6 Tips to Upgrade Your Study Routine
It’s that time of the year again, the start of a Spring term. The new year is a great time to evaluate areas of improvement to accomplish your goals. You may have done great last term, but many students realize their grades are in need for an upgrade. Here’s some tips to consider a new study regime to get yourself back on track:
Know your learning style
All learning is not created equal. People receive information and process that information differently. Learning styles include: auditory, physical/ tactile/kinesthetic, reading/writing, visual. Public education teachers usually have more scrutiny than college professors to accommodate different learning style in the classroom. College professors have more freedom to teach their content as they wish. As a result, you may have struggled in college more than you anticipated, because the professor(s) of your class(es) did not teach to your learning style. It is also possible to have a preferred learning style for different subject matter. Visit a learning center at your college or use an online resource to discover your style. Then, you can find study strategies that fit your style.
Going to class regularly
This is one of the simplest ways to improve your performance. If you did not attend class regularly last term for whatever reason, then this would be time to make attendance a priority. You can’t learn what you don’t know you need to know. Your professor highlights information in class that is important for upcoming assignments, and it’s also a way you can get immediate feedback on areas you do not understand. Studies show students who sit toward the front of the class perform better than those toward the back. Go to class regularly, sit toward the front, and watch your grades improve.
Take good notes
Similar to learning styles, it is important to know what you need when it comes to recording important information. You may want to bring a means to record the info if you are an auditory learner, or you may need to print the PPT slides ahead of time if you are a visual learner. Learning to write short-hand or coming up with your own style of simplifying words and phrases will also help you to take notes faster, so taking notes is less of a deterrent with common terms and vocabulary.
Find your place
The environment where you feel motivated to learn is paramount. Some people need a quiet space to themselves, like me. My bedroom was my haven for doing homework and studying. Others may find the solitude to be too distracting, or there is too much going on at home to focus. As a result, a coffee shop or library is a better fit. Try out different places and choose the one where you feel the most productive.
Review notes
Reviewing what you’ve written down is great for remembering your frame of mind while you were in class. It will also remind you about what you don’t quite understand. There’s another key part to reviewing your notes, however. You don’t just want to read them, you need to Highlight, Highlight, Highlight! Draw lines or circles to connect concepts. Make it colorful! You can also make your own flashcards. Visual learners will get a kick out of this strategy. Tactile learners may find this helps make the material more physical. Recording your notes and then listening to them while you’re moving your body through exercising or dancing may also work wonders for the more physical type.
Practice
The hands-on learners will find this one essential, but it will be important for even other types of learners for certain subjects, such as math, or specific assignments, such as speeches to take time to practice. Writing within an allotted time, such as what may be required for history classes, grad school admissions tests, or even reading comprehension classes will also be areas you need to set aside time to practice. Don’t blow your hard work studying by underestimating the anxiety you may feel when having to perform under a time limit. Practice. Practice. PRACTICE. Also, make sure you practice with problems DIFFERENT from your homework for subjects like math to reap the best results.
Bonus: Consider a group
Some topics may be a struggle for you on your own. You need a team, or at least one other person, that you can bounce ideas or be able to talk to at a different level of understanding. It may also help you to be consistent with your study routine by having at least one accountability partner. Students in courses such as philosophy, economics, or other types of business courses will see huge benefits from working through problems as a group.
Studying is an individualistic activity. No one thing works well for one person all the time. It may take a while through trial and error to figure out which strategies work best for you. Don’t give up! Once you’ve discovered what works for you then it will be your secret weapon as subjects become more difficult as you move along in your coursework. I hope you find these suggestions helpful. Let me know in the comments if any of them work for you.