In the pursuit of academic excellence, developing good study habits is of utmost importance. Aside from quality knowledge and skills, incorporating a habit and a routine to your studies can enhance your overall learning experience. With this, here are 5 habits that can help you with your journey:
- Structured Schedule and Effective Time Management
One of the most vital foundations of a good study habit is organizing your plans into a well-fit schedule and managing them to make sure everything is done on time. To do this, create a realistic schedule in accordance with your daily routine. Divide tasks in terms of urgency, break down assignments into smaller manageable tasks, and make sure to incorporate rests and relaxation activities in between heavy tasks as well. Structurally laying out the tasks you need to do will enable more focus for each task and encourage maximum productivity.
- Studying in a Conducive Environment
An organized, quiet, well-lit, and clean workspace are crucial for concentration and productivity. Studying in a good environment will minimize distractions and stress that can hinder you from completing your tasks efficiently. Moreover, studying in a well-illuminated space, especially when it requires a lot of reading, can help you avoid eye strain and further physical discomfort and fatigue.
- Active and Participation and Engagement
When studying, reading textbooks and going through visual aids are not enough. You should always push yourself to ask questions, answer practice quizzes, research beyond textbook information, and engage in intellectual discourse related to what you are studying. Furthermore, practicing effective note-taking techniques and memorization strategies can make you retain information more accurately. These will help you develop a more critical understanding of the material and help you gain more confidence in the knowledge and skills you acquired.
- Utilize Numerous Learning Tools and Resources
Relying your studies on resources already provided can limit your learning. To maximize your experience, do not hesitate to seek many different resources other than what you already have. Explore school libraries and the internet for more information, articles, case studies, visual aids, problem sets, and other supplementary materials as they can greatly improve your understanding on certain topics. However, always make sure to verify the sources of these materials to ensure that they are credible and relevant to your learning.
- Set Realistic But Challenging Goals
Of course, all these habits and strategies in studying would be for nothing if you don’t achieve certain goals. Along with structured planning, scheduling, and practicing techniques in studying, setting academic goals is what will really determine your progress and success. Goals can be set short-term such as daily and weekly objectives– and long-term, such as semesterly and yearly. In setting your goals, remember to be SMART. Lay down specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals so that you will know the exact amount of focus, time, and effort needed to earn these accomplishments. In this way, it is easier to achieve your tasks and when you do, you will feel more fulfilled and successful.
Creating and sticking to a study habit may be challenging at first, but following these practices religiously will give you a lot of advantage in excelling in your learning journey. During your attempts to live by certain study habits, you will know which strategies work and do not work for you, so it is in your total control to do what is best for you. Inevitably, there would be difficulties along the way, but take these as encouragement to push yourself harder and exceed boundaries. Always remember that how you study is crucial to what you study, and together– they are your weapons to navigate the right path to your academic and professional career. With all that said, start developing and maintaining your study habits now and excel further in your academic journey!
By: Shelsea Cruz
Reference:
Coursera Staff. (2023, December 2). 11 Good Study Habits to Develop. Coursera. Retrieved from https://www.coursera.org/articles/study-habits