Whereas it is important to study hard to gain good grades, no one has time to study all the time. It’s crucial for your health (mental and physical) to take a break from your books now and then. College is about meeting new people, trying new activities, and enjoying life at the same time as earning a degree. You can make time to socialize and do all the other things you enjoy, but still have enough time to study, by following these tips.
1. Find a Source of Motivation
Search for a reason why you want to do well at each of your classes. Just the thought of receiving good grades could be enough, but you may also be intrigued by the topics you’re covering and want to learn more. Alternatively, your long-term goals could be your driving force: a class could be a requirement for your major, in which case you could think about why you want to graduate. Whenever you’re struggling to find the willpower to study, remind yourself of what you want to get out of the class and why it’s worth studying now.
2. Set Goals
It’s also useful to have some specific, short-term goals. These could be to do slightly better on your next assignment than the last, improve your grade average each semester, or increase the amount you study each week by a few minutes. Make sure your goals are realistic — and think about how you’ll reward yourself when you reach them.
3. Stick to a Study Schedule
A study schedule will both prevent you from going overboard and ensure you do enough to gain the grades you want. Beyond blocking out time on your calendar, make a note of what you want to do in every session to ensure you use your time productively. You could use sessions to prepare for an exam, work on a section of a big project, read a particular chapter of a textbook, or review an aspect of the material you found particularly difficult.
4. Take Full Advantage of Your Classes
In addition to attending all your classes, pay attention. Sit at the front of the room where your professor can see you — this will mean you won’t be able to chat and it will be obvious if you’re distracted by something on your phone or laptop.
Take detailed notes you can use later. To ensure your notes are clear, review them soon after class is over. This is a good chance to highlight key points and organize your notes in a way that makes more sense. Plus, this practise will help the information stick in your head.
5. Ask Questions
If you have any doubts, always ask for clarification. This could mean asking questions during class, dropping your professor an email, or utilizing office hours. You’ll be unable to gain top grades if you’re still struggling to understand something.
6. Stay Healthy
You have much higher chances of succeeding academically if you’re healthy. It’s better to sleep than to stay up late studying, as you’ll be unable to take in information and perform well the next day. You’ll also feel prepared to tackle your studies if you eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and spend time relaxing without screens, especially before bedtime.
It’s important to spend your study time productively. This is easier when you don’t face countless distractions every time you sit down to study. The solution is to move off campus and into student rentals — Kingston, Ontario, students have Foundry Princess. You’ll have your own room in a suite, but you can also study quietly in the community study rooms. Either option is equipped with pure fibre internet. Schedule a tour to check out our luxury student housing for yourself.
