because sometimes the motivation to study is nowhere in sight. It happens!

Happily, there is one sure-fire exercise you can use to answer those niggling questions AND kick your motivational mojo back into gear every single time .

And all you need is a pencil, a piece of paper, and 5-10 minutes.

What are YOUR reasons “why”?

To fix a motivational slump you need to find – or remember – your purpose : your internal motivations to study, your reasons “why” .

reasons to study

How? By answering one important question:

Why do I want to achieve academic success?

(If that question doesn’t work for you, try one of these: Why do I study? What compels me to study? Why do I want to learn? )

The answers are probably not immediately obvious – and that’s OK! In fact, if they aren’t then this exercise will be even more important for your motivation.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of great reasons “why” just below.

The simple (and satisfying!) reasons “why” exercise

Ready to get started? Great!

This exercise is really simple:

Grab that pencil and paper, find a comfy seat, browse our list of suggestions, and spend 5-10 minutes identifying and writing down the reasons “why” that resonate with you.

reasons to study brainstorming exercise

This is an exercise that will work wonders for your motivation whichever stage of your academic journey you’re at – high school, college, university, research, or studying for a different qualification.

You can even use it to remind yourself why you’ve taken your academic path.

And you don’t have to get it right first time – as your academic journey progresses, you’re sure to find more reasons “why” to add to your list! Think of it as a continual project you can return to every time you need a motivational boost .

Here’s an example brainstorm:

example for why study brainstorm exercise

In fact, finding your internal purpose for studying is one of the most effective motivational kites you can have, AND the first step in consistently improving your study motivation .

What’s more, the motivation to succeed is often stronger when you have a clear idea about the next steps you want to take in life – so knowing your reasons for studying is a solid foundation for setting yourself meaningful study goals !

Let’s get started with those reasons!

1. The joy of success and achievement

There’s nothing quite like the rush of pride and relief when you reach your goals or achieve the grades you want. Particularly if they’re top grades.

And these achievements provide important boosts to self-confidence and self-esteem.

Until then, visualising the moment you get your grades can be a powerful incentive to keep going!

2. Earn praise from others

If you like to please your parents and teachers, this might ring a bell, especially if you don’t want to let them down.

Don’t forget to find a reason to pursue your studies for yourself too !

Alternatively, perhaps you want to be praised as someone intelligent and smart: and need to study for the grades and qualifications that will help you achieve that goal.

3. Be the best

Many of us have a competitive spirit that drives a desire to be the best – in our class, our year, our field…

Competition is a common motivational kite !

Becoming the best, at the top of your field, it is a lofty (likely impossible) goal BUT you can try .

why good study habits are important

4. Engage with your self-development

Here’s another way to be the best:

Working towards being the best version of yourself is highly motivating and rewarding, and a key benefit of continual studying.

What’s more, knowing that you’re developing good habits and continually learning new skills can create a strong sense of who you are and who you want to be.

5. Advance your academic goals

Having effective study goals is an important part of the motivational process.

And those goals are often intertwined with where you want to go academically – to your top-choice university, or to study a particular discipline .

The drive to achieve those goals can be an important reason why you keep on studying!

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6. Fulfil your (academic) dreams

Have you got a long-held dream about your (academic) future – such as a place at university, a career as a doctor, writing a best-selling novel ?

If so, working towards the fulfilment of that dream is often one of the strongest and most reliable motivations to study you can have.

7. Secure a place at a good university or programme

Do you want to study abroad? Qualify for a particular course? Attend the top university in the world for your subject?

Your academic track record will usually determine whether you get to study your ideal subject at your dream institution.

So achieving the right grades throughout your academic journey is important – to meet the course requirements, or to be awarded scholarships or research grants.

why good study habits are important

8. Meaningful career prospects and opportunities

Academic goals are often the precursor to a successful, satisfying career .

Why? Because academic success can open an awful lot of doors, and make it considerably easier to get where you want to be. Sounds like a great benefit of getting down to studying today!

As many career paths require the right choices and courses in school and beyond, having a clear ambition for your career is an important part of knowing why you’re studying!

9. Plan for the future

What future are you building for yourself?

It might not be part of your plan yet, but long-term goals about your future lifestyle (and that of your potential family) are definitely worth considering!

Ask yourself: Where do I want to be in 10 years’ time? And in 20, and 30 years?

10. Live with no regrets

Whilst it might not seem like it now, decades down the line you will be grateful that you gave it your best shot and took all the opportunities offered to you.

why study

11. Achieve things others haven’t

There are two sides to this reason to study:

Firstly, you might long to achieve academic success because others in your family or community haven’t had that opportunity .

Alternatively, you might hope to one day make innovations and inventions that better human society – to become a valuable specialist in your field in your country, even globally!

See how far you can go , and let that desire drive your motivation to study.

12. Prove others wrong

Perhaps someone (even your past self) once doubted you would ever amount to much.

The desire to prove yourself , and stand up to the doubters from your past, can be a strong motivator to succeed in your academic career!

13. Make a difference in the world

For many students, their motivation to study comes from the desire to help people, make an impact, and leave a mark – whether in their chosen field, or upon the people they want to work with.

Working as a researcher, in medicine, in social care, or as an educator (and more) – there are many future career paths that will allow you to make a difference in our world.

14. Enjoy the challenge – it’s fun!

Perhaps you’re motivated to study because you enjoy the challenge of learning and engaging with new material.

Knowing that you’re using your brain and expanding your knowledge can be hugely satisfying (and as an added bonus, staves off boredom!).

15. Love of your subject

If you’re lucky you love a subject that you study. Having the opportunity to enjoy the process of learning or researching in that field is highly motivating.

Even better, studying now will help you to achieve the grades you need to pursue your passion as a career. So keep on studying, and reap the benefits!

