If it was easy, everyone would do it.

disclaimer: these are strategies that have proven to be successful for me (a college student who was homeschooled/skipped most of high school), but I imagine they’d apply at every level of education. Again, these work/don’t work for me, and most of the studying things mentioned are backed by research and things I learned during college success seminars. The don’t’s are mostly based off of things I’ve tried or seen my classmates try (and usually it didn’t go over well).

DON’T:

Skip lectures. Some argue that their time is better spent studying at home or watching videos of the topics. You could possibly get away with this for a math class or maybe even introductory psych, however, for most all other classes I’ve taken, being in class was 100% necessary. Professors design courses wisely, believe it or not. They’re usually not going to make you memorize every detail in the textbook. How will you know exactly what to study if you skip lectures altogether? Typically, lectures allow you to use many senses to take in the information; you listen, you look at the board or PowerPoint, and you take notes, and it’s targeted towards EXACTLY what you need to know for a test.

Rely strictly on rereading as a study method. Studies show this is both the most commonly used method and the most ineffective. Simply seeing the information a few times won’t get it nailed down, you need to apply it. The Snowball Method that I made up while struggling in bio has proven to be really effective for me! It will be linked at the bottom of this post so you can check it out.

Overlook small assignments. This is such a big one! Honestly, this could be the difference between a B and an A or a C and a B! When you’re handed a ten point assignment that will take an hour, a lot of people would rather spend the time studying than doing the assignment. However, in a point-based class, if you don’t turn in the 10 points, that’s another ten points you’ll need to earn on, say, the final to make up for it.

Be afraid to ask questions. My mom is a professor, and she told me the other day that a student came in with a little notecard of questions about things she didn’t understand the previous week. And she was SO happy to answer them! Having questions written down really shows you’re prepared. And during class, just raise your hand and ask something (unless you’re told otherwise). After class, I’d also recommend taking a few seconds to jot down any questions or thoughts you’d like clarified or anything you’re unsure about. What I like to do after a long lecture is go to the professor and ask “when you talked about (topic) I understood that (details) meant (why they mattered/what it affects/comparison to another topic). Is this a correct assumption?” If you can find something else you learned in the class to compare it to, it will be super helpful to both you and the professor, so she/he/they can understand what you understand when you ask your question.

Click to read more!

adapted from this response

1. Write your notes in a way where you can test your retention and understanding. 

Many people write notes that do a great job summarizing their materials but their notes are not designed to promote learning, retention or diagnosis of their weaknesses. But my notes can – and so can yours. Simply put my notes can be used like flashcards because I write them in a form where I separate a “stimulus” from a “response.”  The stimulus are cues or questions (think: front side of flashcard), while the response is the answer to the cue (think: back of flashcard).  But the stimuli are to the left of a margin, while the responses are to the right. The key advantage of this is that just by putting a sheet of paper on top of your notes, you can hide the responses, while leaving the stimuli visible. You can have multiple margins and multiple levels of stimuli and response for greater information density. When you get good at this you can write notes in this form in real-time. To get some idea of what I’m talking about google for “Cornell Notetaking method”. My notetaking method is a variant of this. I usually use completely blank paper to do this because regular lined paper has too small a margin. To give you an idea of how powerful this notetaking method can be, I learned several courses just hours before the exam and still got an “A” in all of them during a difficult semester where I had too many competing priorities to spend long hours studying. Had it not been for this notetaking method I don’t think that would be possible. 2. Develop the ability to become an active reader (this is the perhaps the most important advice I have to share). 

