An hour or two of daily studies is usually sufficient to make it through high school with decent marks. But this isn’t the case for college students. In college, students are at loss of time. They do not have enough time to juggle between academic studies and preparing for entrance exams. They do not get enough hours to study. It gets even worse for them if they do not know how to study in a smart way. In this blog, we will debunk the myth that you need to study hard to get ahead in life. We are of the opinion that you need not study hard, just study smart and you have done your part!

The importance of effective studying

Most of us have a tendency to confuse studying hard with studying effectively. Those who study hard are the ones who study everything blindly without a proper plan or strategy. They are the same people who dedicate many hours on a daily basis to studies.

But studying hard does not automatically mean that you are studying well. It does not automatically mean that you are studying effectively. There is no point in studying if you cannot recollect what you have studied. And if you can’t do that, you will probably not do a good job at cracking that entrance paper that you have set your heart on cracking.

The most effective students are not necessarily the brightest ones. They achieve success because they have picked up a few habits that make them far more efficient than other students. They are the ones who have decoded the mystery on how to study effectively. They are the ones who have realized early-on that the key to becoming an effective student is learning how to study smarter, not harder.

How to study effectively

Now that we have established the importance of effective studying, we have a few tricks up our sleeves and we want to share them with you. Work on the below mentioned tips and you will see yourself transform into an effective student:

Have regular, yet short study periods:

Effective students study smart, they do not attempt to cram their study into one session. It’s time for you to change too. To be a successful student, learn to be consistent in your studies. Have regular, yet shorter, study periods.

Set a study schedule and stick with  it:

For those of you who detest making time tables or following a schedule, it’s time to change that habit. To study effectively, set a study schedule and plan out a timing you can commit to. Create a weekly routine, set aside a certain number of hours in a day for your studies and review your progress on a weekly interval. This will enable you to succeed in your education in long term.

Study with a goal:

Studying without direction is preparing for failure. Effective students study smart. They have a goal they want to accomplish. This is what keeps them motivated each time they sit down for studies. Set a study session goal before you start studying to support your overall academic goal. You need to be clear about what you need to accomplish during each study session. For instance, memorize 50 vocabulary words daily in order to ace the vocabulary section of an upcoming Bank exam.

Procrastination kills effectiveness:

Students find it easy to put off their study sessions and procrastinate due to lack of interest or because the assignment is too hard. DO NOT DO THAT! Successful students never procrastinate their planned study session. Procrastination makes your study ineffective. It leads to hasty last minute studies which is the primary cause of errors.

Start and complete the difficult subject first:

Difficult subjects and assignments consume maximum time and energy. To study effectively, begin by starting your daily study session with difficult subjects. Tackling the hard subjects first saves you a lot of time and effort. You have enough time to go back and revise these subjects while you study the easier subjects. It also frees you of unnecessary tension.

Make and review notes before each assignment:

Make it a point to review your notes before starting your daily study sessions. To review your notes, you must first make sure that you take good notes in class. Reviewing notes before each study session will help you remember the important points and it will help you cover the subject better.

Don’t let yourself get distracted:

Many distractions like TV, mobile phones, and noise may come between you and your studies. Once distracted, you lose your train of thoughts. You are unable to focus which leads to ineffective studying. Make sure that before you start studying, you find a place where you are absolutely sure you will not get distracted easily.

Join study groups:

‘Two heads are better than one’. This phrase stands true when it comes to studying. Group studies help you clear the concepts that you are struggling with. Study groups are healthy study circles where you can teach and learn from each other. Teaching others in the group will help you refine your knowledge. It will also help you evaluate how prepared you are.

Conclusion

We are confident that if you inculcate the above listed practices, you will see a major improvement in your academic success. Good luck!