Pick a place that’s quiet and distraction free. The basement of your dorm may not be a good choice if it’s a common place for socializing, but you could instead study at your desk in your dorm room.
You can study during gaps between classes or in the evening after your classes are done for the day. In addition to finding times that work, find times when you’re naturally more energetic. If you tend to get sleepy in the afternoon, do something relaxing for yourself around two o’clock and schedule study time sometime after dinner.
It can help to stop by a local office supplies store to get things like notebooks, pencil boxes, and other storage contraptions to keep yourself organized.
Keep other distracting material, such as outside reading, away from your study area. If you go out of your dorm or apartment to study, do not take anything potentially distracting. Stick to your school supplies only and leave things like your iPod at home. However, if you are studying in a noisy place, you may want to bring your headphones if music helps you focus.
For example, study in your dorm one day and a coffee shop the next day. Take note of which place you feel the most relaxed and engaged and make a habit of studying there regularly.
For example, if you’re studying for a math final, focus on one concept each day. You can study multiplication one day and things like division the next. You can also set goals based on days of the week. Focus on your math and science courses on Mondays and Wednesdays and your humanities courses on Thursdays and Fridays, for example.
For example, if you’re really struggling understanding a concept for a philosophy class, study your notes and reading on that concept first. Then, you can move on to easier topics.
For example, a well known memory device is Kings Play Cards On Flat Green Stools, used to help you remember the taxonomy order used to classify species (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species). You can also use visualization. For example, you’re trying to remember Jeanette Rankin was the first woman to serve in Congress and you have an Aunt Jeanette. Picture your Aunt Jeanette talking on the floor of Congress to help you remember.
Set a timer to make sure you’re on task. You don’t want to study for too long, leading to frustration, or take a long break, which can ruin your concentration.
Studying can be stressful, and it’s important to address and challenge stressful thoughts. For example, don’t think, “I’m a mess. I’m never going to understand this. " Instead think, “I’m sure if I work a little each day, I can figure out this material. "
For example, agree that if you study for three hours, you can go to the cafeteria and have something like ice cream or pizza for a treat.
For example, say you’ve been getting frustrated memorizing the years of major scientific breakthroughs for a science course. The syllabus says the goals of the course are to help you gain a better understanding of scientific theory. It’s more important for you to understand the overarching theories than know the exact dates.
Choose the right peers. If your study group is made up of friends, studying may turn into socializing fast. Pick good students who are genuinely engaged in class. Bounce off one another’s strengths. If a classmate is confused on a subject you’re skilled at, and does well in an area that confuses you, they would make a good partner. The two of you can help one another out.
Your professor’s office hours should be stated on their green sheet, which they handed out at the beginning of the semester. When e-mailing your professor, state your class day and time in the subject header. Professors often teach more than one class.
If your teacher does not offer a review session, ask them if they are willing to do it. If enough students are interested in a review session, they may create one.
Not all tutors advertise in the tutoring center on college campuses. Some tutors post their fliers on the school bulletin board, alongside other fliers for housing and textbook sales. If you cannot find any tutors, ask your classmates. Some of them may be willing to help you before or after class, and not all of them will charge a fee.
