There is no single person who is born a know it all. There is a process of learning that must take place for growth to happen. The same applies to studies and how smarter you become. There are a few study skills that you should master if you want to be attentive and smarter in all you do.
As a matter of fact, the more you work on your study skills, the easier it becomes for you to excel in class. This is applicable at any level of learning from middle school to high school and even tertiary institutions. The following are some tips to help you take control of your studies.
Stay Focused in Your Classes
The class environment is suitable for you to grasp whatever it is you want. This is where good studying habits begin. When you stay focused in class, the process of learning takes off smoothly and progresses on.
If you find it difficult staying focused in class, your learning process will be jeopardized. Look at the people you are seated next to and whether they promote or disrupt the learning environment. Anything that prevents you from being attentive should be eliminated.
Take Good Notes
Messy, unclear, and disorganized class notes will not give you as much benefit. Don’t get it wrong, a good handwriting is important, but it is not the only necessary condition to writing good notes. The structure of your notes is more important.
Organize your notes into digestible summaries that bring into one place the main points, study cues, and details. You can also use the mapping method where you organize your notes into visual elements to help you connect relationships between topics. The main page is organized by topic and thereafter branched into sub-topics each with detailed information.
Always Plan Ahead
Effective management of your studies requires that you plan ahead on what you want to do and when. It is important when planning that you:
- Ensure you are familiar with either the module or the subject ahead.
- Know the cut-off dates for assignments
- Understand the learning outcomes
- Have an idea of the time you need to allocate to your studies
When planning, create a schedule that has all your study commitments, social commitments, and any other items that require time. A study calendar is an important tool to have. Plan the most difficult subjects first to take advantage of strong concentration. In your planning, be sure to include regular breaks to refresh.
Use Acronyms to Help You Remember
Studies can mean a lot of things that you need to remember all at once. This makes it difficult if you are to do one sentence at a time and can even clog your mind early in the process. The best approach is to use an acronym to breakdown lengthy passages into a few letters of the alphabet.
You may find it a little difficult at the beginning stage, but once it gets into your system; it will be easier to go through chapters without the exhaustion typical in studies. For instance, if you want to memorize the 8 planets in the order they appear from the sun to the outer rings of the solar system, you can use the mnemonic ‘My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nuts’.
Ask for Help
Studying is not purely an individual endeavor that is why you are in a classroom set up so that you can learn about teamwork and collaboration. When you go through a subject or chapter and feel confused, you don’t have to struggle hours on end trying to understand. Get a friend to help you go through the material with clear explanations.
For example, if you are doing a research paper and you have come to a point where you question who will write my essay, there are lots of professional services to help you out. Just go online and you will find countless sources offering professional writing services. They can help you jump that hurdle as you continue with your studies.
The bottom line to all this is to ensure that you give your brain enough time to relax. Goodnight sleep helps in bringing the brain back to shape so that in the morning you can concentrate and get on with your tasks.