Study tips for people whoâve never had to study before
It recently came to my attention that there are a whole load of ~highly achieving~ students out there whoâve never had to learn to study, but suddenly being naturally gifted just doesnât work anymore. Iâve been in this exact position & came out of it ok, so here are some important things I picked up along the way/wish I knew back then.
Habits. If you build good study habits early, before things start getting intense, youâll be well set for when the stress comes. Maybe always finish your homework before tea, or come home and study for an hour before you change into sweats. Association is helpful - if you have an established routine for something else, like getting a coffee or sports training or practicing an instrument, say youâll always study directly  before or after that. Make it work for you.
Little and often. People say this about languages but itâs the same for anything. Half an hour every day is so much more effective than 3 hours in a day, once a week, and you wonât feel wiped out afterwards either. This works for long term projects as well - breaking things down into manageable chunks and doing one little bit per day is much less overwhelming than sitting down and telling yourself youâre writing your whole essay today.
Time management. Parkinsonâs law is real. Set yourself a limit, say youâre going to write this essay before tea, or youâre going to do this maths for no more than 2 hours. Things will drag on and fill as much time as you allow them to, especially bigger projects, so stick to a schedule. If at all possible, aim to have bigger assignments complete at least a week before theyâre due, so you have time for printer problems, formatting disasters, etc etc. This ties in with organisation, which is equally important. I donât mean perfectly drawn schedules and bullet journals (even if thats what studyblr wants us to believe) but get a diary, I use a page per day diary but you can use a notebook, wall planner, whatever. Put deadlines and classes and exams and everything in there asap, and then day to day you can make a to-do list of smaller tasks. These should be flexible, so if something comes up or a task is unexpectedly complicated, you can adapt and just add it to the next day. Donât set your expectations too high - its better to set out to work for 4 hours and achieve that than to say youâll do 8, only manage 4 and feel like a failure.
Your environment is important! Your desk does not have to be all white minimalism and pastel highlighters to be a good study space, but try make it as clear as possible, well lit, and free from distractions. The bigger the better. Make sure you have everything you need within reach, including a plug for a charger, if you use a laptop. Quiet is ideal but not always possible, so make yourself a playlist of background music (or try one of mine, here.) Libraries are great, because theyâre literally designed for reading in and having people working around you can be really motivating. Avoid procrastination at all costs. Leave your phone somewhere far away, turn it off, or use the forest app. And try not to work where you sleep, because that wonât help with your work or your sleep (bedroom is fine, in bed is not.)
Test yourself. Repeated retrieval is the best form of learning, so if you have past papers or quizzes thats great, use them! If not, writing your own questions or getting some study buddies and writing questions for each other is a good way of studying, because it forces you to think about the material in a different way.
Teach others. Itâs great if you have a friend or two to revise with, but if not, try writing presentations, talking to yourself, a pet, a plant⌠anyone whoâll listen. Break down concepts into simpler language, as if you were explaining it to someone younger. Use flow charts and clear diagrams, and be concise. This will not only consolidate your understanding, but youâll get some great notes out of it (and presentation practice.)
Your notes do not have to be beautiful! I love looking at these aesthetic studyblr notes as much as the next person but realistically that takes hours and calligraphy is not an efficient use of your precious time. Try to keep them as concise as possible - bullet points are good - and use no more than 3 colours per page or theyâll lose meaning. Donât go too hard with the highlighters. Arrows and annotations and post it note additions are all excellent - donât rewrite what youâve already got! That is not good revision. Iâm sorry. Try using a whiteboard. Â For short answer questions, calculations, quick diagrams - anything youâd use scrap paper for - a mini white board is great. I mean something like this which is cheap and also better for the rainforests than using a whole bunch of paper that youâre just going to throw out. I *borrowed* mine from school which I do not condone but may be an option.
Take regular breaks. A good rule of thumb is that your break should be around 25% of your study time, so if you study for an hour - 15 minutes off. Study for 8 hours - 2 hours off. And take your breaks properly - get up, leave the room if you can. Get some fresh air, even if thats just opening a window, drink some coffee water, have a snack if you need it. Try not to fuel yourself on junk food - biscuits are essential but have some fruit or nuts or something as well - they actually help your brain work and youâll feel better for it.
Donât compare. I know this is easier said than done, but study for yourself. Find your own method, whether thatâs what everyone around you does or not. Try not to compare grades, either. A little bit of competition can be healthy, but (especially around exams) donât listen to the people who âonly did 12 hours last night.â Equally, ignore the people who say they havenât studied at all and donât let either of them get to you. You know how hard youâre working, and who know how efficient they are?
Itâs never too late. This is maybe the most important thing to take away from this. You may have weeks, even days until your final/assessment/essay, but it is not too late to start studying. Iâll make a post about how to cram later, but even though its not ideal, it can definitely be the difference between a pass and a fail or an A and an A*. So if you think youâve left it too late - you havenât.
Good luck, and feel free to message me if you want more tips/details/a sympathetic shoulder to cry on about how hard all this is <3
