Advice from a Senior: Study Tips

Now that midterms are over and we are all beginning to see our grades, we have had time to reflect on what study methods worked and what did not. This article compiles several study methods I have found successful throughout high school, and especially this year.

Step 1: Determine What You Need to Study, AKA Prioritize

It would be counterproductive to study topics you already know; therefore, it is necessary to prioritize what you understand least. Determining what you do not know is a vital part of studying. I find the most successful way to determine what you do not know is by attempting to complete a study guide or practice test without looking up questions. If the teacher did not provide any of these materials, you may try to redoing questions from your notes or worksheets you have already done. Occasionally, you may benefit from solving questions in the textbook or from online. It is common to do poorly on this initial assessment, but by observing what questions you get wrong, you should be able to determine what topics require the most studying. The next step is to solve the questions you missed by using any means necessary. Your notes, your friends, your internet, and your textbooks are all excellent resources for solving these problems. Once you have discovered the answers to these questions, you should realize what topics you do not understand, and can begin gathering study materials.

Step 2: Gather Study Materials

This step is about figuring out what study tools will be most effective to you. This often varies depending on the subject, unit, topic, and of course what kind of “studier” you are. In general, the best way to determine what study tools you should use is by practicing and experimenting with lots of different tools. Some common study tools are YouTube videos, online articles, books (text books, how-to books, and your average narrative or non-fiction style book), practice questions and writing prompts, scientific studies and academic essays, and your notes. Always remember to study from reliable sources. After you have gathered your study materials, you can begin studying.

Step 3: Staying Focused

Unfortunately, studying is not as simple as determining what you don’t know and then studying it. The hardest part of studying is staying focused, and yet it is necessary for retaining information and performing well. There is no panacea for an unfocused mind, and if you hope to stay focused, you will have to determine a few things about yourself, such as how you prefer to review information. Does it help you read it out loud? Simply read over it a few times? Have someone quiz you? Try out these methods and utilize the ones that seem to create the best outcomes.

Another important aspect of staying focused is simply removing what makes you unfocused. To do this, first determine what makes you unfocused. You may feel overwhelmed or distracted by too many things around you, such as sounds, movement, pictures, objects, clutter, etc. If this is the case, going somewhere generally clean and quiet is a good option. The library, a near-empty classroom, a secluded room in your house, or even the park if it’s a mild day, are viable options. You may also benefit from turning off unnecessary devices, cleaning your study space, and organizing your school-supplies and backpack. If you are unable to leave a space that you find too noisy to work in, white noise and lo-fi soundtracks could help. You may also find that instead of being overstimulated by your work and environment you are under-stimulated, and bored. If this happens to you, pacing, listening to music, and watching videos on the topic you’re studying could help. Going to a more interesting environment, such as a coffee shop, or even just making yourself a food or drink to consume while working may also be very helpful. Determining these things will also help you start to figure out your optimal study environment. This environment could be light or dark, decorated or plain, at a desk or in bed, with fidgeting or without fidgeting, loud or quiet, etc.  

Step 4: Avoiding Burn-out and Frustration

Something else that will prevent you from staying focused is burn-out. Burn-out occurs when you have spent so much time working or focusing that you become exhausted, preventing you from focus. Avoiding burn-out can be best done through purposefully setting aside relaxation time every day, sleeping enough every night, not signing up for more extracurriculars than you can handle, and taking breaks when studying. How much of these things to do will vary greatly from person to person, from the subject you are studying, and from how you feel in the moment.

Additionally, burn-out is most likely to occur when you leave a large chunk of studying to the last minute, rather than planning in advance and setting aside a smaller chunk of time each day leading up to your test. Eventually, you will start to learn what works for you, and from there be able to study more effectively and with some better time management.

Step 5: Self-Assessing 

After you have spent time studying, it is important to assess your progress. This is best done using the same methods that you originally used to determine what you don’t know. Simply find unsolved questions on the topics you were studying, and attempt to solve them without referencing anything. If you solve them easily and correctly, then congratulations! You’ve succeeded in studying. Review one or two more times every day leading up to the test for good measure. If you struggled with the questions or get the wrong answer, continue studying until you can easily get mostly correct answers.

Another helpful way to assess your progress is through presenting what you have been studying to friends, family, pets, etc. (or to the air, if none of these things are available). Whatever sections you could not thoroughly and smoothly explain are the sections you need to study more.

By Senior, Jane Grabowski