16. To gain knowledge

Continually learning and accumulating knowledge isn’t only satisfying and fun – it can also build your confidence and strength as a person, fill your curiosity about the world, and help you to develop important life skills.

benefits of studying

17. Understand how the world you live in works

This is one for those of you with boundless curiosity, for there is so much to learn about the world!

Whether your subject is physics, sociology, economics, psychology, geography, history …

Learning about our cultures and societies, our histories, and the Earth itself, will help you better understand your place in it, and even develop a better sense of self and where you want to go.

Why study: the benefits of studying

You might have noticed the title of this article promised reasons AND benefits .

And some of you may have spotted that many of the 17 reasons explored above are benefits of studying.

So let’s have a quick overview of some of the benefits – to your life and your motivation – that studying can have:

  • Skill development – both academic and transferrable skills, from time management to critical thinking
  • Increased employment and career opportunities – more than you will have considered!
  • Development of good habits , self-understanding, and perseverance
  • A sense of accomplishment from the achievement of your study goals and earning qualifications !
  • Increased self-confidence in your abilities
  • Continual expansion and enrichment of your knowledge and understanding – being open-minded to the world
  • The ability to pursue your passion(s)
  • The enjoyment of learning!
  • Increased social experiences and opportunities
  • Access to communities , peers, mentors and top professionals globally

If you’d like to develop this motivational exercise a little further:

Add a second column to your piece of paper, and jot down the benefits of studying that align with your reasons “why”. Seeing all the benefits laid out will feel great!

benefits of studying exercise

Feeling motivated?

Hopefully, making your own lists of reasons for studying have boosted your motivation and you’re feeling inspired to get to work!

Trust me : get this right, and your motivation to study will SOAR. Remember, knowing your reasons “why” is a really reliable motivational kite that you can rely on over, and over again. So return to your lists every time your motivation dips!

What motivates YOU to study? We’d love to hear your reasons – leave us a comment below!

And if you’re looking for more exercises, tips and strategies to help you develop consistent study motivation and killer study habits , make sure to sign up for the Exam Study Expert newsletter below, and claim your awesome free gift !

The Science Of Studying Smart

Download my free exam success cheat sheet: all my #1 must-know strategies to supercharge your learning today.

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Benefits Of Studying: 10 Ways To Develop Studying Habit

  • October 5, 2023

Benefits Of Studying: 10 Ways To Develop Studying Habit

In the world we live in today, studying and developing good study habits are really important if you want to do well.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, working person, or just someone who wants to grow personally, studying has a lot of advantages. It helps you think better, feel more confident, and gives you many opportunities.

Recommended: 21 Most Easy Majors That Pay Well

In this article, we will talk about the good things that studying can bring and how to make studying a habit that will help you succeed in anything you do. Let’s discover the power of studying together!

What Are The Benefits Of Good Study Habits?

Good study habits enhance learning, improve performance, and boost confidence. They develop essential skills like time management, organization, and critical thinking, applicable in all areas of life. They foster discipline, perseverance, and the ability to overcome challenges.

Ultimately, good study habits empower success and excellence in any pursuit, extending beyond academics.

Benefits Of Studying

Studying offers numerous benefits that can positively impact various aspects of a person’s life. Some of these benefits include:

Acquiring knowledge and expanding understanding: 

Studying allows individuals to gain knowledge and deepen their understanding of different subjects, which can contribute to personal growth and intellectual development.

Enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills: 

Studying involves analyzing information, evaluating ideas, and applying knowledge to solve problems. This helps individuals develop critical thinking skills that are valuable in various aspects of life.

Improving memory and cognitive abilities: 

Engaging in regular study sessions can improve memory retention and enhance cognitive abilities such as concentration, attention to detail, and information processing.

Boosting career prospects: 

Studying can lead to increased job opportunities and career advancement. Acquiring specific skills and qualifications through education can make individuals more competitive in the job market.

Fostering personal growth and self-confidence: 

Studying can build self-confidence by providing individuals with a sense of accomplishment and mastery over a subject. It also encourages personal growth by challenging individuals to learn and improve.

Expanding cultural awareness and understanding: 

Studying different subjects, cultures, and societies can broaden one’s perspective and promote cultural awareness and understanding. This can help individuals become more open-minded and empathetic towards others.

Developing time management and organizational skills: 

Studying requires discipline and effective time management. Regular study habits can help individuals develop valuable skills in managing their time, setting goals, and prioritizing tasks.

Building social connections and networking opportunities: 

Studying often involves collaborating with peers, engaging in group projects, and participating in academic communities. This can lead to the development of meaningful social connections and networking opportunities.

Promoting personal fulfillment and satisfaction: 

Studying a subject of interest can bring personal fulfillment and satisfaction. It allows individuals to pursue their passions and engage in lifelong learning.

It’s important to note that the specific benefits of studying can vary depending on the individual, their goals, and the subject or field of study.

Why Is It Important To Have Good Study Skills

Good study skills are important as they enhance learning, improve academic performance, and boost confidence. They also develop essential skills like time management, organization, and critical thinking, applicable in various aspects of life. 

Effective study habits reduce anxiety and improve the ability to learn and retain knowledge, making studying more efficient and productive. 

Ultimately, good study skills lay a foundation for success, enabling individuals to achieve their goals and excel in academics and beyond.

Active Strategies to Study

Active strategies for studying, like active recall, spaced repetition, interleaving, and elaboration, have many benefits. 

Four strategies that can help you study effectively are:

Active Recall: 

Instead of just reviewing information, actively retrieve it from your memory. 

You can do this by using flashcards, trying to summarize key concepts without looking at your notes, or even teaching someone else what you’ve learned. This strategy improves your understanding and helps with memory retention.

Spaced Repetition: 

Rather than cramming all your studying into one session, space it out over time. 

This technique involves reviewing information at increasing intervals, which enhances long-term retention. You can use tools like flashcards or online platforms that utilize spaced repetition algorithms to optimize your study schedule.

