The preparation for any exam is not an easy hill to climb. It requires dedication and perseverance to score good marks. Often, we push studying for exams for later and face negative repercussions afterward.
Most of the time, we find ourselves doing the photostat of the topper’s class notes from our friends and rushing last moment to get the study material.
We don’t have to hide our faces or do the facepalm moment while reading it because we all have been through a similar situation and have felt guilty for not doing smart work before.
But what if we say, it is never too late to start a good studying habit?
Yes! Studying with a smart approach is way better and more productive than following a long monotonous study schedule. As learners, we need to work on improving the study skills that can help us score good grades.
Study Smarter not Harder
How many times has it happened that we assigned ourselves a specific time duration to finish a chapter and were not able to memorize a single word? We found ourselves re-reading the same page repeatedly, and our 1-hour alarm rang.
We guess it has happened multiple times!
We sat with our textbooks and got stuck on a single page without getting anything in our heads. The main reason for this situation could either be not finding that subject textbook interesting or forcing ourselves to cram it.
For better understanding and fun learning, doing smart studies is one of the best options for students to get rid of the above-mentioned problems.
It helps us with better memory power and retention along with fun and creative learning. We become efficient, and our study hours become more productive. We tend to develop the habit of understanding the concept clearly and not simply cramming it.
Read-More: 7 Ways to Increase Productivity While Studying
Benefits of Studying Smarter
- It helps to finish the syllabus on time without letting us rush the last hour during the examination.
- It allows us to breathe for a while and permits our brain to rest so that it can induce productivity.
- It helps us to focus equally on our extracurricular activities as well as our day-to-day chores.
- Having a smarter approach to studies makes us more confident and boosts our self-esteem. We become more proactive, and we find ourselves interested in engaging with the subject.
- Studying smarter makes us prepare for our exams and helps in reducing our exam stress and anxiety.
- It makes our studying sessions more productive and improves our communication skills.
- It helps in boosting our cognitive functions.
Tips to Study Smarter
With these tips, we can implement a better and more effective studying schedule that might yield productive results.
Let’s find out these tips mentioned below.
1) BE CONSISTENT:
We should never underestimate the power of consistency. We should develop the habit of reading our subject textbooks daily and become active readers so that nothing remains for the last moment.
- Plan a timetable and write things that seem achievable.
- Give it a title, ‘daily goals to achieve.’
- Stick that paper somewhere prominent and after achieving the goals, give a tick mark in front of it.
- Take one day at a time and be consistent with it.
- Read and learn small portions of your subject textbooks daily.
- Divide your subjects into two categories; Favourite subjects and Need to work-on subjects.
- Start with the former and then switch to the latter.
- Don’t forget to give a tick mark.
2) ASK QUESTIONS TO YOURSELF:
The one who asks questions to oneself finds answers for their problems.
As a learner, we must be inquisitive and ready to know the base of our syllabus.
- Read a textbook and try to understand what it is trying to say.
- Don’t restrict the learning and reading to a specific time; instead, focus on bringing effective and productive results.
- After reading the topic, start asking questions to know and understand the concept better.
- Why and How after every topic can work out best for you.
- Start writing the questions and their possible solutions.
- If you feel stuck, you can contact a private tutor that will guide you better.
- Revise the concept and clear the doubts for better retention.
3) TAKE REGULAR INTERVALS OF BREAKS.
Taking breaks in between studying helps us in giving productive results. We are able to retain the information accurately, and it is also effective for better mental health.
- Start reading a topic and try to memorize it.
- After finishing it, leave it for a while and begin a new topic.
- Come back after 6 hours to revise the first topic you learned.
- Keep on doing it with other topics as well.
- Also, when you switch from one topic to another, 10-15 minutes of break is a must to process the new information.
- Listening to music can always be a savior.
- For better concentration and memory retention, power napping and early morning meditation can do wonders.
4) MAKE NOTES OF YOUR OWN:
Reading from something of our own handwriting makes us hook to the topic. When we write something after we have learned something, we are able to understand that topic more accurately. We should start making notes of it on a regular basis.
- Instead of re-reading highlighted sections from the textbooks, start making notes and read from them.
- Make flashcards of important topics or questions asked multiple times in the previous examinations.
- Take help from class notes, subject textbooks, reference books, and then make informative notes of your own.
- Take the help of sticky notes and write something which is difficult for you to memorize.
- Stick the note somewhere prominent so that you are able to see it frequently.
- Suppose you have learned a topic, write the sub-headings of it on a paper, and by looking at the written sub-headings, speak the answer loudly.
- Use mnemonics and short forms to remember the answers.
5) TEACH YOURSELF AND OTHERS:
The most effective way to learn something is to teach the topic. Albert Einstein has said that “If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
- Learn the topic and after a while, try to teach it to yourself.
- You can either call a friend and discuss it with him.
- You can record your voice and listen to that during revision.
With these study hacks, we can do smart work and can understand the concepts better.
One of the smart learning techniques is to learn from a professional tutor and get all the doubts solved before exams.
