Studying smarter gets you ahead rather than studying harder. This is what you actually need to imply when exams are on your doorstep. Moreover, even when all your potential is given to something like studying, sometimes the desired results are not achieved. Various studies prove that smart work is better than hard work, and this is what works best with activities like studying.
The ultimate way to become a great student is to study like it is a cakewalk. Everything has to be managed and should help you achieve your targets easily. This is what we call “smart studying.” If you find it hard to revise chapters during examinations, perhaps you are missing smartness. Here are some top tips that will help you excel in your ranks by studying smarter.
Never Miss a Class
The way to become excellent in studies begins by never missing a single class. The beginning and end of every chapter are the most important, and you must never miss these sessions, either. In case you are losing attention during the classes, you may prefer recording the lecture to study later, but missing the class should never be an option.
Another reason to never miss classes is that while you are bunking lessons, you are missing the opportunity to build a study routine, more information here. In order to get good grades, it is important to have a disciplined schedule for studying, and it can be achieved by attending all the classes sincerely.
Create the Zone
Smartness does not only refer to paying attention in classes, but it also means creating a study-friendly environment at your own place. Mostly, the concentration is built when you are studying in your own room. You must ensure to keep all the distractions away and place things close to you that help build focus.
You must have a well-defined preparation time for each chapter, and you should never divert from the same. It is also important to know that when you are in a comfortable environment, it is easier to revise things, and hence, you can study smarter.
Make a Plan – and Stick to It
Moving without a direction and targets gets you nowhere, and it applies to studying as well. When you are studying without a goal, you never know when to stop and when to start. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that you have targets to achieve when studying smarter, and you can do it on Gantt chart maker software.
Targets are not only important for studying in an organized way, but it also gives you a sense of achievement. You must prefer making small targets when you start studying, and then, you can change them as per your caliber. Additionally, with the help of targets, you can make a habit of achieving goals in your life. It builds consistency and dedication for tasks that you may have to complete later in life.
Study in Chunks
While studying hard, most of the students keep reading and revising lessons over and over again. These students prefer no breaks in between, and therefore, the brain gets under heavy pressure due to this. Continuous studying does not give rest to the brain, and it becomes difficult to retain the information for a longer duration.
On the other hand, studying smart refers to preparing for examinations at proper and regular intervals. For instance, if you are preparing a lesson that needs 3 hours, divide it into three intervals. Take a 15-minute break after every after. It will relax your brain and help you revise lessons easily and even faster.
Prepare Flashcards
Flash cards are extremely popular among students and even working professionals nowadays. As per human psychology, it is easier to remember information if you write it down after you study. It is not possible to write everything down, and therefore, make sure to write important and small points after you study some portion of a lesson. This helps the brain to put all the information precisely where it needs to be, and it is also easier to recall whenever needed. Hence, it is a must-have tip to study smarter during examinations.
Read Aloud and Recall
Reading can help you recall things better, but if you cannot hear it yourself, it may be less effective. When you are reading something to remember, your eyes receive the information and deliver it to the brain. At the same time, if you are also reading aloud, the information is also delivered to the brain through the sense of hearing.
It activates double senses and helps create priority for the information in your brain. It is better to do this with your flashcards as the information is easier to remember and recall with these short notes.
Avoid Screen
As per the psychologist at the University of England, it is way harder to remember things that you have read from screens. If you are reading from a screen and trying to keep the information in your brain, there is a possibility that it will not work. It is because some of our brain functions are prefixed, and studying from a screen is not a function at all.
Some people may be able to do it, but most of the students cannot. On the other hand, studying from a paper is preferred to ensure better learning. So, make sure to always choose paper over screens when it comes to smart studying.
Make Study Groups
Many teachers and students believe that it is not possible to study and socialize at the same time. However, it is not true at all. Studying can be a learning and fun activity at the same time by creating study groups. It may not turn out to be exactly like studying alone, but it makes learning easier.
When you invite some friends over from your class and discuss the notes and lessons with them, it can be fun. Additionally, you can add some snacks to make the discussions even better. Moreover, when more than one brain is working on something, the results turn out to be better. You may not have any idea about a particular topic, but your friends may help you get one. So, smart studying can be studying in groups too.
Test Yourself Regularly
Keeping up with the lessons is not the only thing you must do, but you must always check your progress. Without an evaluation of your growth, it is impossible to check if you will do well in exams or not. Therefore, make sure to take mock tests regularly after you are done revising a few lessons.
Taking regular tests to check your performance not only gives you an idea of your progress but also helps you make changes accordingly. In case you are not doing well in a particular section of a chapter, you will learn about it from tests and can pay more attention to it.
Have Weekly Study Plans
Creating a study plan is essential, and you must make it weekly. A well-structured study plan helps you to use your time in a better way. It helps achieve targets in predefined time frames, saving time and avoiding unnecessary stress.
You can start by making your first-week study schedule roughly and checking if it works. Just make sure that it gives time to all the important subjects and lessons within them. At the same time, it must also save time for your hobbies and social activities. Smart people use weekly schedules as it helps them to set priorities, achieve targets, and save time.
Stay Mentally Engaged
When you are studying, but your mind stays somewhere else, it will not work at all. It is necessary to understand the importance of undivided attention here. The goal of smart studying is not to achieve targets even when nothing is getting inside your head.
You must keep in mind that even if you study for 30 minutes, your mind should be engaged. Reading books for hours and not being able to remember even a word is something that you must avoid.
Final Words
As we have stated earlier, having a schedule and planning are the two most important things in your smart studying journey. Studying hard not only consumes your time but also takes away your brain’s potential to grab more knowledge. It is, therefore, essential to understanding the importance of smart studying and implying the given tips in your study plans. You can achieve desired results in a shorter time frame by using the above-given tips. It will allow time-saving and higher efficiency in learning even the harder lessons.
