Are you one of those students who tend to while their time away till the exams looms on the horizon, only then trying to cram a year’s worth of knowledge? Do you often find yourself studying much harder than your peers, yet getting lower grades than them? Are you looking to change your ways; in search of better strategies to ace your exams? Well then, you have come to the right place!
The issue doesn’t necessarily lie with your intelligence or retention prowess. You only need to change the way you study. Here are five ultra-effective, smart-studying tips to transform your academic life for the better.
Understand the Concept before Memorizing it
Comprehension is the first step toward smarter study. It may be one of the simplest tips there is; your teacher might have mentioned it quite a few times in class!
However, many students still can’t grasp its importance. And therein itself lies the problem: grasping. Did you know that memorizing without understanding is far more difficult than that with a good grasp of the concept? Go back to the fundamentals if you simply can’t comprehend the advanced theory. It will still take much lesser time than blatantly mugging it up.
Teach Someone to Memorize Better
This is a lesser-known trick with innumerable benefits. Once you understand the concepts, instead of manually memorizing them, teach them to your classmate who barely comprehended a word. You will retain those pieces of knowledge better after a couple of three rounds of teaching.
What’s more, you would also have helped your peers excel! Had each and every one of your peers understood the concept by the time you did? Call your friends over and start teaching them. Admittedly, they might just be bored to death, but that’s what friends are for, eh - a tolerant audience to your many eccentricities?
Take a Break from Time to Time
You don’t have to keep studying for hours on end without taking a single break. It’s unhealthy, physically as well as mentally. Undue stress has never done anyone any good, and stress levels heighten considerably with continuous studying. Stare at the stars twinkling mischievously bright in the heavens, feel the cool, steady breeze on your face outside the window, and ponder over things other than the next chapter on thermodynamics, for at least 15 minutes after every two hours. Draw up a time table if you have to.
Here’s a little secret! How would you like to study for a whopping 8-10 hours every weekend with more than enough time on your hands for having fun? Study for two hours each in the morning, afternoon, evening and at night before dinner. You will still have a little more than five hours for recreation, excluding eight hours' worth of sleep. Do the math!
Outsource the more Cumbersome yet less Important Assignments
There are times when students have more work than even the most meticulous of corporate professionals. Instead of letting your homework take a toll on your health, outsource it to one of the numerous assignment editing services in the market.
Browsing through the recommendations and reviews on assignment services will help if you are unsure which editing service to pick. Handing over your less important essays and assignments to such services will considerably reduce your workload, thus leaving you with enough time for actual study.
Start a Study Group with Like-Minded Students
If you thought that a study group was nothing but a bunch of students gathered together to study individually in total silence, you thought wrong. That’s a library! A study group is something more interactive. It is not only a chance for you to clear your doubts but also to organize debates and practical excursions.
For instance, if you are pursuing a major in Geology, go for a picnic on rocky terrain on the outskirts of your city; have fun while identifying the different types of rocks with your study group members. Additionally, you can conduct tests for each other within your group, thus getting ready for exams beforehand.
A few other honorable mentions include the habit of keeping flashcards handy, developing imaginative stories comprising the concepts you learned, and making good use of non-academic reference books. The number of hours you spent studying doesn’t count as much as how much you studied within those hours. Quality takes huge precedence over quantity at any given time.
Finally, signing off with some food for thought. How would it be if you take your stress levels up so high that you fall seriously sick? Working unnecessarily hard and stretching your mind beyond the boundaries of tolerance can lead to unforeseen mental and physical complications. Take very good care of yourself, eat healthily, and stay fit. All that smart-studying you did will go to waste if you end up with a bad headache during exams.
Author Bio
Carol Duke is very keen on teaching students new, effective ways of learning. When not freelancing and blogging on marketing-related matters, Carol enjoys traveling, taking immense pleasure from visiting new countries.
