My Personal Study Tips

By Maria Garcia Manzano, AEIC of The Quill

With over a month of school finally done, midterm season is fast approaching. With midterms comes the inevitable pressure to study. It may not be easy to know where to start with a full course load. Below I will share some tips on what I find helps me study and get better grades. Please note, every individual is different, and what works for me may not work for others.

1. Develop a Daily Routine:

If you find yourself shuffling around the kitchen at 3 am, foraging for snacks instead of getting the sleep needed to get you through the next day, it’s time to devise a schedule. Even a simple plan is better than none at all. Set a dedicated time to wake up each morning, reserve times for meals, and study for each of your classes.

2. Study with Friends:

Form a study group with close classmates for your more difficult classes. This will force you to review the work often, think about the material, and participate in question-and-answer sessions.

3. Create a Super-Study Space:

What is it that helps you concentrate? Is it your favorite music? Complete quiet? Snacks? Find the things that help you focus and set up your own super-study space. Creating an inviting environment is one of my go-to study strategies. Think about what types of things in your environment encourage you to study. This could mean having teas or essential oils, such as rosemary or Ginseng, on hand to help you focus. It could mean bringing in your favorite blanket or pillow for comfort. You could have soft music playing gently in the background, ideally only instrumental music, to not interfere with any memory processes while you study. You could keep a stash of brain food, such as pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, oranges, or almonds, handy to help get you through. You might plug in a coffee maker for long study sessions.

4. Review Material Before Each Class:

Take good notes and be sure to review them before each class with your professors. This will help you be more prepared during the session, but there’s another perk. Hearing the information repeated back to you will help you better retain it. I try to take notes during each lecture, and then I take a half-hour afterward to either re-type them more cohesively or jot them down in a notebook, so they’re neater and easier to follow. I find that by writing down the high points of each lecture once or twice, I remember them better. I also have legible notes to take with you when you leave the house to study. Furthermore, once I have legible notes, I can test myself and practice active recall.

5. Prioritize Your Work and Relate it to You!

Lastly, be sure to prioritize work from most important to least important. Dedicate the bulk of your study time to the classes you find most challenging. Spend less time studying for the lessons that come easier. Finally, connecting everything you learn to something personally significant to you will help you better memorize it.