Interleaving: 

Instead of focusing on one topic for an extended period, mix up different subjects or topics during your study sessions. By switching between related or unrelated topics, you promote connections between ideas and prevent over-reliance on context cues. This approach improves learning and retention by encouraging a broader understanding of the material.

Elaboration: 

Actively explain and expand upon the material you’re studying. Ask yourself “why” questions, make connections to real-life examples, or create visual representations like diagrams or concept maps. Elaboration deepens your understanding of the subject matter and enhances memory retention.

These strategies, when implemented, can greatly improve your learning experience by engaging your active participation and enhancing your ability to understand and retain information.

10 Ways To Develop Studying Habits

Developing a studying habit is essential for success, no matter what your goals are. Here are some simple ways to start developing a studying habit:

  • Set a Study Schedule: Establish a regular study schedule that works for you. Dedicate specific times each day or week for studying, and stick to it. Consistency is key!
  • Create a Study Environment : Find a quiet and comfortable place to study where you can focus and minimize distractions. This could be a designated study area at home, a library, or a quiet coffee shop.
  • Break it Down: Divide your study sessions into smaller, manageable chunks. Instead of cramming for hours, try studying for 30 minutes to an hour at a time, taking short breaks in between to rest and recharge.
  • Set Goals: Identify specific goals for your studying sessions. Whether it’s completing a certain number of pages, mastering a concept, or finishing a specific task, setting goals will help keep you motivated and focused.
  • Use Study Tools: Utilize study tools and resources that work best for you. This could include flashcards, online tutorials, educational apps, or study groups. Experiment with different methods to find what helps you learn and retain information effectively.
  • Stay Organized: Keep your study materials, notes, and assignments well-organized. Use folders, binders, or digital tools to keep everything in order. Being organized will save you time and reduce stress when you need to review or find specific information.
  • Take Breaks: It’s important to give yourself regular breaks during your study sessions. Take short breaks every 30-45 minutes to rest your mind and prevent burnout. Use this time to stretch, grab a snack, or do something enjoyable to refresh your brain.
  • Stay Motivated: Find ways to stay motivated and make studying enjoyable. Set rewards for yourself after completing tasks, find study buddies to keep each other accountable, or listen to music while studying (if it helps you concentrate).
  • Review and Reflect: Regularly review and reflect on what you have learned. Test yourself, summarize key points, or teach someone else the material. This will reinforce your understanding and help you retain information for the long term.
  • Be Patient and Persistent: Developing a studying habit takes time and effort. Don’t get discouraged if you face challenges or setbacks. Stay persistent, adjust your strategies if needed, and remind yourself of the benefits that studying will bring.

Remember, developing a studying habit is a journey, and progress will come with consistent effort and dedication. Keep practicing, and you will see improvements in your understanding and knowledge over time.

Why Studying Is Good For You

Studying expands knowledge, enhances critical thinking, and promotes personal growth. 

It broadens horizons, develops a well-rounded perspective, and improves problem-solving skills. Studying fosters a sense of accomplishment, boosts self-confidence, and stimulates creativity. 

It opens doors to new opportunities in academics, career, and personal fulfillment. Ultimately, studying empowers growth , expands possibilities, and nurtures a lifelong love for learning.

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Why is it important to have good study skills Featured Image

Why is it important to have good study skills?

Why is it important to have good study skills ? This is a question that students often ask. There are several reasons why good study skills are important. One of the most important reasons why good study skills are important is because they can help you to learn more effectively. This article will examine why is it important to have good study skills and how they can help you learn more effectively.

What are study skills, and Why is it important to have good study skills?

Study skills are the tools and techniques you use to help you learn more effectively. They can include time management , organization, note-taking, and concentration.

Why is it important to have good study skills ? Because they can help you make the most of your time, absorb information more effectively, and retain what you’ve learned for longer.

Good study skills can also alleviate stress and help you to feel more in control of your learning.

If you’re unsure where to start, plenty of resources are available to help you develop your study skills . Why not look at some websites, books, or articles dedicated to the subject?

Alternatively, you could speak to your tutor or a fellow student for advice. Everyone learns differently, so find what works best for you and stick with it!

Why Is It Important To Have Good Study Skills?

Why is it important to have good study skills

Why is it important to have good study skills? Good study skills are important for several reasons.

First, they can help you to understand better and retain information.

Second, they can help you to develop better critical thinking and problem-solving skills .

Third, they can help you to manage your time more effectively.

Finally, good study skills can lead to better grades and test scores.

Thus, it is clear that good study skills are important for students of all ages.

By developing and using good study skills , students can improve their academic performance and set themselves up for success in school and life.

The benefits of good study skills

Having good study skills is important for several reasons.

First, it can help you to understand better and retain information.

Second, it can improve your grades and test scores.

Finally, it can help you to develop good habits that will serve you well in college and beyond.

Good study skills involve several things, including time management, organization, and focus.

Learning to study effectively can take time and effort, but it is well worth it in the long run.

By developing good study skills now, you will set yourself up for success in school and life.

Why is it important to have good study skills? Improved grades.

Why is it important to have good study skills - Improved grades

One of the benefits of having good study skills is improved grades. Why is it important to have good study skills? Because improved grades can lead to better opportunities in life .

Good study skills help students learn more effectively and retain information for longer.

As a result, they can perform better on tests and assignments, ultimately leading to higher grades. In addition, good study skills can also help students develop a love for learning.

When students enjoy learning, they are more motivated to do well in school and life.

Therefore, good study skills are essential for success in school and life.

Why is it important to have good study skills? Better time management.

