Study Habits Tips

Trying to study for finals? Don’t know how or where to start? Welcome to the club! Just about every student experiences this problem at one time or another. Here are a few study habits that can help you get started!

1.      Don't try cram all your studying into one session.
Space your work out over shorter periods. Do not wait until the night before an exam to study!

2.      Have special places to study. Take into consideration lighting, temperature and the location. Where you study is important! A lot of people make the mistake of studying in a place that really isn’t conducive to concentrating. A place with many distractions makes for a poor study area. If you try to study in your dorm room, for instance, you may find the computer or TV more interesting than the reading material you’re trying to digest.

3.      Decide what to study, how long to study or how much to study before you get started. Set goals! Simply studying without direction is not effective. You need to know exactly what you need to accomplish during each study session. Before you start studying set a study session goal that supports your overall academic goal (i.e. memorize 30 vocabulary words in order to ace the vocabulary section on an upcoming test.)

4.      If you’re a motivated student, complete difficult tasks first. For procrastinators, start with the easy; Start with your favorite class or the class that interest you most.

5.      Know for certain what material will be covered. Some professors have finals that cover all of the material from the semester; others may only test on the material covered since the last exam. Know what you'll be tested on so you can focus your studying efforts more effectively.

6.      Look at other exams you've had in the class so far. Chances are that your professor has an exam style, just like you have a test-taking style. Look at previous exams that you've taken in the class to see what material your professor often thinks is important enough to test on and what formats he or she likes to use -- and then plan your study!

7.      Study 30-50 minutes then take a break. Stretch and have a snack. If you get tired or bored, move to a different location, subject or task.

8.      Relax. It's hard to concentrate when you're tense. Set aside time to de-stress. You don't want to burn yourself out before the exam.

Marlo, Resident Assistant