What Can You Do to Help Yourself Study?

If you’ve got an exam looming on the horizon, then you’ll want to commit as much time as possible to revision. But you’ll also want to ensure that you’re spending that time as efficiently as possible. While there’s no fixed ‘correct’ way of studying that works as well for everyone, there are a few rules of thumb that tend to lead to superior results for most people.

Study with a buddy

You’re more likely to commit to a schedule of revision if you have a partner there to hold you to account. Since you’re both studying the same syllabus, you’ll know just what questions to pose to one another.

Know your learning style

The ‘learning style’ as many of us understand it, is, in fact, a myth. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t all learn in different ways, or that it isn’t important to figure out what methods appeal the most to you. Writing concepts down might help you to internalise them, as might saying them out loud. For most of us, the gold standard is to be able to explain a concept in a way that a layperson might understand. This is something that even experts in a given field often struggle with.

Treat yourself

Revision can be a gruelling slog. It’s easy to get disheartened if you don’t occasionally give your mind a break, and treat yourself to a reward after you’ve gotten through a given block of study. It’ll not only help you to unwind mentally; it’ll also give you the push you need to get through a tricky chunk of study.

Set goals

If you’re going to hand out rewards, then it’s worth making sure that they correspond to your having met a given goal in your studies. Figure out all of the landmarks that you need to get through on your way to being completely proficient, and then decide exactly how you’ll reward yourself at each point.

Lifestyle

If you’re going to eat poorly and stay up late, then you can’t expect your mind to be in tip-top shape when it comes to those marathon study sessions. Make sure that you eat a balanced diet, and that you don’t neglect crucial Omega 3 fatty acids. Take sleep hygiene seriously, and go to bed and wake up at consistent times every day. Finally, make sure that you’re well-slept when you actually come to take the exam! If you can’t get sleep because of work commitments, then find another job – and look into short-term loans for students in the meantime.