Why is it important to have good study skills - Better time management

Why is it important to have good study skills? One benefit of good study skills is better time management . Students with good study skills can manage their time wisely and efficiently . This means they can get more done in less time and have more time for things they enjoy outside of school. In addition, students with good study skills tend to earn better grades. This is because they can understand and retain information better and also because they can complete assignments on time. Good study skills are, therefore, essential for any student who wants to succeed in school.

Why is it important to have good study skills? Increased confidence.

Why is it important to have good study skills Increased confidence

One of the benefits of having good study skills is that it can lead to increased confidence.

When students feel confident in their ability to understand and retain information, they are more likely to take academic risks and push themselves to achieve their full potential.

Good study skills also lead to better grades, which can, in turn, lead to increased confidence.

Students who receive high grades are more likely to believe in their abilities and feel capable of succeeding both academically and in life.

In short, good study skills lay the foundation for a lifetime of success and confidence.

Why wouldn’t you want to give yourself the best possible chance for success?

Improve your study skills today and reap the benefits tomorrow.

How to develop good study skills

After we discussed “Why is it important to have good study skills?” we can now explain how to develop them.

Developing good study skills is essential for success in school. After all, much of what you learn in academics is gained through self-study outside the classroom.

However, many students find it difficult to know how to study effectively.

The good news is that you can use several simple strategies to improve your study habits .

One important thing to remember is that not all study methods work for everyone.

Some students prefer to study in short bursts, while others find that they retain information better when they study for longer periods.

Experiment with different techniques and find the ones that work best for you.

Additionally, try to create a quiet and comfortable studying environment where you won’t be distracted by noise or other outside stimuli.

Finally, make sure to take breaks while you’re studying. It’s important to give your mind a chance to rest and absorb the information you’re working on.

For every hour you spend studying, take a five or ten-minute break to walk around, get some fresh air, or grab a snack.

By following these simple tips, you can develop good study habits that will help you succeed in school and beyond.

Find a method that works for you.

Why is it important to have good study skills - Find a method that works for you.

There are many reasons why is it important to have good study skills. Good study skills can help you to succeed in school and your career. They can also help you to manage your time more effectively and to reduce stress . Finding a method for developing good study skills that work for you is essential.

One way to develop good study skills is to find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted. This will allow you to focus on your work and avoid distractions.

Another way to develop good study skills is to create a schedule and stick to it. This will help you make the most of your study time and ensure that you cover all the material you need to know .

Finally, try to relax and stay positive when you are studying.

This can be not easy, but it is important to remember that everyone learns at their own pace.

Do not get discouraged if you do not understand something immediately; take the time to review the material and ask for help if necessary.

You can develop the study skills needed to succeed with perseverance and a positive attitude.

Make a study schedule.

Why is it important to have good study skills - Make a study schedule.

It is important to have good study skills for several reasons.

First, when you have good study skills, you can retain more information.

Second, good study skills help you organize your time and resources to use them efficiently.

Third, good study skills improve your grades and test scores, which can lead to better opportunities in life.

Finally, good study skills can help reduce stress levels.

Here are 5 tips for developing good study skills:

  • Make a schedule: One of the most important things you can do is to make a schedule and stick to it. Whether you use a paper planner or an online calendar, ensure to include time for studying in your daily routine. And don’t forget to schedule breaks! Taking short breaks will help you stay focused and avoid burnout.
  • Find a quiet place: It’s important to find a place where you can focus on your work without distractions. This might be a spot in your room, at the library, or even at a coffee shop. Once you’ve found your ideal location, try to stick with it whenever possible.
  • Take advantage of technology: Many apps and websites can help you study more effectively. For example, flashcard apps can help you memorize information more easily, and productivity tracking tools can help you see how well you’re using your time.
  • Get plenty of rest: It’s important to get enough sleep to learn new information. Get enough rest each night to be alert and focused during your studies.
  • Eat healthily: Eating healthy foods will help your brain function at its best. Reach for fruits and vegetables instead of sugary snacks when you need an energy boost during your studies. These tips will help you develop strong study skills that will serve you well throughout your academic career and beyond!

Get organized.

Why is it important to have good study skills - Get organized.

One of the most important aspects of developing good study habits is staying organized. When your materials are well-organized, you’ll waste less time looking for what you need. You can also create a study schedule that fits your other commitments and ensures you have dedicated time to study each day.

Good study habits are also important because they help you make the most of your time. If you’re able to focus and retain information more effectively, you’ll be able to get more out of your studying. Additionally, you can further improve your understanding of the material by taking practice quizzes and participating in active learning activities.

Developing good study habits is an important part of being successful in school. By taking the time to get organized and create a study schedule, you can set yourself up for academic success.

Conclusion – Why Is It Important To Have Good Study Skills?

There are many good reasons to develop strong study skills.

You can understand the material better and retain information for longer by studying effectively.

In addition, good study habits can save you time in the long run by helping you avoid last-minute cramming sessions.

Finally, good study habits can boost your confidence and improve your grades. If you want to improve your soft skills , get started here.

FAQs related to Why is it important to have good study skills?

FAQs related to Why is it important to have good study skills

Here are other questions and answers related to “Why is it important to have good study skills?”

What are the benefits of good study habits?

Good study habits are important for several reasons.

  • They can help you to understand better and retain information. When you take the time to review material thoroughly and break it down into manageable pieces, you are more likely to remember it when needed.
  • Good study habits can save you time in the long run. If you develop a system for taking notes and reviewing information regularly, you will be less likely to spend hours cramming for an exam at the last minute.
  • Good study habits can boost your confidence and improve your grades. Knowing that you have prepared thoroughly for a test or presentation will make you less likely to worry about making a mistake. The next time you sit down to study, take a moment to consider how good study habits can benefit you both now and in the future.

Why do we need to have study skills, and Why is it important to have good study skills?

In today’s world, knowledge is power. The ability to access and understand information is increasingly important in both academic and professional contexts.

For students, having strong study skills is essential for success in school. Study skills help students to learn more effectively, remember information more easily, and cope with the challenges of exams and assignments.

