The Best Study Habits to Ensure Academic Success
What Are Study Habits?
Study habits are behaviors that are practiced regularly to improve the ability to acquire and consolidate knowledge. The implementation of good study habits positively influences the achievement of a student’s academic success, whether they are preparing for public examinations or whether they are in compulsory or post-compulsory education.
Study habits to achieve better results
Set a schedule. As much as possible, always try to study in the same period. For example, you can study in the afternoons from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. You can also use free moments to review, but it is recommended that the subject that requires more effort be focused on a specific time.
Create a study plan
Before you start studying, design a study plan. Set the goals you want to achieve and organize the content you will study in the following days, weeks, or months, as well as the time you will dedicate to each one.
Rest
For your brain to function properly, it is important to sleep well for 7 and 8 hours. During the study, it is also recommended to take short breaks to disconnect and recover energy.
Avoid distractions
When you are studying, it is preferable to reduce possible distractions as much as possible, such as mobile notifications or the sound of television.
Review regularly
Distribute the study sessions over several days to progress gradually. In this way, you will be able to better consolidate the learning by trying to remember and review what was previously studied. You can also review your notes at the end of each class to identify possible doubts to resolve with your teachers or classmates.
Adapt the study methodology to the type of test
Not all exams require the same way of studying. For example, an exam in which you must develop a topic requires a very well-structured study, which goes from the general to the particular, prioritizing having a joint vision of the topic and a well-defined structure. However, multiple choice exams, where the questions can deal with any detail, should be prepared cumulatively, to assimilate the concepts in a cascade, remembering more and more things as we review the subjects.
Employ study techniques
Many study techniques facilitate learning. You can find different modalities (written, visual, auditory, etc.). Therefore, below you will find some recommendations that will help you improve your understanding, memorization, and academic performance.
Study technique proposals
Read comprehensively and underline. One of the simplest study techniques is to read and highlight the most important parts of a syllabus. It is simply a matter of highlighting the most significant parts of the text using fluorescent markers of different colors. It is an ideal way to proceed when beginning the study.
Schemes or conceptual maps
Summarizing and organizing ideas synthetically in handwriting or using the computer will allow you to consolidate knowledge and make it easier to review it.
Study sheets
It is a more laborious technique, but very effective for subjects such as History, Chemistry, or Geography because they allow us to assimilate specific data, dates, numbers, or vocabulary. There are quality free computer applications to facilitate the preparation of cards.
Mnemonic rules
Memory techniques are useful for remembering a list of specific words or phrases. It is based on associating concepts that we have to memorize with others that are more familiar to us. An example would be the invented word “FECTES” to remember the different types of unemployment: Frictional, Seasonal, Cyclical, Technological, Structural, and Structural Shock.
Study in a suitable space
Having a specific place with the right conditions to study will allow you to concentrate and perform better. It should be an orderly, quiet, well-lit, and comfortable space.
Explain what you have learned
Trying to convey to another person what you have learned in your own words is one of the most effective strategies for that learning to be consolidated in memory.
Remember that acquiring study habits and learning to correctly use study techniques requires practice and going through a progressive learning process. For this reason, you must be clear about your objectives and be persistent.
Conclusion
Some courses can help you develop the most effective study habits and techniques. They tend to be short-term training, and some of them are taught online.
There are no fixed rules when it comes to selecting which are the best or most effective study techniques since it is a matter that depends on each person. One student may find the use of flashcards particularly effective, while another may prefer to base their work on underlining or concept maps. Another interesting aspect of the study techniques is that they do not only involve the visual and auditory areas but also writing to reduce dispersion or make it evident to the student himself. Below is a selection of study techniques that the experience of many students has shown to be effective.
