Place the syllabus in the front of the binder with important deadlines highlighted. Color code your subjects to easily keep track of everything.
Focus most of your time on the material that you struggle with. You can always review the things you know well on the last day before the test.
As you go through concepts, check them off and move on to the next one. Include important assignments and reading on your checklist as well.
If you’re waiting in a long line or commuting, take out your flashcards and review.
Avoid making your bedroom a study space as this can lead to associating your place of sleep with stressful studying.
Make sure the temperature isn’t too hot or too cold. Avoid reading in your bed or on a comfy couch so you won’t fall asleep.
Position lights so that there are no distracting shadows. Avoid placing lights in a way that cause them to shine directly into your eyes.
Calculator Paper (lined and plain) A glass of water and/or snacks All necessary notes and textbooks Calendar and to-do list
Tell your family you’re going to study so they also know not to distract you. If you want to listen to music, background music is better for memory and retention than using headphones or earbuds.
Remove all non-essential items from your study space at the end of every study session.
Color code your study schedule for each subject. You can start a study schedule at any point in the year, but it is best to start as early as possible. You can even make individual study schedules for final exam time.
Mon: two 2-hr blocks Tues: three 1-hr blocks Wed: 4 hrs Thurs: two 2-hr blocks Sun: 6 hrs
One-hour blocks of time between classes are a great time to review notes or flip through flashcards. Take advantage of these times and you could add 4-8 hours of study time to your schedule.
If you find you are easily distracted, try setting a timer and working in 20-30 minutes chunks with a short 5-minute break between chunks. Reward yourself when you take a break by getting a snack or drink or playing a game. You might also time your study sessions so that when you’re done you can go do something fun with your friends. This way you’ll feel like you’re working towards something, even if you don’t particularly like studying. You also want to make sure you have time for fun and social activities. Don’t schedule every second of free time for studying because you will be unlikely to stick to that.
Schedule the more important and/or difficult material for your best study times. Work on the easier material when you are not at your best. Make sure your schedule is flexible and can accommodate emergencies or conflicts as they may arise. [12] X Research source
