How do you get to the top of your class? Do you have to be born with the “smarts” to do it?
While some people do find school easier than others, that isn’t necessarily an indication of how well they’ll do. Hard work and determination have a lot to do with it.
If you want to reach the top of your class, you just need to become more effective at studying. Check out these effective study habits of top students to learn more.
1. Make Visible Deadlines
Get a big wall calendar and put your deadlines on it. Break up bigger assignments into bite-sized pieces and put your own mini-deadlines. This will help you stay organized and on track.
2. Proofread Effectively
Speaking of deadlines, aim to finish papers a full day before the deadline. When you try to proofread immediately after you write, your brain will skip over the errors because it knows what it should say. Proofread 24 hours later for best results.
3. Dedicated Study Sessions
You might think that squeezing a bit of studying in whenever you can is a good way to maximize your time. It isn’t really. Your brain needs to be able to fully concentrate. Try the Pomodoro method of studying hardcore for 25 minutes and then taking a well-deserved 5-minute break. Follow the cycle a few times if you need a long session and then take a long break fully away from the school books.
4. Avoid Interruptions
Studying at the kitchen table while mom is cooking dinner and your sister has the TV blaring in the background is not ideal. Choose a quiet spot and let your family know you’ll be studying for a bit. In other words, you don’t want interruptions.
5. Take Interesting Notes
Do you enjoy reading your notes? No? Well, they probably aren’t interesting enough then. Mix it up with different colours, doodles, charts, connecting arrows, and other tricks to help you connect and remember information. It takes longer, but just doing this will help you remember more information.
6. Exercise
How do you get your brain pumping? The same way you get your body pumping. Get up and move! Exercise will help you focus and be far more effective during your study sessions.
7. Soak Up the Sun
One of the easiest exam study habits you can adopt is to study outside. Sunshine helps boost your brain by providing your body with vitamin D. Plus, fresh air is invigorating and will help refresh your brain and body.
8. Stimulate Your Brain
A good way to get your brain in study mode is to read something that intrigues you. It should be something that starts making you think a little more deeply. Then, you can dive into your study session with your brain fully activated!
9. Spend Time With Your Family
It’s important to take time alone to study most effectively. However, social connections are also essential for good brain health. Take some time to relax with your family and friends to give your brain a boost.
10. Snack Wisely
Snacking while studying often gets a bad rap. However, eating good snacks fuels your brain for an effective study session. Choose healthy snacks like fruit and nuts and stay far away from sugary snacks that will do you no good.
Ready to Rock?
Being a top student doesn’t require special smarts, but it does require special skills. The good news is that anyone can develop them with a bit of dedication and hard work.