Employees with good study skills can digest complex reports, remember key details, and solve problems more efficiently in the workplace.

In short, study skills are essential for achieving success in any field.

While some people may be naturally gifted with strong study skills, anyone can improve their ability to learn and retain information by developing a few simple techniques.

For example, keeping a well-organized notebook can help you track what you have learned in each class.

Reviewing your notes regularly will also reinforce the information in your memory. And taking practice quizzes can help you gauge your understanding of the material and identify any areas that need improvement .

Developing strong study skills will give you a valuable tool for success in school and your career.

What are study skills that will help you to succeed?

To succeed in academics, there are a few skills that you will need to master.

  • Time management is essential. You need to be able to balance your classwork with your other obligations to ensure that you have enough time to study.
  • You need to be able to focus when you are studying. This means eliminating distractions and being able to concentrate on the task at hand.
  • You need to be able to understand the material that you are studying. This requires active reading and listening , as well as taking good notes.
  • You need to be able to recall information when it is time for exams effectively. This means having a good study method, whether flashcards or practice exams, that works for you. If you master these skills, you will be well on your way to academic success.

What are some important study skills for college?

College is a time of transition, and for many students, it represents a significant increase in the amount of academic work they will be expected to do.

After explaining “why is it important to have good study skills,” we can agree that to succeed in college, it is important to develop effective study skills.

One essential skill is time management. College courses typically move at a faster pace than high school classes, and students will have to be able to budget their time wisely to keep up.

Another important skill is active reading. When reading college-level texts, it is important to identify the main ideas and key details.

Students should also be prepared to do extensive research. This includes locating reliable sources and synthesizing information from multiple sources.

Finally, students need to be able to write well. College professors expect clear and concise writing that demonstrates critical thinking and analysis. By developing strong study skills, students can set themselves up for success in college.

What are the characteristics of good study habits?

Good study habits are important for academic success. However, there is no single definition of “good” study habits. Some students prefer to study in short bursts; others prefer marathon study sessions. Some students prefer to study alone, while others find group studying more effective. However, there are a few general characteristics that most successful students share.

  • They can set aside adequate time for studying.
  • They have developed effective methods for managing their time and prioritizing their tasks.
  • They create a positive study environment, free from distractions and disruptions.
  • They are willing to seek help when needed, whether from teachers, tutors, or classmates. By developing good study habits that work for them, students can set themselves up for success in school and beyond.

Is managing time important for study skills? Why?

Any student knows that good study habits are essential for success in school.

One of the most important aspects of good study habits is managing time effectively. This can be a challenge, particularly when students juggle a busy schedule of classes, extracurricular activities, and social obligations.

However, taking the time to plan and organize can make a big difference.

Those who take the time to manage their time wisely are more likely to find they have more time to study than they thought.

In addition, they are less likely to feel overwhelmed by their workload and more likely to retain information.

As a result, managing time is an important skill for any student who wants to thrive in school.

What are some good study habits?

Why is it important to have good study skills - What are some good study habits

Most students are aware of the basic study habits recommended for academic success. However, there is often debate about which habits are most effective.

Some students swear by flashcards, while others prefer to listen to recordings of their lecture notes. Some students study in total silence, while others find that background music helps them to focus. The truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to studying effectively.

Every student is different, and what works for one person might not work for another.

However, a few general tips can help students develop better study habits.

For example, creating a dedicated study space is important to focus on your work and avoid distractions.

It is also important to break up your material into manageable chunks and review regularly rather than trying to cram everything in at the last minute.

Finding a study method that works for you can set you up for academic success.

What are the elements of study skills?

Study skills are the abilities and habits that help you to succeed in academic settings. Typically, they involve time management, active listening , and effective note-taking. However, study skills are not just about acquiring knowledge; they also involve critical thinking and problem-solving.

For example, when you encounter a difficult problem, good study skills would involve breaking it down into smaller pieces and then identifying the key concepts.

By honing your study skills, you can learn to process information and effectively find successful solutions to challenges.

In short, study skills are essential for any student who wishes to perform well in school and beyond.

What are some good ways to develop study skills?

One of the most important skills that a student can develop is good study habits. Without these, it becomes very difficult to learn and retain information.

However, developing good study habits is not always easy. Finding a routine that works best for you takes time and practice. Here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Find a quiet place to study where you will not be interrupted or distracted.
  • Make sure you have all the materials you need before studying. This includes pencils, paper, textbooks, and notes you have taken.
  • Start by reviewing the material you will be studying. This will help you better understand what you need to know .
  • Take breaks as needed, but don’t allow yourself to get too comfortable – it’s important to stay focused on your studies.
  • Be willing to ask for help when needed. There is no shame in admitting that you need assistance; everyone learns differently, and sometimes, we all need extra help.

By following these tips, you can develop better study habits and become a more successful student.

What study habits made you successful?

One of the most important things that contributed to my success in school was developing good study habits.

I learned how to manage my time effectively and always made sure to allot enough time to study.

I was also very consistent with my studying and reviewed my notes regularly.

Additionally, I always tried to be as organized as possible and had a specific place for all my school materials.

Having good study habits, I could make the most of my time and stay on top of my coursework.

This allowed me to do well in school and ultimately helped me succeed.

What are effective study habits for college students?

College is a time of transition, and factors like increased workloads and new surroundings can make it difficult to adjust.

One way to ease the transition is to develop effective study habits.

Some good study habits for college students include setting regular times for studying, studying in short bursts, and taking breaks.

Additionally, it can be helpful to find a quiet place to study, break down assignments into smaller tasks, and create a study schedule.

By taking the time to develop good study habits, college students can set themselves up for success.

How long does it take to build strong study habits?

After reviewing why is it important to have good study skills, we can understand that forming strong study habits can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort.

