Do you have to be born with smarts to do well in school? While some innate intellect helps, it isn’t the whole package. Highly effective students are often that way because of their effective habits.
This means that you can be effective too, you just need to learn how. Check out 10 helpful habits below!
1. Get the Mental Juices Flowing
Maths and history might not excite you, but there is something out there that does. On a break, try reading something that interests you to get your mental juices moving. When you come back to your study session after a bit of fun stimulation, you might find that those history dates are easier to remember!
2. Take Interesting Notes
Don’t just write down lists of facts that you’re trying to remember. Use different colours, draw arrows to connect concepts, doodle, or create charts and graphs. A little extra work will go a long way towards cementing those concepts in your brain.
3. Spend Time Outside
Vitamin D is essential for a strong immune system and good health, but there are very few good dietary sources of the nutrient. The best source of vitamin D is the sun. To take advantage of it, all you have to do is spend a few minutes with the sun on your skin each day. You can even sit outside while preparing for a maths exam to kill two birds with one stone!
4. Get Up and Move!
Exercise is good for both our bodies and our brains. Does your brain feel sluggish and slow? Try taking a walk on your next study break to get it moving again.
5. Break Up Your Study Sessions
Studying for 4 hours straight sounds dedicated, but it isn’t that effective. Try the Pomodoro technique that involves breaking up your sessions into 25-minute increments with 5-minute breaks in between. You might be surprised at what you can power through and retain in that 25 minutes!
6. Minimize Distractions
Breaks are good, distractions are not. Constant interruptions just destroy your train of thought and keep you from accomplishing anything. Put your phone on silent and ask your family to leave you alone for the next hour or so.
7. Stay Social
Of course, make time for your family too. Social time is essential for mental health and you don’t want to spend your entire school career buried in a book!
8. Eat Healthy Snacks
Snacks are perhaps the best part of studying, but they need to be the right snacks. Sugary snacks and candy will only drag you down once the sugar high wears off. Chow down on fruit, whole grains, nuts, and seeds for a brain-boosting snack.
9. Proofread…Later
Want to miss the errors in your paper? Proofread it as soon as you finish writing it. Your brain will just gloss over them because it knows what you meant to put there. Give yourself a 24-hour break before your proofread.
10. Plan Your Deadlines
Of course, to do that, you’re going to need to finish your projects early. Put your deadlines on a wall planner so you can easily keep track of them.
Rise to Your Potential
You don’t have to be an Einstein to do well in school. Though natural talent is helpful, doing well in school is mostly about working smart. Follow these tips to be more effective in your study habits and you’ll see the difference!