Studying for hours on end but still can’t achieve your desired grades? You see, spending long periods doesn’t determine that it is an efficient way to study effectively and absorb information.
You must think through and wire your brain to absorb and understand information. And we will find out how to do that in this very article!
There are certain habits and actions that we need to take to master the art of gaining knowledge that remains in our memory. This article elaborates on the basic cheat codes to mastering the art of gaining knowledge and you will become an effective learner if you adapt these rules into habits.
5 ways to study effectively
Here are 5 ways to effectively study. Follow these tips to increase your efficiency in your studies and get the desired results.
1- Make a Study plan
We get so overwhelmed by the idea of studying when we don’t have a clear and concise plan. Study plans are extremely crucial for you to have an effective study session with minimal stress!
The fact is, if we create a study plan long before our study sessions, it will be a lot easier to start taking action since we already know what exactly to do, and we don’t have to stop and think about it repeatedly.
A burden is taken off our minds. And our subconscious will already prepare us beforehand even if we don’t consciously think about it.
Make a study plan for each subject for every day and break each task into smaller parts e.g.,
- Study chapter 3
- Solve questions on topic 3
- Write notes on topic 4
This method is very effective for becoming a good student!
2- Don’t use screens before your study sessions for enjoyment!
There is a significant reason for this. You see, if we indulge ourselves in pleasure just before starting our study session, the dopamine receptors in our brain will heighten. This will make studying seem more boring and insufferable than it is.
Our minds will also drift off to insignificant topics during studying which will deteriorate our focus. So it is recommended to use screens after you are done with your study sessions. Believe it or not, social media is a huge contributing factor to our plummeting span of attention and focus.
3- You don’t need to be extreme, just be consistent!
“Consistency is what transforms average into excellence.”
This is the most important point in this blog that you should edge into your brain. Consistency is the key to achieving anything. It’s all about making it into a habit.
You don’t need to study everything all at once, just take it step by step, day by day. Consistency requires a lot of patience. You have to show up every day without fail, to reach your goals. You don’t have to focus on absolute perfection, just show up. Showing up matters way more than perfection which will inevitably burn you out. After all, it’s progress over perfection.
Ok, So let’s say you’re having a day where studying is the last thing you want to do. You’ve planned to solve 20 questions, but the thought of doing that makes you feel sick and overwhelmed. No problem. Get up and do 1 or 2 or whichever number of questions you feel like doing.
Or in another scenario, you don’t have the energy to write notes of a huge biology chapter. And you’re like: it’s ok! I still have like 9 days left till the quiz. I can start preparing tomorrow! Wrong! This never works! Do you know what you should do when that happens? You should just listen to a lecture instead. Our brain is a very tricky thing. It always finds a way to protect us from pain. So your job is to calm it down and reassure it from threatening situations that may cause it to be overwhelmed and as a result, you will start falling down the rabbit hole of procrastination.
Procrastination is the one thing that stops us from achieving a consistent routine! So focus on long-term progress instead of short-term perfection!
Read More: Highly Effective Study Habits Develop In 5 Minutes
4- Manifest your goals!
“The bridge to manifestation is your imagination”
This is also a very necessary step that is necessary to adapt as a habit.
Immediately after waking up or just before going to sleep, Imagine yourself achieving your goals vividly. Have a positive thinking pattern and don’t let yourself fall into a rabbit hole of negative thoughts.
The science of manifestation is that after consistent visualization of you achieving or working through your goals, your subconscious will pick up these scenarios and it will prepare you beforehand.
Opportunities to achieve and excel in your goals will come to you naturally since your mind attracts what it focuses on.
It is crucial to visualize the end in your mind, e.g, Visualize yourself on your results day when you’re getting all A*s, Imagine and deeply feel the emotions that go through you, and imagine the reactions of your close ones as they show signs of happiness and congratulate you.
This is an example of manifestation. Your mind will pick this vision as a clear goal and you are bound to succeed.
5- Give priority to other goals, hobbies, and interests too!
For something to work out well in the long term, balance is very important. If you just focus on one goal entirely and center your life around it, you are bound to get overwhelmed and burdened. It won’t be long before you burn out after giving so much energy to your academics.
It is important to embrace your hobbies and interests alongside your academic journey. E.g. painting, writing, reading, fitness or sports, learning a new language, hanging out with friends.
All of these are equally as important to balance and calm your mind
Here’s the science for this. According to research, people who have more goals and interests compared to people who have less, tend to be stressed by a failure in one field of their life. An example would be if you fail a test, and studying is the only thing that revolves around your life, you are going to be way more vulnerable to becoming a victim of depression and burnout, compared to the person who failed a test but is achieving in other fields such as sports, or their hobbies, etc. they’re confidence and self-esteem will not drop as much as the person whose worth is based on the grades they get.
And just to be clear, I’m not talking about wasting hours on social media or constantly watching movies and series. Of course, you can do these activities too but you should keep them in a controllable range. Don’t constantly consume stuff from the internet that will just deteriorate your mind. Focus on the activities that reconnect you with your surroundings and build your sense of self as the ones I mentioned above.
Conclusion:
In short, effective studying is a skill that can be mastered by anyone willing to put in the time and effort! I hope this helps you to further achieve your academic goals
What are your personal tips to study effectively? Please don’t hesitate to share your experience!
Good luck on your academic journey