Students who develop good study habits often find that they can learn more effectively and retain information more easily.

So how long does it take to form strong study habits?

The answer may vary depending on the person, but most experts agree that it takes at least 21 days to form a new habit.

Students must be consistent in their studying for at least three weeks before it becomes a natural part of their routine.

Of course, this is just a general guideline – some students may find that they can form new habits more quickly, while others may need more time.

Ultimately, it is important to keep at it and be patient; with consistency and effort, anyone can develop strong study habits.

How can I improve my study habits?

First, take a close look at your current study habits.

Are you studying in a quiet place with few distractions? Do you have a set time each day for studying?

Are you breaking up your studying into manageable chunks, or are you trying to cram everything in at the last minute?

If you find that your study habits could improve, there are several things you can do to make studying more effective.

First, try to create a dedicated study space free from distractions. It may be helpful to set aside a specific time each day for studying and stick to that schedule as much as possible.

In addition, try to avoid cramming by breaking up your material into smaller sections and working on one section at a time.

By taking these steps, you can develop more effective study habits and improve your academic performance .

Sources – “Why is it important to have good study skills?”

Facts & data for “why is it important to have good study skills ”.

  • Students learn how to prioritize their work when in activities while also finding a balance of everything else going on in their life; commitment is also learned but showing that a student needs to be 100% involved to put in their best effort to whatever they choose to do and to be successful doing it.( https://www.ipl.org/essay/Benefits-Of-Study-Skills-PJGUALCKXU )
  • Top 10 Study Skills Top 10 lists for study success, according to Lynchburg tutors & PASS Leaders Time Management Make a weekly or daily to-do list Use a calendar or planner Get up early to get stuff done Reward yourself when tasks are complete Schedule your “me” time (so it doesn’t eat up study time) Read the syllabus and make plans from it Prioritize and schedule what you need to do – be realistic! ( https://www.lynchburg.edu/academics/tutoring-and-academic-support/top-10-study-skills/ )
  • A 2009 study by Ohio State University found that students who took a study skills class were 45% more likely to graduate. ( https://www.ritutorial.org/importance-study-skills/ )
  • In another study, which Stanford University conducted and the Carnegie Mellon Foundation, 500 CEOs were interviewed. It was found that “soft skills,” not technological knowledge or industry expertise, accounted for 75% of their professional success. ( https://www.ritutorial.org/importance-study-skills/ )

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About Skillabilly Editorial Staff

The Editorial Staff at Skillabilly is a team of Personal and professional experts in the education and career services industry led by Shalev Morag. We have been creating Skill guides and tutorials since 2022, and Skillabilly has become an impactful free skills and abilities resource site in the industry.

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Scientists Found 5 Factors to Improve Brain Health and Lower Dementia Risk

Doctors say they may even be more helpful than medicine.

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  • New research links certain healthy habits to a sharper brain as you age.
  • The study followed participants for more than two decades.
  • Doctors say these are good habits to follow for brain and overall health.

There’s a general recipe for living well that includes regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding smoking. Now, new research finds five factors that can also help support brain health and sharp thinking as you age,

The researchers found a direct link between healthy lifestyle habits and a lowered risk of cognitive decline as the participants got older—that was true, even in people who had hallmark signs of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia . Lead study author Klodian Dhana, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, says his team wanted to see if certain factors could influence whether someone develops Alzheimer’s or dementia. “As individuals age, there is a progressive accumulation of dementia-related brain pathologies,” he says. However, not everyone goes on to develop dementia, despite these changes in the brain. The goal of the study, Dr. Dhana says, was to see if lifestyle factors would make a difference in how likely someone is to develop dementia.

Here’s what Dr. Dhana and his team discovered.

Factors to improve brain health

The study participants were labeled as having a low-risk or healthy lifestyle if they did the following:

  • No smoking.
  • Doing moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 150 minutes a week.
  • Limit alcohol use to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
  • Engage in brain-stimulating activities, like reading, playing games, and visiting museums.
  • Follow a variation of the MIND diet.

Study participants received a healthy lifestyle score within these areas and, the healthier they were, the better their brain health. The researchers found that for every one-point increase in the healthy lifestyle score, the lower the amount of beta-amyloid plaques (hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease ) and the higher their score on cognitive tests that looked at factors like memory and attention span.

An editorial that was published alongside the study pointed out that the benefits of following these healthy lifestyle factors were still there, regardless of whether the study participants had signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in their brains.

Why are these habits good for the brain?

At baseline, these lifestyle factors and habits are known to be good for you. “Following a healthy lifestyle is good for the brain,” says Amit Sachdev, M.D., M.S., medical director in the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University.

These factors in particular “have been investigated and shown to be associated with slower cognitive decline and a lower risk of dementia,” Dr. Dhana says.

While plant-based diets have been linked to healthier brains, the MIND diet is a specific kind of plant-based diet. It incorporates several elements of the Mediterranean diet , like plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, olive oil, and whole grains, explains Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety .

“Previous studies on similar diet patterns have shown that this style of eating is very rich in polyphenols, which are powerful plant compounds that have been shown to have neuroprotective properties,” Cording says. “That’s a big piece of the puzzle.” The foods featured in this diet can help tamp down on bodily inflammation and promote good gut and heart health, she points out.

That diet, along with regular exercise, limiting alcohol use, and avoiding smoking is good for the cardiovascular system, Cording says. “What’s good for the heart and blood vessels is generally good for the brain—we have tons of blood vessels in the brain,” she says.

Clifford Segil, D.O. , a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA., agrees. “A healthy lifestyle increases your heart health and brain health,” he says. “A healthy heart can only help your brain.”

Research has also found that doing mentally stimulating activities is linked with a lowered risk of developing dementia. “The thing I most often recommend to patients for their brain health is structured cognitive exercise,” Dr. Segil says. “That can mean taking a class at a junior college. With muscles, if you don’t use it, you lose it. The same is true of your brain.”