Don’t just passively read material you are given. But pose questions, develop hypotheses and actively test them as you read through the material. I think the hypotheses are part of what another poster referred to when he advised that you should develop a “mental model” of whatever concept they are teaching you.  But a mental model can be much more than simple hypotheses. Sometimes the model resembles a story. Other times it looks more like a diagram. But what they all have in common is that the explain what is going on. Having a mental model will give you the intuition and ability to answer a wider range of questions than would be otherwise possible if you lacked such a mental model. Where do you get this model? You creatively develop one as you are reading to try to explain the facts as they are presented to you.  It’s like guessing how the plot of a movie, before it unfolds. Sometimes you have to guess the model based on scarce evidence. Sometimes it is handed to you. If your model is a good one it should at least be able to explain what you are reading. Having a model also allows you to make predictions which can then be used to identify if your model is wrong.  This allows you to be hypersensitive to disconfirming evidence that can quickly identify if your model is wrong. Oftentimes you may have two or more models that can explain the evidence, so your task will be to quickly formulate questions that can prove one model while disconfirming the others. To save yourself time, I suggest focusing on raising questions that could confirm/disprove the mostly likely model while disproving the others  (think: differential diagnoses in medicine). But once you have such a model that (i) explains the evidence and (ii) passes all the disconfirming tests you can throw at it then you have something you can interpolate and extrapolate from to answer far more than was initially explained to you. Such models also make retention easier because you only need to remember the model as opposed to the endless array of facts it explains.  But perhaps more importantly, such models give you intuition. Of course, your model could be wrong, but that is why you actively test it as you are reading, and adjust as necessary. Think of this process as the scientific method being applied by you, to try to discover the truth as best you can. Sometimes you will still be left with contradictions that even your best models cannot explain. I often found speaking to the professor after class to be a time efficient of resolving these contradictions. I discovered mental modelling as a survival mechanism to pass my studies at the University of Waterloo – where their teaching philosophy is misnomer because their teaching philosophy is to not teach as well as they could. You can see this from their grading philosophy. Although they don’t use a bell curve or other statistical grade adjustment, they make their exams so hard that the class average is usually between 68 (C+) and 72 (B-) in spite of the fact that their minimum admission grades are among the highest in Canada (you need more than A+ to get into several of their engineering programs). The only way they can achieve such low test averages from otherwise high performing students is by holding back some of what they know, and then testing what they didn’t explain well in lecture on their exams; or by not teaching to the best of their ability.   This forces students to develop the ability to teach themselves, often from materials that do not explain things well, or lack the introductory background knowledge needed to understand the material. I realized I could defend against such tactics by reverse engineering the results into theories that would produce those same results; i.e. mental model induced from scarce facts.     Then when I got to MIT I found myself in a place with the opposite teaching philosophy. Unlike Waterloo, if the whole class got an “A” the MIT professors would be happy and proud (whereas at Waterloo an “A” class average would be the cause for a professor’s reprimand). The mental modelling skills I developed at Waterloo definitely came in handy at graduate school because they enabled me to learn rapidly with scarce information. 3. Be of service to your fellow classmates.

I’ve personally observed and heard anecdotal stories that many students in highly competitive programs are reluctant to share what they know with their peers; a good example being the vast number of students in a top ranked science programs competing for the very few coveted spots in med school. I’ve seen people in such situations be afraid to share what they know because the fear it could lead to the other students “getting ahead” while leaving them behind. I would actually recommend doing the opposite: share liberally. You can’t expect help from others if you are unwilling to help others yourself. I spent hours tutoring people in subjects I was strong in. But, conversely those same people were usually happy to help me with my weaknesses when I needed it. I also found it easier to get good teammates – which is essential to getting good grades in team-based classes. I found I learned a LOT from other people. And their questions helped me to prepare for questions I may not have thought of – some of which would appear on the exams. 4. Understand how the professor grades. 

Like the real world, the academic world is not always fair. You need to understand who is grading you and what they are looking for. Oddly, if you actually answer questions as written, you won’t get full marks from some teachers. Some professors expected more than the answer. Some only accepted the answers taught in class as opposed to other factually correct answers – which coincidentally can easily happen if you rely heavily on mental models. Some expected you to not even evaluate whether the answers to their multiple choice answers were true or not; only to notice which answer choices aligned or did not align with the theories taught in class.  Some highly value participation in which case you ought to have a mental model of what they are teaching based on their assigned readings. The sooner you know who you are dealing with, the sooner you can adjust to their way of grading. Thankfully I considered the vast majority of my professors to have graded in a fair manner. 5. Get involved in research while still in undergrad.

