Study Habits and Starting the Year off Right

After summer break, it can be hard to get back into a routine once school rolls around. We’ve been in the mindset of swimming, relaxing, sports, hanging out with friends and school is definitely the last thing on our minds. 

In order to have a successful school year, it’s important to go into the new year with a good mindset and a plan to achieve your success. Here’s how you can start the year off right by implementing good study tips!

• Writing All Your Assignments in a Planner 
• Reward Yourself 
• Study Groups
• Organize Your Study Space
• Take Regular Breaks 
• Set Aside All Distractions

1. Writing All Your Assignments in a Planner
   • When you write down your assignments, you are able to visualize what goals you have to reach. When you get your syllabi at the beginning of the semester, be sure to go through and write down all due dates for projects and homework assignments, as well as dates of exams. This will keep tasks on your radar and you’ll be less likely to forget about them.
2. Reward Yourself
   
   • For some students, reading assignments can seem endless, making them hard to get through. If you have 20 pages to read per night, you may want to put pieces of candy throughout the pages, or mark in some spots a time to take a cell-phone break. When you break up the information, you may be able to process it better than when you read it all at once. 
3. Study Groups
   • Some classes may encourage or allow study groups. Getting together with students in the same class as you to study for an exam or work on homework together can be a great way to retain information. Sometimes using more than one brain can be helpful.  Be sure to check with your instructor to verify that this is okay. 
4. Organize Your Study Space
   • Having a clean, organized study space can be super calming and helps you be more productive. Whenever you are in a space that limits distractions and helps you feel inspired, it is a world of a difference, compared to a space that you aren’t comfortable in. 
5. Take Regular Breaks 
   • Without taking breaks, studying can turn really frustrating really fast.  By setting a timer on your phone every 30 mins or so to remind you to take a break can make a huge difference in how productive you are. Sometimes it can be hard to be productive when your brain is fried. Take frequent breaks to ensure quality work. 
6. Set Aside All Distractions
   • Technology can be distracting. Set aside any tech devices to make sure you are getting the most out of your studying time. If you need to take breaks, by all means do so, but don’t get distracted during time set aside to study.

By using tips like this and implementing them the whole year, you will be in for a successful school year! Take one day at a time and be sure to stay on track!