Some students out there are looking for different techniques for studying and applying themselves in school.
Perhaps you have a big final exam coming up and need a few more tricks to prepare for everything they’re throwing at you.
Maybe your test scores have dropped a little bit the past few exams and you’re looking for ways to get those grades back up.
Whatever the case might be, there are several ways that you can study smarter without necessarily studying harder.
Here are a few tricks for smart studying that you can incorporate into your studying.
Be sure to consider all the ways you can improve with these tips
1. Never Miss a Class
The temptation for skipping class will always be there, especially for those of you that are in college.
Your professors aren’t keeping track of how many classes you skip, especially at a larger university, so it’s up to you to keep yourself accountable.
Have you ever noticed that the students that never miss out on a class end up receiving better grades? That’s not a coincidence.
Your professor isn’t going to quiz you or test you on anything that they didn’t cover inside of the classroom. So for that reason, as long as you attend each class and pay attention to them, your knowledge for the test should increase.
You might run into a question or two on your multiple-choice test where you didn’t come across that particular answer. However, you vaguely remember your teacher mentioning the correct answer in class, so you end up getting the right answer!
2. Read Your Textbook and Take Notes While Doing It
One of the biggest things that separate ace students from mediocre ones is the ace student’s willingness to read the textbook.
Contrary to popular belief, your professor didn’t force you to purchase the book so they could collect royalties from it. They firmly believe in the material that the book covers.
Not to mention, if you want to learn all that you can for your future profession then you need to read the textbook.
More importantly, you need to take notes as you go along. Taking notes has been proven to help your brain retain more information and store it into your memory bank.
If you’re not sure how to start taking notes as you read your textbook, then be sure to read this article to learn more.
3. Smaller Study Windows
Many students make the mistake of waiting until the night before the test to study for their exam. What if you have more than one test that falls on the same day? How can you hope to absorb enough material to ace more than one test in a single night?
The better technique is to dedicate short study blocks to each class that you have. That’s not to say that you have to do this every night.
However, if you know of an upcoming test, then take the next week to study a bit of the material in 15 to 30-minute time windows.
This will help you to be able to focus knowing that you’re not stuck in the library for the unforeseeable future. It will also help your brain to retain more information each night.
Also, you might want to consider making flashcards of information that you feel will be on the test. These flashcards will be easier to make if you only have to do them one segment at a time.
4. Tutor Other People
Do you have a firm understanding of the class but have a hard time holding yourself to actually sitting down to study? If so, then you might find tutoring beneficial for both you and the classmate that you’re helping.
So, for example, by talking them through a particular math equation, you’re refreshing your mind on the proper steps to finding the correct answer.
Not to mention that they might be able to point a few things out that you hadn’t noticed when reading through the textbook.
Lastly, tutoring someone makes it more fun to study. If you enjoy helping people and communicating with others then it will be a tremendous way to continue learning.
Some subjects come more naturally to you than to others. Help those people in your class to understand it better and help yourself in the process.
5. Read the Material Aloud
There are three different types of learners in the world: kinesthetic (doing) learners, auditory (hearing) learners, and visual (reading) learners.
If you’d describe yourself as an auditory learner, then you need to figure out different ways to hear the material, rather than simply writing it down.
Even if it takes going into your car and speaking the notes out loud to yourself, it will be immensely beneficial to your test-taking endeavors.
You might find that you don’t even have to speak very loud to better retain the information that you’re reading.
For some students, merely mouthing or whispering the words that they’re reading helps them to focus on the material rather than trailing off into other thoughts. Give it a whirl and see if mouthing out your notes helps you to study better.
Smart Studying: Use These Tips to Your Advantage!
Now that you’ve seen several tips for smart studying, it’s time to embrace the adversity and take control of your studying habits from this day forward.
Be sure to take the time and read through all your notes from both the class and your separate reading.
Also, be sure to browse our website for more articles on studying, as well as many other helpful topics.
