August is officially here which means it's time to get ready to be back in the classroom! School is a time of learning and development, but it's what you make of it. Studying for school can be tiring and some students are lost on how to study! The truth is, everybody studies in their own way, but here are some research-backed tips that everybody can use to improve their academics!
Time management
Cramming the night before the exam doesn't always turn out so well. It can be stressful, and you most likely won't be able to fully study and get to all the information you need to know. Instead, start working on your time management skills. Study for 2 hours each night a week before the exam. If that doesn't work for you, you can customize it to work with your schedule. The key is to have multiple study sessions before the exam so you can retain more information.
Locations
The area where you study can really make or break how well you learn the information! Being in a loud room can be very distracting, so opt for a library or a secluded, quiet area. Also, switching up your location during every study session is highly recommended. Research shows it exercises your brain to adapt to new surroundings and makes our brain less likely to forget the information.
Write it down
Instead of just reading your material in your head, take the stuff you have learned and copy it onto a new sheet of paper. Research shows that the act of writing stuff down helps you remember the information much better than just reading it.
Eliminate distractions
Your phone can be your worst distraction that can greatly inhibit your focus. Shut your phone off while you study to eliminate all distractions from your friends. Reward yourself for studying for a designated amount of time, like 50 minutes, and use your phone for 10 minutes before you go back to studying.
Word games
If you need to remember more short form things, like dates, or certain people, make acronyms to help you remember! For example, to remember the stages of the cell division: Interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telephase, create the acronym: IPMAT. Or, you can use rhymes to help you remember information! For example, "The element of neon is a gas, with 20.17 as it's mass. If you need to know again, check atomic number 10."
The more the merrier
Now, group studying isn't for everybody, especially if you can easily get distracted. It can be very beneficial if you have a group of study pals you can trust. They may have taken notes that you missed, and they can help quiz you!
Coffee buzz
Research actually shows that drinking coffee when studying is advantageous in getting the best results. The studies show that coffee increases your attention span, so you aren't daydreaming while reading your textbook!