Academics is a means to an end. To me that end was “solving problems” and “building stuff” specifically systems and organizations.  Depending on the school you apply for, your research may be just as important, if not more important, than your grades. In fact if all you have are good grades your chances of getting into a top ranked CS program with a research component (e.g. MIT, CMU) are slim to nil; though you might still be able to get into a top-ranked courseware-based Masters (such as Stanford where there is no masters thesis). I did an Artificial Intelligence research project in undergrad and posted it on the internet. Not long after it was cited in three patents from IBM, AOL and another inventor. Then 40 other people cited my work. I feel this helped me get into MIT because they saw that I could come up with theories with practical applications. It also led to internships with top research teams whose work I am still in awe of. This research also helped my graduate application. None of this would have been possible if I didn’t do research in undergrad. 6. Attend classes.

I do not understand the students who claim they did well without attending class. Many professors will only say certain things in class. Many classes only present some of the material in class. If you don’t attend class you simply won’t get that material. You also won’t be able to ask immediate follow-up questions. I also found speaking to the professor after class was an efficient way to resolve contradictions I had found with my mental model. 7. Time management is key – especially in undergrad. 

In my competitive undergrad program I once learned that a friend who achieved top 5% status actually timed how long he ate. While I do not suggest going to such extremes I offer this modest advice. I suggest spending no more than 30 minutes trying to solve a problem you can’t solve by yourself before appealing to office hours or another knowledgeable student. I also suggest you ask questions of your professor during or after class as opposed to leaving the class confused. This reduces wasted time in an environment when time is a very precious commodity. 8. Going out and having fun is conducive to good grades. 

In my early undergrad years I studied as hard as I could. And I thought this meant putting in as many studying hours as possible. But I later realized that going out and having fun refreshed the mind and increased grades. Unfortunately it took at least 2 years for me to understand this lesson. 9. Learn how to do advanced Google searches.

This is an essential skill that enables you to answer your own questions, quickly. At a minimum I suggest you learn how to use the following Google search operators  ~, -,*, AND,OR, and numeric ranges via the double dot (“..”) operator.  The “site:” operator is also often helpful. I also found adding the word “tutorial” to a Google search often yields great introductory materials. 

10. Turn weaknesses into strengths.

Hearing loss isn’t something people regularly talked about. The lack of information about hearing loss is the reason why there all sorts of myths and misconceptions about it. Here are some common myths and misconceptions about hearing loss:

Myth #1: Hearing Loss Affects Only the Elderly

Though it true that most people affected by hearing loss is over the age of 65, there are also some who gets affected at much a younger age. Hearing loss affects all age groups, so whether you are young or old you are at risk of it.

Myth #2: Hearing Aids Can Restore My Hearing

Hearing aids are a very helpful tool for the hard of hearing. Unfortunately, it cannot restore ones hearing. Hearing aids are merely devices that can amplify and enhance sounds so that the deaf can hear clearer.

Myth #3: Hearing Loss is Cause by Loud Music

Contrary to beliefs, hearing loss isn’t only caused by loud music. It certainly didn’t help your ears, but there are plenty other reasons behind hearing loss. This includes medication, aging, smoking, diabetes and genetics.

Myth #4: Deaf People Will Hear Me Clearer If I Speak Louder or Shout

It’s not a good idea to speak louder when talking to someone who is hard of hearing. When people shout their voice gets disoriented, making it more difficult for the deaf to identity the words. What’s more, the increase in the volume of your voice can actually hurt their ears.

Myth #5: Hearing Loss Cannot Affect My Health

The health of the elderly affected by hearing loss is at risk. According to studies hearing loss can increase the risk of developing dementia. It could also cause falls, hospitalizations, and diminished physical and mental health to the ones who are much older.

1.) Sleep in!  I often make the mistake of thinking I need to pop up at the crack of dawn to get things done on Saturday, when in reality I need to recharge my batteries from grinding all week.  Be good to yourself, and you’ll be more productive in the long run.

2.) Set a time to start studying and stick to it.  If you set your alarm to sleep in until 10:30, give yourself a couple of hours to wake up, get dressed, eat, and drink coffee.  Whenever your set study time rolls around, be ready to rock and roll!

