Develop Your Study Skills

    There are many skills that contribute to your academic success. Learning tips and tricks for more effective study habits can have a positive impact on how well you do you in your classes. The following is a list of some strategies for developing effective study skills:

    Establish a regular study place
    Find a room or area where you can regularly go to study. Make sure the space is well lit, free of clutter, and free of loud noise and distractions. A library, coffee shop, campus lounge or designated room in your house could be good places to study.

    Avoid distractions
    You know best what distracts you; it might be Facebook, television, cleaning, friends, or family members. Make sure you stay away from distractions when you need to study. This may mean you need to study somewhere other than your home, where friends, family, television, or even a dust bunny could interfere with your research paper being completed on time!

    Minimize procrastination
    Even if you are a master procrastinator (like many students), you can learn how to avoid procrastination! Just do it now! It is tempting to look at a difficult assignment and think “Oh I have plenty of time to complete that assignment.” However, you know the longer you wait to start an assignment, the less time you have to ask questions or get guidance if you run into problems while working on the assignment. Plan to have your assignment or paper done in advance of the deadline, so if something unexpected happens, you have extra time to finish your work or talk with your instructor.

    Manage your time effectively
    You're busy, with multiple obligations and conflicting priorities. Students can underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete an assignment. The Assignment Calculator can help you budget your time for writing assignments. Manage your time with SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timely). These priorities worksheets and time management inventories can help you with time management.

    Clarify your priorities
    For many students, balancing work, school, family and life can be overwhelming. It is important to determine where your education fits into your priorities. You may also need to determine which paper or assignment is a priority for each day or week. One way to stay organized and on task with your homework is to make a list of your assignments and readings for each week. Then prioritize them according to their level of importance that week. Make sure you include larger projects or research papers in your weekly list. These items may not be due that week, but you need to make progress on them weekly in order to meet your deadlines.

    Stick to your plan
    Creating a weekly schedule and to-do list can help you, but only if you use it! If you do not follow your plan, you may get behind in your homework. It is hard to get caught up again, and can also affect your performance on other coursework. Talk to your instructor when the unexpected arises. Make sure they are aware that you are working on your assignments.

    Stay motivated
    Even the most passionate learner rarely feels motivated to write a research paper or read four chapters of a textbook. Successful students find ways to remain motivated even when the task at hand sounds overwhelming. You may need to remind yourself of your long-term career or education goals and visualize what accomplishing those goals will do for your future.

    Learn more about Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic Motivation.

    Techniques for Learning and Studying

    • Stay focused during class, listen, and ask questions
      • Sit where you can see and hear the best
      • Get to know your classmates
    • Read your course syllabus carefully
      • Determine what the instructor’s expectations are for this course
      • Write important dates in your schedule – assignment deadlines, quizzes, tests, etc.
      • Ask the instructor questions if you do not understand something on the syllabus
      • Make an appointment or contact your instructor if you need further assistance
    • Take notes during class
      • Draw pictures or diagrams if it helps
      • Review your notes right after class so you do not forget what they mean
      • Consider editing your notes, adding more details, or re-writing any notes that do not make sense – repetition and clarification help learning
      • Notice topics that seem important to the instructor; a good indicator is when the instructor spends extended time covering a certain topic.
      • Ask questions about what will be expected of you for tests and focus notes around those areas
    • Learn how to read more effectively
      • Do not feel you have to read every word
      • Do not feel you have to read a chapter from beginning to end – skip around
        • Review headers in the chapter
        • Review the summary at the end of the chapter
        • Skim the texts
        • Look for italicized or bolded information
    • Make notes in the margins while you read
    • Highlight important information
    • Write down questions that arise while reading
    • Review more than once
    • Make an outline of important points and how they are related