Dr. Segil stresses the importance of healthy lifestyle habits for brain health, noting that he sees patients do better after making lifestyle tweaks than they do taking certain medications to lower the risk of cognitive decline.

Overall, Dr. Dhana says the lifestyle factors laid out in his study may help provide cognitive benefits over time. But, if you’re concerned about your own risk of dementia or have a family history of the disease, he recommends seeing a doctor for personalized recommendations.

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Poll Ranks Biden as 14th-Best President, With Trump Last

President Biden may owe his place in the top third to his predecessor: Mr. Biden’s signature accomplishment, according to the historians, was evicting Donald J. Trump from the Oval Office.

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President Biden standing at the top of the steps leading to Air Force One.

By Peter Baker

Peter Baker has covered the past five presidents, ranked seventh, 12th, 14th, 32nd and 45th in the survey.

President Biden has not had a lot of fun perusing polls lately. He has a lower approval rating than every president going back to Dwight D. Eisenhower at this stage of their tenures, and he trails former President Donald J. Trump in a fall rematch. But Mr. Biden can take solace from one survey in which he is way out in front of Mr. Trump.

A new poll of historians coming out on Presidents’ Day weekend ranks Mr. Biden as the 14th-best president in American history, just ahead of Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan and Ulysses S. Grant. While that may not get Mr. Biden a spot on Mount Rushmore, it certainly puts him well ahead of Mr. Trump, who places dead last as the worst president ever.

Indeed, Mr. Biden may owe his place in the top third in part to Mr. Trump. Although he has claims to a historical legacy by managing the end of the Covid pandemic; rebuilding the nation’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure; and leading an international coalition against Russian aggression, Mr. Biden’s signature accomplishment, according to the historians, was evicting Mr. Trump from the Oval Office.

“Biden’s most important achievements may be that he rescued the presidency from Trump, resumed a more traditional style of presidential leadership and is gearing up to keep the office out of his predecessor’s hands this fall,” wrote Justin Vaughn and Brandon Rottinghaus, the college professors who conducted the survey and announced the results in The Los Angeles Times .

Mr. Trump might not care much what a bunch of academics think, but for what it’s worth he fares badly even among the self-identified Republican historians. Finishing 45th overall, Mr. Trump trails even the mid-19th-century failures who blundered the country into a civil war or botched its aftermath like James Buchanan, Franklin Pierce and Andrew Johnson.

Judging modern-day presidents, of course, is a hazardous exercise, one shaped by the politics of the moment and not necessarily reflective of how history will look a century from now. Even long-ago presidents can move up or down such polls depending on the changing cultural mores of the times the surveys are conducted.

For instance, Barack Obama, finishing at No. 7 this year, is up nine places since 2015, as is Grant, now ranked 17th. On the other hand, Andrew Jackson has fallen 12 places to 21st while Wilson (15th) and Reagan (16th) have each fallen five places.

At least some of that may owe to the increasing contemporary focus on racial justice. Mr. Obama, of course, was the nation’s first Black president, and Grant’s war against the Ku Klux Klan has come to balance out the corruption of his administration. But more attention today has focused on Jackson’s brutal campaigns against Native Americans and his “Trail of Tears” forced removal of Indigenous communities, and Wilson’s racist views and resegregation of parts of the federal government.

As usual, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson top the list, and historians generally share similar views of many presidents regardless of their own personal ideology or partisan affiliation. But some modern presidents generate more splits among the historians along party lines.

Among Republican scholars, for instance, Reagan finishes fifth, George H.W. Bush 11th, Mr. Obama 15th and Mr. Biden 30th, while among Democratic historians, Reagan is 18th, Mr. Bush 19th, Mr. Obama sixth and Mr. Biden 13th. Other than Grant and Mr. Biden, the biggest disparity is over George W. Bush, who is ranked 19th among Republicans and 33rd among Democrats.

Intriguingly, one modern president who generates little partisan difference is Bill Clinton. In fact, Republicans rank him slightly higher, at 10th, than Democrats do, at 12th, perhaps reflecting some #MeToo era rethinking and liberal unease over his centrist politics.

The survey, conducted by Mr. Vaughn, an associate professor of political science at Coastal Carolina University, and Mr. Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston, was based on 154 responses from scholars across the country.

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The Times. He has covered the last five presidents and sometimes writes analytical pieces that place presidents and their administrations in a larger context and historical framework. More about Peter Baker

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News and Analysis

President Biden’s re-election campaign ended January with nearly $56 million on hand , extending his cash advantage over former President Donald Trump, whose campaign had about $30 million available at the end of the month.

Nikki Haley’s relationship with Black voters, a key Democratic faction in South Carolina,  has been long fraught. Her presidential bid has only increased their skepticism, casting further doubt on significant partisan crossover  in the state’s upcoming Republican primary.

Fact-Checking Biden: During campaign and public events in recent weeks, Biden has made some misleading statements  about taxes, industry, jobs and more.

A Right-Wing Nerve Center:  The Conservative Partnership Institute has become a breeding ground for the next generation of Trump loyalists and an incubator for policies he might pursue. Its fast growth is raising questions .

 On Wall Street:  Investors are already thinking about how financial markets might respond to the outcome of a Biden-Trump rematch , and how they should trade to prepare for it.

Devouring the Establishment:  Long a dominant force over the Republican Party’s institutions, Trump is now moving to fully eradicate their independence  and remake them in his own image as November draws closer.

Health

Sleep Regularity More Important than Sleep Duration, Study Finds

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  • New research found that sleep regularity is more important than sleep duration.
  • Another study found that individuals who lacked a regular sleep schedule saw greater risk of cognitive decline.
  • Experts recommend people follow healthy sleep habits—getting sunlight first thing in the morning, exercising during the day, and maintaining a calm bedroom environment—to help form regular sleep patterns.

