How to Study Smarter, Not Harder? - 3 secret Study Tips

Whether you are a student in school or college, all of us want to get good results with lesser hours of studying. We have often studied for hours with all our effort and still haven’t achieved the results of our desires. Here the key role is played by our strategy used to learn. A strategic plan and intense study sessions with lesser hours can give results that even a full day of studying won’t be able to.

Also Read: How to memorise Fast? - Tips for Memorisation

In this blog, we are looking at the 3 secret study tips that have scientifically proven reasons for giving beneficial results. These tips can help you to get a 360-degree flip in your results and be at the top of your class.

Let us look at these tips to understand ways to implement them in our study patterns.

Learn How Your Memory Works; The Learning Ways

Each one of us tried to cram the information the night before the exam to be able to write it the next day. But reality shows that we either remember only half the information or forget it all. Cramming answers have never been helpful to anyone of us in terms of improving grades. The right way to fight this challenge is to understand the two types of memory that we have, that is:

(i) Long-term or Storage Memory: Right way of studying stores information in this memory, allowing us to retain it for longer.

(ii) Short-term or Temporary Memory: This memory tends to retain information only for hours or days after being studied. The correct form of studying can shift this information in the long-term memory of humans.

The way to shift the information from short-term to long-term memory is through spaced repetitions. In this method, you need to recall the learnt information at intervals. It prevents forgetting information and stores it in the storage memory.

Another helpful way is to Take Good Notes. There are some defined note-taking methods by scientists that improve learning capacity, some of which are the Cornell method and the Mind mapping method.

Learn Ways to Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is the killer of success. It is a habit of delaying tasks till their deadlines approach. It results in poor performance of students in exams. The students who fall into the trap of procrastination find it hard to overcome that habit of delaying.

A few tested ways to avoid procrastination are:

(i) Pomodoro method is about fixed break gaps after a study session. For instance, after every 25 minutes of the study session, you can take a 5-minute break. It works on a timer basis; various Android and iOS apps or browser extensions are there to help you.

(ii) The 5-minute rule; says that anything that requires attention and can be done in less than 5 minutes should be taken care of immediately. It eliminated the possibility of having small tasks piled up.

Various similar methods can help you overcome procrastination, or you can even find one for yourself.

Find Ways to Study Effectively at Home; Find Your Best Time to Study

Since most of our self-study is at home, it is essential to identify methods that help to study effectively at home. Considering the following points can help you find what is best for you:

(i) Find your best time to study; Some prefer studying in the early mornings and others late at night. Even some like to study amidst the noise. So, it is necessary to know what is best for you and then make a schedule accordingly.

(ii) We often forget that having fun is as important as studying. Make time for your friends and family. Remember to enjoy the moments while they last.

(iii) Make sure to sleep 7-8 hours every day. It gives the brain better retention power.

(iv) Learn to stay relaxed and composed even under pressure.

These tips will help you find a suitable schedule for you to follow at home.

Bonus Tips to Study Smarter and Not Harder

Apart from the tips mentioned above, some other micro-habits and micro-tricks can give you the results you want through smart work in place of hard work.

• Explore the learning ways.

• Understand your study cycle for better learning.

• Spacing out in between study sessions allows for better studying capacity.

• Choose the noise levels that allow you to focus better.

• Set up intense study sessions once or twice a day for yourself.

• Solve problems to understand concepts.

• Avoid multitasking while studying; It divides attention and breaks concentration.

• Set your study environment like the one you’d like.

• Teach yourself and your friends to understand and retain for longer.

• Schedule your study plans.

• Make sure to read before class; it helps you link the information in lectures to understand conveniently.

• Use the study material properly.

Implementation of these small habits can change your game and help you get better results.

Conclusion

The desire to achieve great results needs both hard work and smart work. The strategic planning of the tasks and steps can lead to achieving great results. The 3 secret study tips mentioned in this article can help you identify your learning way and study conveniently. Results will follow when you set the right tone and direction for your preparation.