The Key to Success: Good Study Habits | Paper Help Review

Are you looking for the magic recipe of study habits to succeed in school or a course? Unfortunately, there is no such thing. Student success does not depend on a single formula of study techniques, but on the contrary, a whole series of factors are involved that make what helps one person, not another.

Therefore, paperhelp discusses some helpful study methods, the importance of self-knowledge to create a study technique that suits you, and some tips to eliminate bad habits, such as procrastination, indecision, and distractions.

What are study habits, and how are they formed?

Let’s start at the beginning, what is a study habit and how does one get into it, is it something you are born with or is it a skill that is acquired and strengthened over time, and, above all, why are they important?

Study habits are a set of routines and techniques that students use to acquire and make the most of their knowledge. While some general methods can help all students, everyone’s skills are different, so a good study habit combines innate personal skills with those that can be strengthened over time.

For example, some people find it easier to learn with music (they sing what they know). It would be an innate ability combined with general study techniques and habits, such as organizing study times. That is why each person must know the skills and tools he/she has and facilitates study.

10 study habits to achieve good results

The following types of study habits will help give you an idea of the techniques you can apply in your life to get the results you want in school or a course.

1. Organize time

Among the habits of successful students, undoubtedly the most important is to organize times. It means that you should choose the time of the day when you feel more energetic and lively to study, and you should also manage how much time you are going to research per subject (in case you have several). For example, you can create a weekly calendar of the things you have to do, and you will see that with practice, you will be able to get organized every month.

2. Set realistic, measurable, and verifiable goals.

To achieve effective study methods, try to define short, medium, and long-term goals when studying. Also, you should set clear objectives that are realistic, measurable, and verifiable. A purpose such as Knowing more about English is useless; this does not help you as a student to advance in your knowledge. On the contrary, a goal such as Learn the conjugations of 10 new irregular verbs by the 15th of the month will allow you to measure how much progress you are making, where you are failing, and what you need to improve.

3. Rest and nourish yourself

It’s no use studying for 10 hours straight the night before the exam. The body and brain get tired, and the time comes when studying is not meaningful. That is why you must establish rest times in your study techniques. For example, for every 25 minutes of studying, you can rest for 5 minutes. It helps your brain to recharge the battery and is known as the Pomodoro technique for learning. It is also essential to eat well.

4. Underline the most important information

It is another classic of successful study habits. Underlining texts and making notes visually highlight the most valuable or helpful information in a text. It is also a great help because if you return to those texts days, weeks, or even years later, the underlining shows you where the most critical information is, without having to reread everything.

5. Make concept maps, diagrams, drawings, or songs

As mentioned before, the success of all study techniques depends on the personality type of each student. They are not universal. Some people find it easier to make concept maps to study similarities and differences of the topics seen. Others prefer to create diagrams or drawings to learn visually. Also, some more musical people find it easier to acquire information through melodies. If you still don’t know which technique works best for you, try all of these and any others you come across until you find the one that helps you the most.

6. Prepare your study area

Your work area should be set up according to your study tastes, so the first step is to get all your dirty clothes off your desk and onto your bed (or better yet, into the laundry can).

If you find it easier to learn new things while being in contact with nature, maybe the best for you is to be in a park or a quiet forest. But if you need absolute silence, the best place would be in a library or in your room to avoid being interrupted by noises from the street or neighbors.

7. Reduce distractions

To improve your study techniques, the first step is to identify what is distracting you and the second step is to try to eliminate those distractions. For example, if you constantly check your phone notifications, turn them off, silence them, or leave it in another room. The same happens if you check your social networks all the time, ignore them.

8. Avoid memorizing, prioritize understanding

Before memorizing information, it is necessary to understand it. If you only remember to repeat it on the exam, you will not achieve explicit learning. For example, instead of memorizing lists of irregular English verbs and their conjugations, it is essential to understand their characteristics, differentiates between verbs of daily use with others that are hardly used in informal contexts, etc.

9. Ask

If you have any doubts, ask your teacher or your classmates if you are in a school or course with other people, or ask in forums and social networks if you are studying on your own. Avoid being left with doubts and get rid of the fear of being ridiculed “for not knowing” because all knowledge is born by a question. It is also advisable that you discuss your new knowledge with other people in addition to asking questions so that you can put it into practice.

10. Be passionate about what you study

Your curiosity to learn new things must never end. Although there may be complex subjects for you, finding the side that connects with your tastes allows you to learn more than just information to do well on an exam. For example, if you study English and hate reading, look for books or texts in English on topics you like, whether it’s video games, movies, or anything you would read in Spanish for pleasure.