I have listed below my favorites study tips for successful learning and I advise students to take some points out of it.
Here are my favorite.
- It doesn’t matter what time of day you study, as long as you study. I tried the wake-up-at-5AM gig for a couple of weeks last semester, and it had terrible physical, mental, and emotional effects for me. Some people can do it. Others can’t. Don’t feel the need to make an unnatural study schedule for yourself because some “guru” told you that 5 AM is the best time to study.
- Coffee is an incredible drug. I never drank coffee before this semester. However, after always being fatigued throughout the day, I decided to give a medium iced Americano a shot (pun intended). There’s nothing more unproductive than a study session where you can barely keep your eyes open. Find an energy source (coffee, tea, etc.) and get your shit done.
- You know those super productive study sessions? Yeah, try to ride those for as long as possible. Sometimes, your brain is just in the zone. If you feel wired and very productive, don’t leave your chair. Even a quick, 15-minute distraction is enough to ruin extreme productivity, at least for me.
- Match your study vibe with a study spot. I dislike noise when I study because I can’t focus. I need large windows so that the natural light can feed my soul. Knowing that, I go to our campus’s large, silent reading room with floor-to-ceiling windows where dirty looks are given for simply unzipping backpacks. A zero distraction environment where Hopkins kids are basically saving the world creates an uber-productive spot for me.
- Find the answer yourself when coming across difficult problems. The Internet contains the answer key to basically every problem set. Slader can solve all of my math problems. However, the process of seeking the answer yourself without assistance not only brings fulfillment when you find the answer but also makes you a more patient, diligent, and knowledgeable student and human being.
- Separate study and play. When I “study”/”work” with friends, it takes me double the time to complete assignments. Others like the company of their friends when studying, though. However, I’d rather spend 2 hours grinding and then playing 2 hours then half-assing both.
Obviously, all of these work pretty well for me, but that doesn’t mean you should adopt them. You do you. However, hopefully, this post has been enlightening for some of you out there.