Top 5 Essential Tips to Help You Study

Whether you’re studying towards your GCSE’s, A-Levels or other vital exams, it’s important that you know the most effective methods of studying and the ones that work best for you. You also have to have the right mindset every time you go to study – otherwise, you’ll find that you get nothing done and that dreaded last-minute panic sets in. If you have a big exam coming up and you don’t know how to effectively study, here are some key tips that you can use…

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels

Create a Study Routine (and stick to it!)

The best way to get organised with studying is to establish a routine. Following it on a regular basis will help you to feel far more prepared when it comes time for the exam. And this way, you’ll avoid having to study last minute, late at night or in the morning. You should follow through the routine at times when you know that you’ll be alert and be able to concentrate – not when you feel tired and unable to retain information.

Find Your Own Quiet Place to Study 

When studying, it’s a good idea to find a quiet place that’s organised and neat. This will help to influence the way that you learn and enable you to concentrate better. 

When in this place, make sure you know yourself and be aware of things that distract you vs things which are helpful; for example, ensure that you don’t listen to music if this will affect your concentration. And try to keep away from loud noises and a lot of people as this will only distract you and cause interruptions in your study flow. 

Create Diagrams, Mind Maps and Other Helpful Resources

Do you find that you don’t learn anything when you read text off a piece of paper or a screen? Then it could be worth creating diagrams, mind maps, etc. Flashcards and posters are great in helping you to remember key pieces of information – whether it be dates, equations or quotes.

No matter if you’ve taken on an online education, are homeschooled or attend a local school/university, these resources can prove to be invaluable in your study routine no matter what topic you’re trying to learn.

Keep Study Sessions To 30 Minutes

When creating your study routine, you should consider trying to only study for 25-30 minutes at a time. This is a lot more beneficial than sitting down for hours at a time trying to retain lots of information. Using the ‘Pomodoro Technique’, you’ll end each study session feeling more motivated.

Step Away From Your Smartphone

As mentioned above, when studying, you need to make sure that you take yourself away from any distractions. And this includes your smartphone. If you’re studying with your phone next to you, you’ll feel tempted to look it throughout your session – which will distract you away from what you should be learning.

Don’t worry, you can go back on your phone after each session comes finishes or at the end of the day – but for now, try and avoid going on it, whether it’s to reply to a message or to scroll through social media. 

*This is a collaborative post