It is true that not everyone is born with the same kind of intelligence. While some are blessed with greater intelligence, others need to put in a little extra effort to get good grades. However, don’t let that get to you or lower your self-confidence.
With these tips and hacks, you can streamline your studying and make sure that you excel in class.
Use a Calendar
Managing your time effectively is the most essential element of studying. It is also probably the easiest hack of them all. Keep a calendar on your study table where you have mapped all your upcoming tests, events, and family functions. Basically, everything going on in your life.
This way, you will have a clear vision of all the events about to happen and you will be able to plan your study time a lot more efficiently. It can also reduce your stress because you always have a better idea of what’s coming next.
Stay Organised
You might find this cliche, but if your table is less cluttered, you can enter a better headspace. Have binders or folders for each of your subjects so that you don’t misplace any of your notes or assignments.
Always Get Enough Sleep
You need to organize your time in such a way that you get a good night’s sleep, especially before any test or exam. Studies have shown that getting a good sleep before a test will help you remember things better. Getting some sleep before you solve a problem will also help you do it better because your mind is likely to go over it once again when you’re asleep (this is why you sometimes see what you did during the day in your sleep).
Sometimes it might be difficult to get enough sleep at night, especially when you have a lot to do. Instead of going through the classes without getting proper sleep, try to take a quick power nap in between your classes. This can freshen you up and you will be able to concentrate better.
Get Rid of Your Phone and Other Distractions While Studying
This is probably a no-brainer. As long as your phone or tablet is close by, the notifications will keep distracting you. So, set your phone on silent and put it away while you’re studying. Ask your friends and family to meet you post your studying hours, or knock on your door in case it is something important. As long as your phone is out of your sight, you will not be tempted to check it.
Do Your Studying in Small Portions
If you have a large portion of your syllabus to be covered, break it up into smaller and more manageable portions and take them one by one. Don’t ever do them all at once because if you try to dump a lot of information into it at once, you might forget some portions, forcing you to go over it again. Instead, take one portion in a day and don’t start a new one until you have completely finished the one previous to it.
Study with Unfamiliar Music
Ambient noise or unfamiliar music can boost your productivity, especially if you are someone who likes to listen to music while studying. Keep in mind that familiar music can have an entirely opposite effect.
Try listening to instrumental music on internet radio or video game tracks to boost your productivity.
Use Mnemonic Strategies
A mnemonic strategy is a specific formula or a rhyme that can help you remember complex information. For eg., “My Very Enthusiastic Mother Just Served Us Noodles!” is what a lot of us learned in school to remember the names of the planets, where the first letter of each word stands for a planet name.
Develop your own mnemonic strategies to help you remember things that you can’t while using logic or understanding. This can boost your memory and also help you understand some key concepts.
Chew Gum or Small Movements While Studying
Although some people consider fidgeting and chewing gum in class a bad thing, it can really help you concentrate. Studies have shown that doing other small movements while studying like chewing gum can help you focus and remember better. This is especially the case with children who have ADHD. The movement can come as an additional sensory-motor input to your brain and increase its productivity.
With this, you have Eight Tips and Hacks to help you manage your time better, improve your concentration and memory, and get better grades in the class. Always remember to utilise your time to the fullest and not club all your studying until before your exams so that your studying can happen a lot more smoothly.
