DOs and DONTs when studying

THE DOs AND DONTs 

DOs

1. ATTITUDE When studying think positively. Try to have a positive approach to your work. Think about your skills positively or about the results of your study time.

2. LOCATION As stressed in our previous post on efficiency in college, you need to find a distraction-free location to study. Avoid busy café or school hall, you must find a place where there is low circulation and almost absolute silence. Different spots may be needed for different subjects.

3. SCHEDULE By planning ahead you will prevent useless and inefficient last minute cram session. It is always easier to work in chunks.

4. ALTERNATION Try to alternate the subjects. Instead of spending one whole day on one unique subject, design 30 minutes session with three different topics a day. This way you will be more alert to each new subject.

5. QUANTITY Design your study session according to goals rather than time. If you work with timed study session chances are that you will pay more attention to your watch than the subject. In order to keep you going withing your schedule, set a timer. This way you will pay attention to the subject until the timer reminds you to change subject.

6. PRIORITY The hardest parts you need to study should come first. It is easier to plan the rest of a study session once the biggest chunk of it is done. Also, when you start with the hardest part first, all the fallowing one seem much more easier!

7. NOTES It is UBER important to take good notes. Read them and rewrite them. They are your primary source of information given that most teacher will use the material focused in class in their exams.

8. MEANING Make sure to write notes that are meaningful to you. While studying you can also create code to retain the maximum amount of information.

9. BREAK Taking breaks while studying helps you brain to process the information. Alternating study session and breaks will allow the information you learn to be encoded in you memory. That being said, it is important to keep breaks proportional to the related study time. Otherwise, you are most likely to start procrastinating.

10. SLEEP Long term memory works when you sleep. If you pull an all nighter and go strait to your exam you will do poorer than if you had had come sleep. Also, by getting some sleep you allow you body and mind to restart to a fresher state.

DON´Ts

1. LOCATION You should never study in a cafe or at your house/dorm/apartment. Distractions are your enemies. Therefore your best option is to go to the library, find a quiet spot and stay there with your electronic devices turned off.

2. MUSIC Listening music while studying is sadly too common. Unlike what many people think music will only distract you and lower your focus. Ultimately it is only an extra distraction. effectively the changing words and tempo only divide your attention. The silence of a library is more beneficial to you.

3. GROUPS Study groups can be beneficial only if they are combined with personal study time. Even with serious friends you will be required to study on your own. Hence don´t loose time in planing un-fulfilling study period jump ahead yourself.

4. ALL-NIGHTERS Your brain NEEDS you to sleep in order to fully memorize what you study. When you pull all-nighters your study is useless, and your body exhausted. Nothing good comes out of it.

5. PROCRASTINATION Procrastinating is a very common behavior, we all do it! That being said, it is not it is a very bad habit to keep when it comes to studying. It will only push you to scram and pull all-nighters. Plan ahead and make a study plan, with a bit of discipline you will be able to avoid procrastination.

6.  HIGHLIGHT It doesn´t serve much purpose to over-highlight your textbook. Instead of coloring your books or notes, you should write your own outlines, and quiz yourself. you retain much more information when you write then when you read.

Hopefully these DOs and DON´Ts will help you to ace your exams. Remember that small assignments are as important as final exams. You should always give your 110% in everything you do. Here at Babilon Language Coaching we encourage our student to push further their limits by fully investing themselves in the in their language class. Come and visit us at http://learnspanishblc.com/!!!