Whether you realize it or not, you have study habits. But how much are they helping you? As a student, you may be putting a lot of energy into schoolwork, but there may be more effective ways to spend that energy. Let's look at some study tips that could help improve your academic success.
Stop pulling all-nighters.
All-nighters can lead to weight gain, digestive problems, poor concentration and a decrease in information retention. While it may seem like a good idea at the time, studying through the night and into the morning can have a range of negative consequences.1 What's the alternative? See the tip below about committing to a study schedule.
Write it down by hand.
Believe it or not, the act of highlighting does little to commit information to memory, especially when compared to the benefits of hand writing notes. It's actually a scientific fact, writing down information by hand stimulates the brain.2 Writing information down by hand helps your brain prioritize and focus. Of course, it's OK to highlight important information, but make sure you also take the time to actually write it down. If you really want to get that information deeper into your memory, try writing down the information several times. And by the way, typing is not the same as writing it out by hand.
Commit to a study schedule.
Look at a calendar and think about your weekly schedule and your responsibilities outside of school. Then think about your spare time, because you might need to use some of it to handle your schoolwork. The reality is, each week, you're going to need to spend several hours doing schoolwork. So where are those time blocks in your schedule? Find them and commit to them. Maybe it's on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4. During the time that you set aside, you're committing to doing schoolwork. No TV, no hanging out with friends, no nonsense. Blocking out time every week to get your schoolwork done can help you avoid procrastination and have a stronger reason to say no to distractions when they pop up.
Use a to-do list for studying.
Use the first five minutes of your study time to review everything that's due, including the subject matter you're supposed to be learning. Think about what your top priorities and toughest assignments are. Put them at the top of your to-do list, with the easiest and least urgent work at the bottom. This can help reduce your stress by getting the important work knocked out first, plus, the longer you study the easier it will get. Taking a few extra minutes to organize your study time can help ensure that you don't forget something important.
Whether you're just starting to research online healthcare degrees or you're already enrolled in patient care technician training, these tips could help you improve your study habits. Want to learn more about UMA? See how our Student Services department helps students every step of the way.
1 http://lifehacker.com/5738093/why-you-learn-more-effectively-by-writing-than-typing
2 http://www.hercampus.com/health/physical-health/what-all-nighter-actually-does-your-body