3.) Pack all of the essentials.  The #1 killer of a good study session is not having everything that you need–and I don’t just mean academic materials!  Here’s a little list of what I like to pack:

— Coffee — Water bottle — Enough healthy food to last me the length of time I plan to study (this is hugely important!) — Earbuds — A sweatshirt or jacket (another important one!) — Phone charger + laptop charger — Gum or mints — Ponytail holder + bobby pins — Phone, laptop, textbooks, notebooks, pens, highlighters — Agenda

4.) Choose a study location that is best suited for you.  Everyone is different–for me, I sometimes have a hard time focusing in the library because it’s too quiet/can feel isolating!  For casual studying, I love places like Barnes & Noble or Starbucks because the buzz and bustle is energizing but also white noise I can tune out in the background.  When I need to get serious, the library/a study room is the better option.

5.) Find a good playlist to help you get in the zone.  I personally cannot listen to anything with lyrics, because I find myself focusing more on the words of the song and less on what I’m studying!  There are great playlists on Youtube that are designed to facilitate studying and focus; search for ‘alpha wave studying music.’  I also enjoy listening to seasonal instrumental Pandora stations, like bluegrass in the fall and classical Christmas in the winter.

6.) Turn. Off. Your. Internet.  Sign. Out. Of. All. Apps.  This is the hardest part of studying for me and a terrible habit I am striving to kick.  The impulse to check Facebook or Instagram or Tumblr is almost a reflex for most of us, so I find that turning off my internet on my laptop and signing out of my apps on my phone helps tremendously.  Set small goals for yourself that will exercise and strengthen your self-control like a muscle.  For example, “I will complete two reading assignments and then have 5-10 minutes to check social media before starting my next assignment.”  It sounds pathetic, but compulsively checking social media is a learned behavior that you have to force yourself to unlearn in order to be truly productive.  There’s an app for MacBooks called “SelfControl” that allows you to block certain websites for a set amount of time.  I strongly recommend it!

7.) Set realistic goals and take breaks.  The clock is your friend, not your enemy!  I work best in about 50-minute increments before I need a tiny 5-10 minute break.  During a regular study session, I usually can’t work for more than 3 hours before needing a larger break.  Exercising is always my go-to.  Get outside, breathe some fresh air, and let your body move.  It also helps to set a cap on your studying; I often pick a time I want to be totally finished for the day and focus my energy toward meeting that goal.

how to start studying after school

clean up your desk: it’s hard to concentrate when there’s a pile of rubbish on your desk. the chance of you fiddling with things is also higher! you’ll get more done by cleaning your desk! if you’re looking for an easy way to organise your desk, check out these handy organisers!

get your books: get out all the books you need to study that particular subject. if it’s geography, an atlas might be handy.

get a notebook: if you’re in uni or college it’s a good idea to re-write all your notes for your classes that day. make them look clean and tidy. if you’re in secondary school and you’re studying for a test, summarize everything you have learned. in any case, it’s best to have a few notebooks on your desk too. here’s a 4 pack of spiral notebooks for $7.04!

grab some pens: seems self explanatory! i recommend you having an ordinary pen, a highlighter and a pencil on hand. (a.k.a. the basics!) here are some super cute gel pens!

turn off your phone: by turning off your phone, you will get less distracted by social media. sure, people won’t be able to reach you but you’ll get some peace and quiet. obviously leave it on if you’re expecting an important call!

look for a study playlist: if you easily get distracted by your laptop too, skip this step. i personally find it harder to get distracted by my laptop than my phone, so i leave it on and look for some music to study to. here’s a masterpost of some good playlists to listen to!

get a glass of water: you really need your h2o, everyone. grab a large glass or fill up a water bottle. some super cute ones: i ii iii

get a healthy snack: if you’re like me and you love snacking on things while your studying, the best thing to do is to grab something healthy. cut up some apples and sprinkle some cinnamon on them (try it. it’s amazing.), grab some hummus and some celery or carrots or cucumber to dip in it, fill a little bowl with nuts, treat yourself to a square of dark chocolate! if you’re studying during dinner time or lunch time, make yourself a nourishment bowl to nibble on. for more study snack ideas, go to pinterest and snoop around the study snack tag for a while. try out my favourite smoothie bowl too!

take a deep breath: i know from personal experience that sometimes the workload can be really scary and freak you out. the most important thing to do is to take a deep breath and to tell yourself you can get through all your work. you can do anything if you try hard enough!

