Studying in college is not easy and requires a lot of dedication and hard work. It requires a lot of motivation and drive to get the work done. There are many students who stick to their notes and study from it to do well in exams.
Many prefer staying indoors during holidays instead of going out, because they feel that they cannot spare that time now. They feel guilty about relaxing, lazing around or partying hard for fear of falling behind.
It is important to realize that you should enjoy college while it lasts and not waste your time in merely studying all the time. College life is about making friends, building relationships and having fun with them, so it would be a good idea to spend some quality time with them.
22 Effective study tips for college students
Here are 22 study tips for college students that have proven to be effective:
1. Go over your notes before the semester begins:
It is always a good idea to go through your course books and class notes during the summer holidays.
Make sure that you have gathered all the important points and jot them down in separate notebooks or files.
2. Set goals:
One of the most effective study tips for college students is to set goals. It is important that you understand what you want to achieve and how far along the line are you towards your goal(s).
3. Start preparing early:
If there is one study tip for college students that can never go wrong, it would be this one. You should always start preparing well in advance so as to avoid tight schedules at the last minute.
4. Study during your free time:
The best way to approach your preparation time is not rushing through it all within a short span of time, but rather studying for an hour or two each day throughout the semester instead of cramming everything into these few days before exams begin. This enables you to relax and manage your stress levels better than trying to study the whole semester in a short time.
5. Prioritize your subjects:
It is important to prioritize your subjects and decide which ones are more important than the others, so that you can devote more time to them alone. This way you will be able to save on time and concentrate better.
6. Keep a timetable for yourself:
Many find it helpful to keep a timetable of their study hours each day or week or month, depending on how big or small the course material is.
7. Get rid of distractions:
Turn off your cell phone, put away the TV remote, close Facebook and Twitter windows, shut down IM programs like AIM and MSN Messenger (unless it’s for a study group), or leave the house if that is where you generally spend your time during the day. If there are other homework distractions in your home such as loud siblings, barking dogs or loud neighbors turn on some music to drown them out. You want to make sure that all of your attention is focused on learning and not scattered everywhere else.
8. Keep a dictionary by you:
It might sound strange, but keeping a dictionary close at hand while studying can improve your comprehension speed and vocabulary tremendously. This is because it helps the words stick better in memory, thus enabling you to recollect them easily when required during exams or discussions with others.
9. Work on improving your typing speed:
If you are someone who does not type well or find it difficult to type long answers or essays for exams quickly enough, then working on your typing skills will definitely be an effective study tip for college students belonging to this category of people. This way you will be able to save plenty of time while typing answers or essays, thus saving you from the stress of having to complete it all at the last minute.
10. Take notes while studying:
Taking or jotting down quick notes during or even before your study sessions can be an effective way to improve your comprehension skills and keep them fresh in mind for exams. Read over these notes regularly every day until the exam date for this will help you master the subject well enough to pass with flying colors.
11. Keep a time schedule while reading:
Many students tend to read long passages or paragraphs without keeping track of time or deciding how much they have read already. Doing so proves invaluable because it helps them know how far along they are in their studies and also enables them to gauge how much more time is required for them to complete the course material.
12. Read the questions before reading the passage:
Many students make a mistake of reading through an entire passage without having any idea of what they are expected to read in the exam question beforehand, thus making it tough for themselves to answer these questions. Hence, it is important that you always try and glance quickly at the questions or headings before starting to read a passage so as not to get distracted into unnecessary details while trying to grasp the point being made in a given selection.
13. Don’t be shy to ask your teachers:
Finally, one of the best study tips for college students who need assistance with anything during their semester is simply asking their teachers about whatever doubts they have on certain topics or assignments. This is because teachers are always more than happy to help their students and the sooner you ask your questions, the better prepared you will be for them since they will have enough time left to prepare for next semester or upcoming exams.
14. Don’t cram:
Try not to cram all night before an exam just because everyone else does it. Even if you do succeed in recalling everything during the exam, you’re likely to forget most of it later on anyway so it’s better that you learn how to pace yourself better throughout the whole semester instead of taking all your notes and reading only at the last minute before an exam which is never a good idea no matter what anyone tells you.
15. Have fun but don’t party too much:
Be sure to have fun but don’t overdo it. Parties can be a great way to unwind after weeks of hard work in college, but if you party every single night, you’ll likely find yourself too tired and busy being hungover to study well for exams
16. Study with friends:
A great way to rev up your studying is by partnering up with good friends so that you can help each other out when needed and stay motivated throughout the whole process. Even if they are not as studious as you are, their presence will definitely keep your mind from wandering off somewhere else during those grueling hours of study sessions. At the end of the day, everyone needs all the help that they can get since it often takes a team effort to ace an exam.
17. Do not multitask:
For most college students, studying while listening to music or even while watching TV may seem like a great idea for taking your mind off summer break without realizing that you could be doing more harm than good for yourself by trying to do so many things at the same time. Of course, it is okay once in a while but it is definitely not advisable as a study tip for college students who are looking to score higher grades at their exams.
18. Start early on assignments:
An effective way of easing the pressure off yourself during your semester is being smart with how you manage your workload and starting early on certain projects instead of leaving them all till the last minute which only leads to goofing off instead of studying for those upcoming exams.
19. Study in short, focused sessions:
Another effective study tip for college students during their semester is the practice of splitting up their work into smaller, but more manageable parts which can be easily completed within a given period as opposed to trying to cram everything at once before an exam time comes along, thus making it harder on themselves since they will likely not have sufficient time to go through each and every detail with a clear mind.
20. Edit assignments:
It may seem like a waste of time to edit your own papers but this is actually one of the most important study tips that you can follow if you want to ensure that your finished product ends up being something that you are truly proud of without having to waste even more time rewriting your assignment.
21. Get homework help immediately:
Finally, one of the most important study tips for college students during their semester is knowing when to seek help to do my homework immediately if they are feeling totally overwhelmed by their course work and unable to handle it on their own. Don’t be afraid or ashamed about it because everyone needs a little help every now and then especially since there are so many other students out there just like you who might be willing to lend you a hand after all! Ask for homework help from experts.
22. Get enough sleep:
It is advisable that you get at least 7-8 hours of rest every night so as to have a fresh mind for studying and also avoid falling ill frequently, which would prove extremely distracting during your study sessions. Besides this, proper rest can help improve visual memory recall which will in turn increase your comprehension rates significantly. Lastly, always remember the value of good nutrition, since it provides you with plenty of energy reserves needed for intense study sessions without having to take recourse to lots of coffee or caffeinated drinks which may have adverse effects on the body after prolonged usage.
Conclusion
These are top 21 study tips for college students and should help you sharpen your study skills and be more successful in school. If you follow these tips and study hard, then you should have no problem studying side by side with your classmates.
The key to being successful in college is studying hard. You want to get good grades so that colleges will accept you and help you get a good job when you graduate. Studying requires more than just putting in time. You need to learn some tips for effective studying—what works, what doesn’t work, and how to make it work for you. Use these study tips for college students or your chance of getting good grades in school will be minimal at best.