In order to be a successful student, you don’t need to be a “natural” genius, solve math problems within minutes or be able to memorize an entire history chapter. It all starts in the ways you choose to study. Having a proper schedule and good study habits can help ensure good grades and a triumphant academic life.
However, the opposite can happen if you have bad study habits or you make no effort to change them. Studying can definitely be quite overwhelming at times, but there are many ways of how you can have much better and comfortable studying sessions.
Regardless of how difficult you may think the studying material is, you can make it easy for yourself. But before that, it’s important to acknowledge which of your study habits are not effective and drop them immediately in exchange for good study habits. Here are 6 bad study habits that you must quit.
1. Not setting any goals
You have to recognize why you’re studying. It’s important to know your purpose so that you can set realistic goals for yourself. Goals can remind you and even motivate you to keep working and not give up.
If you don’t take some time out to set goals, you will feel lost and hopeless, which won’t be beneficial at all. And as a result, you won’t get any work done.
2. Not finding a good study place
Environments have a lot to do with effective studying. For example, if you choose to study in the living room, you will be distracted by unnecessary noises from the television or even your own family members. Or if you study near a window where you can clearly hear the vehicles, you will not be able to concentrate.
Therefore, you need to figure out a fixed study place where you will be free of any distractions. It can be your own room, a quiet place in the house, or you can even go to the nearest library for some quietness.
3. Procrastination
I know, we all do it. Procrastination has nearly become a habit of all students. Sometimes, when we are too anxious to start an assignment, we may keep delaying the start of our study session.
Nonetheless, no matter how much we try to avoid it, the assignment will not get completed on its own. And pulling an all-nighter to cram in all the assignments will only further cause you problems and give you more anxiety. So attempt to start assignments as early as you get them in order to have more success in them!
4. Not asking the teacher for help
Being afraid to ask the teacher for help is completely understandable. But teachers are there to help you and it’s their job. If you don’t feel comfortable asking questions during the class, you can go after the class is over, after school, or write an email to them explaining your concerns.
Keep in mind, it’s much easier to get an A on an assignment if you understand the material well. Also, it proves to the teacher that you are working hard in their class.
5. Being disorganized
Having good organizational skills can help you a ton. If you tend to lose your items or do not know where you keep your notebooks/ papers, then you must develop some organizational skills. For example, keep a separate folder where you can keep loose-leaf papers.
Get a binder instead of notebooks. This way, you can have the notes from all the classes in one place. Just make sure to name the sections for each class.
6. Poor time management skills
Having good time management skills will save you so much time and allow you to work on other things, even if it’s just relaxing. As I mentioned earlier, trying to do all assignments right before the due date will only put you under extreme stress. Managing how much time you will need or spend on each assignment will help you finish them on time. Don’t wait till the last minute, decide whether you want to do the hard ones first or the easy ones.
7. Not going over past mistakes
Mistakes are perfectly normal and it is okay to make mistakes every once in a while because it can help you understand the lesson and you will not repeat the same error in the future. Sometimes we may ignore the answers we got wrong in a test or an assignment since we are mostly focused on the grade that we got. However, going over the mistakes will benefit you. You will gain a deeper understanding of the topic and do even better in the upcoming exams.
8. Not having a schedule or an agenda
Irregular studying time can confuse you a lot. If you have a fixed schedule set aside mainly for studying or doing homework, your brain will most likely get used to it, and consequently, your focus will increase. Thus, figure out what time works the best for you, as in the time when you have the capacity to study and not get tired easily.
9. Not finding the right music to listen to while studying
Studying doesn’t have to be so dull and boring. You can make it more enjoyable by finding the right songs or music. You can even create a “study playlist”.
Most of us love listening to music and some people focus better when they are listening to some type of tune. So just find the right songs and get to studying!
Apart from all these suggestions, there are plenty of other conducive study habits that you should develop and drop the ineffective ones. The most important thing is to know which ways work the best for you. Studying is most productive when you know your purpose and you are relaxed.
Hence, make sure you also bring improvements to your daily diet and eat as healthily as you possibly can. Happy studying!