Set some goals.

Stay quiet about them.

Smash the shit out of them.

Clap for your damn self.

Thanks for all the suggestions. If you have more, just send me a fan mail!

Studying & Testing

time management

help on reading and research

help with memorizing and testing

learn how to study

google citations

googling tips

citing social media

awesome study tips

study techniques 

tips for a productive study break

How to study

study tips

How To Pull An All Nighter And Do Well On An Exam

thinking & memorizing tips

how to get motivated to study

Make flashcards

tips to help you focus

chrome site blocker

time management & motivating yourself tips

Study tips

Learning

Solve any math equation

Solve any math equation (2)

Alternative to Wikipedia

Square Root Calculator

Cube Root Calculator

Expression Simplifier

Multi Step Equation Calculator

Slope Intercept Equation Maker

Can’t Do Your Homework?

Chemical Equation Balancer

Cliffsnotes

Sparknotes

PurdueOWL

Take online college courses

How to multiply big numbers

Science equations simplified 

Teaches Everything

Crash Course

Solve any math problem

Online calculator

Simplified science formulas

Teaches you any subject

Essays

Essay Structure Guide

bibliography maker

How to cite

how to write an essay

google citations

social media citation guide

The Five-Paragraph Essay

Using Punctuation Marks

Deadly Sins Checklist

Formatting Your Paper

Writing About Literature

Basic Essay

Revision Checklist

Planning and Organization

Editing and Proofreading

Latin Terms

Essay Structure

Tips on Introducing Quotes

Academic Writing Tips

How to write an essay

Dealing With Stress

yoga poses for stress relief

about relaxation techniques

Music/Sound:

calm/nature sounds

chill playlist

coffee shop blues

coffee shop sounds

concentration playlist

relaxation

study playlist

4hours of classical music

calm.com

rainymood.com

4 hours of classical music

good background study mixes 1 2 3 4 5

Study Break Suggestions

really good basic tips

MIT study break tips

how to be productive on a break

how long to nap

how to pull an all-nighter

Notetaking

How to Take Notes on Power Point Slides

How to Read Hard Readings

The Art of Pseudo-Skimming

Rapid Note-Taking With the Morse Code Method

Accelerate Q/E/C Note-Taking

The Story Telling Method

Taking Notes from Research Reading

Dorm Life/Socializing

how to deal with a roommate you hate

creative ways to organize your dorm

avoiding big mistakes when picking a major

how to have a healthy college relationship

making friends in college

college packing list

how to bond with your roommate

pros and cons of joining a sorority

why being single in college is okay

adjusting back to school after a semester abroad

making the most of your college years

Dorm room survival

Health/Safety:

what to do if you think you’ve been drugged

how to deal with a hangover

dealing with loneliness

Rape Escape

falling asleep tips

How long to sleep

how to talk to and help an anxiety-ridden friend

how to wake up in the morning

keep taking your mind off of it

mental illness recovery tips

need a motivational speech? i like this one for myself.

not having a good day? :c

picking up a hobby can relax you during the school year!!

seriously just please try to relax ily

take your mind off of it

tips on self-love

when to go to sleep/wake up

working out is a total stress-buster.

Classes/Programs

choosing a study abroad program

what to do if you want to transfer

what to do if you have a bad professor

find out about your professors before you register

scholarships and financial aid

Food:

10 cooking hacks to get more bang for your buck

essential foods to keep in your dorm

eating healthy in a dining hall

cheap & healthy snacks

chocolate muffin in a mug tutorial

Coffee recipes to help stay awake

Every Starbucks drink and pasty

For the vegans 

quick and easy soup recipes

study snacks i ii iii iv v

thousands of quick and easy snack recipes

Yummy cheesiness!