Regularity is more important than duration when it comes to sleep habits, a new study finds.

Not getting enough sleep has been linked to health issues like heart and kidney disease, hypertension, depression, and more. However, a regular sleep routine may even more profoundly impact health.

New research, published earlier this year in Sleep , compared how consistent people were with their bedtime and wake-up schedules to how long people slept during the night.

The study authors found that sleep regularity better predicted a person’s mortality risk than sleep duration.

Participants with the most consistent sleep schedules had a lower risk of all-cause mortality, in addition to mortality from cancer and cardiometabolic disease.

“Making your wake time consistent across all days seems to be the underlying message,” said Sara Nowakowski, PhD , associate professor of medicine and behavioral sleep medicine provider at the Baylor College of Medicine, told Health .

Here’s why sleep regularity is important for well-being and what people can do to improve the consistency of their sleep schedules.

Regularity Is Something to Consider for Sleep Health

The Sleep study focused on data from approximately 61,000 participants from the U.K. Biobank cohort. The participants were on average about 63 years old, just over half were women, and over 97% were white.

For one week, the researchers tracked their activity via an actigraph, which is similar to a smartwatch, explained Nowakowski.

This device allowed the researchers to estimate when each person went to sleep and woke up each day, taking into account naps, fragmented sleep, and periods when people were awake in the middle of the night.

This allowed insight into people’s “day-to-day variability” of sleep, Nowakowski said.

Actigraphy data was used to determine each person’s “Sleep Regularity Index,” which described how consistent a person’s sleep was on a scale from zero to 100, the latter representing perfectly regular sleep.

Comparing mortality data for the participants, researchers found that people who scored at least 71.6 on the Sleep Regularity Index had between a 20% and 48% lower risk of all-cause mortality. This group also had between a 16% and 39% lowered risk of death from cancer, and a 22% to 57% lowered risk of death from cardiometabolic diseases. 

While longer sleep durations were also associated with a lower mortality risk, sleep regularity was an even better indicator of mortality risk. 

This isn’t the only recent study to stress the importance of regular sleep habits.

A JAMA Network Open study published earlier this month tracked the self-reported sleep of older adults. Researchers found that frequently sleeping for fewer hours and having inconsistent sleep duration were both associated with cognitive decline .

It’s important to emphasize that both new studies found an association—not causation—between regular sleep and improved health outcomes, Richard Castriotta, MD , pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine specialist with Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California, told Health .

So, it’s not clear if irregular sleep is causing a higher mortality risk or cognitive decline, or whether these health issues are worsening people’s sleep, he said.

But overall, both studies point to the idea that sleep consistency can greatly influence people’s health.

“The outcomes are different—one’s mortality and one’s cognitive functioning—but they’re both telling you that regularity of sleep patterns is very important,” said Nowakowski.

Related: Even Slight Changes In Your Sleep Schedule Could Affect Your Gut Health

Why Consistency Matters So Much

Emerging research is connecting sleep to circadian rhythms, Nowakowski explained.

“Everything in our body operates on this 24-hour clock—our appetite, our hormones, our peak performance, our sleep,” she said.

Circadian rhythms are influenced by light and dark, as well as by genetics and routines. When a person’s sleep cycles are out of sync with their environment and internal body clock, that can lead to health issues.

Castriotti explained that having jet lag after a long flight is a good way to illustrate it.

“It’s not just that you feel tired—your digestive tract isn’t working right, your muscles are all aching, everything is out of whack, because some parts of your body are acting in one timezone and others are acting in another,” he said.

Though it’s not typically to the same degree as jet lag, many people have a long-term disrupted sleep-wake cycle, where they’re awake when their body wants to go to sleep (or vice versa).

Prior research has found that this disruption of the circadian rhythm—particularly in people who do shift work —can lead to autoimmune disorders.

Also, Castriotta explained that blood pressure typically goes down at night when a person sleeps—if that’s consistently disrupted, people may see a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease , and diabetes.

There’s also a relationship between disrupted sleep, high cortisol levels, and strain on the heart and brain, he added.

More research on circadian rhythms and sleep is necessary, but there’s no denying that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day seems to benefit overall health.

Related: How Light Exposure Throughout the Day Affects Your Mental Health

How to Prioritize a Regular Sleep Routine

Coming up with a consistent sleep-wake schedule is the first thing experts recommend if people want to improve their sleep.

“Have an average, set sleep time,” said Castriotta. “No matter what time you go to bed, no matter whether it’s a weekend or weekday, and whether you have work or school, get up at the same time every day.”

On top of this set wake-up time, people should plan to get about seven or eight hours of sleep and set their schedule accordingly.

To make that easier, people should take some time beforehand to “cool down,” Castriotta said.

“Avoid the TV and cell phone and computer and blue light,” he said. A warm bath or shower before bed and avoiding any stimulants (like caffeine) can also be helpful.

Still, Nowakowski explained there’s not a perfect way to ensure a regular sleep routine.

“You’re busy [during] the week, you have to get up for your kids or work, and you’re just cutting it short,” she said. “I think you can make up a little bit [of sleep].”

Ideally, if someone wanted or needed to sleep in, they’d get up no more than an hour later than usual, she said.

Bedtime and wake-up time aside, getting sunlight in the morning is another way people can improve their sleep regularity, Nowakowski said.

Other helpful sleep hygiene habits include exercising during the day and keeping the bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.

“If you want to optimize your sleep and your sleep health,...realize and recognize that it’s good to get it consistent across all days—both the schedule, the timing of it, and how much you’re getting,” Nowakowski said.

Related: Postponing Bedtime By Just 34 Minutes Could Increase Your Risk of High Blood Pressure

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Read the original article on Health.com .

Sleep Regularity More Important than Sleep Duration, Study Finds

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