School starts, everyone is back on campus, and the weather is still beautiful; the last thing on your mind is doing homework. You’ll use every excuse you can think of to justify putting it off just one more hour. In the long run, as hard as it might be, we need to remind ourselves that the reason we’re here is for an education. It’s about that time for the first exams of the semester; don’t let yourself fall behind in the first few weeks!
Study with a friend, but not a best friend. A night in the library with your close friends will turn into a night of Instagram creeping on the cute guy on your floor, snapchatting, and reading two of the thirty pages you were assigned. Instead, make friends with someone in your classes. If you study with someone you’re not as close with, you won’t want to look like a slacker, and you’ll be more likely to focus on your task. Plus, if you study with someone from class, you’ll both be going over the same material and be able to help one another out.
Don’t start studying too far ahead of time. Maybe you get hit with some motivation a week before your exam; that’s great, but don’t do all your studying that day and think you’ll be fine for the exam. Try and break up the information throughout that week. Review all the main points’ everyday that week, for an hour or so, and you’ll be better off than jamming all the information into one four hour cram session.
Notecards are one of the most beneficial study techniques you can use. Not only do you absorb the information as you’re filling out the cards, but you can also keep them in your backpack all day without taking up any room. If you have a 30 minute lunch break between classes, pull them out and quiz yourself while you eat! Studies on learning methods show that memorization exercises focused on short term memory improvement is crucial to better understanding new concepts and improving long term memory*.
Get enough sleep. College students tend to overlook the importance of a good night sleep. If you don’t sleep, your brain can’t convert your short term memory to long term memory. Lack of sleep also leads to lack of attention. You won’t be able to clearly organize your thoughts and you’ll get distracted. Getting 8-9 hours of sleep a night will help you focus and feel better about yourself in general.
Procrastinating always seems like a good idea at the time, but it’s never worth it. Go out and have fun, but learn how to balance. Find a study buddy; you’ll get things done, and you’ll make a new friend. Space out your studying so you don’t burn yourself out. Take the time to make notecards; they’re portable and effective. Lastly, make sure you get enough sleep so you can focus your full attention on your work. Make this school year your best one yet!
*http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2012/07/23/in-praise-of-memorizat…