40 on-the-go breakfast recipes

Money:

8 places to snag student discounts and deals

7 money tips for college students

5 ways to survive college on a budget

tips for saving money in college

Success Tips:

how to make the most of your course syllabus

developing discipline as a freshman

using the urgency vs. importance matrix to get stuff done

8 things successful students consistently do

35 valuable tips for successful students

4 types of apps college students need to use

how to create structure in college with a calendar and a to-do list

how to deal with homesickness

Staying Motivated to do Well

How Can I Stay Motivated and Finish My School Work?

25 Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself

Get motivated to study

How to survive freshman year

Other

Cheat sheet for becoming an adult

Surviving college

Finals survival guide

Studying strategies 

Homework help

Flashcards

CrashCourse

App that helps you manage your time

Citation tool

Can’t remember a word?

School Tips (College)

Read it 10 times

Say it 10 times

motivational wallpapers 🙌

My dearest tumblr friends,

Here are more motivational pictures to help you out. It’s this time of the year again, go study, stay motivated, and know that you have all the capacities and the facilities to do the best that you can. Kick ass and stay on the top. Good Luck to you all <3

Love

100 days of productivity: 11/100

For anyone that wants to approach 2016 with a fresh outlook on studying, this post is for you! Please feel free to send me any questions you may have!

Change Your Mindset

Changing the way you see school can make a huge difference!

Reflect a little on why you want to change your habits…

Do you want to learn a specific subject better? Do you want to get better grades?

Develop a growth mindset.

For example, if you don’t do as well on a test as you’d like, think about what you could do better the next time.

Always think about how you could improve!

Find ways to and make the situation or class helpful to you in the future!

You may have a class that you don’t think you ever need, and therefore don’t care about. Use this opportunity to learn to handle something that challenges you.

When I had to take bio last semester, I learned TONS of new study strategies and ways to problem solve when I got stuck while learning something. I’m really, really glad I took the class, even if science isn’t my strong suit, because I can apply what I learned about learning itself to my future studies and hobbies.

Set Goals

Goals should be related to the habits you want to change, and they should be specific.

Instead of just saying “I’ll be more organised” say “I’ll write in my planner everyday”, etc.

I have a lot more about goals in my study goals masterpost, which I’ll link at the bottom of this post!

Understand Different Ways to Study

Here are just a few to get you started. Be creative, though! You can combine strategies or create your own!

Try different things for different classes or assignments- sometimes the thing that takes more work to do will be most effective, and sometimes time-consuming tricks won’t help you learn anything!

Rewriting Notes

Highlighting textbooks (though be careful, this is proven to be very ineffective, so see what works for you!)

Reread notes (studies show this is also ineffective.)

Practice tests (studies show this is most effective!)

Create mind/concept maps

Flashcards

Record yourself reading out your notes and listen to it.

I have a lot more specific strategies in my other masterposts- they’ll all be linked at the bottom of this so you can check them out!

Start Small and Have Patience

Don’t expect to begin studying 3 hours a day at the beginning of the semester if you’ve never spent time studying before. Habits take time to build!

It’s okay if something doesn’t work for you; if you find flashcards are a waste of time, find another way to study- everyone learns differently!

Don’t be discouraged with yourself if you can’t find motivation, or want to give up. Take another look at your goals and study methods; maybe something should change within those! If not, take a step back from your current list of things to do and work on something else.

Start a Studyblr

There are lots of blogs on tumblr that can offer you support and advice!

Being immersed in a community of people that share similar goals as you is such a valuable thing, and you can find so much inspiration from it!

Almost every studyblr I’ve come across understands that everyone has their own goals, capabilities, strengths, and challenges, so you don’t have to be afraid of not being good enough- we’re all here to help each other!

I’m still just starting out, but I already feel so much support from the people around me, and I’m so thankful for that.

Track Your Progress

It helps a lot if you see that you’re accomplishing something, even if it’s small. This is another reason why setting specific goals is great- because you know when you’ve accomplished them!

Every few weeks, reflect back on what methods you’ve been trying, and what you might want to try in the future. Think about what worked and what didn’t. Some study strategies just need a little tweak to be really effective.

If you find inspiration somewhere and it works for you, that’s amazing! Keep going! You can do it- I believe in you! You can accomplish pretty much anything if you put your mind and heart to work. Don’t give up!