8 Ways to Help Students Form Better Study Habits

Many students are successful all the way through high school graduation. They go off to college and discover that their study habits aren’t meeting the demand. So they struggle through their first few semesters in college until they learn how to kick it into high gear.

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As teachers, sometimes we don’t do a good job of helping our students understand what they need to do in order to form good study habits. As students take more advanced classes, the need to make a plan for long-term study habits becomes more important. (Click here to see an editable testing tips PowerPoint that you can use in your classroom.)

Here are 8 tips for your students:

Sticky notes everywhere. Use sticky notes to jot down small bits of important information. This can include formulas, dates, terminology, or any other data that can be simplified into a few sentences. Place the sticky notes in the front of your binder, on your mirror, on your bedside table, or anywhere you’ll see it regularly. Taking 30 seconds to review that information 5 times throughout the day is extremely beneficial.
Go old school. While typing notes in class may seem appealing, it often has a negative effect on memory. Because most students can type faster than they can write, they focus on typing every single word the teacher says. This means their brain isn’t processing the information in the same way it would if they were listening to the content and then summarizing.
Get flashy. It’s tempting to study directly from the notes taken in class, but writing is one of the key ways the brain remembers information. Taking the time to sift through your notes and write down the key information on flashcards not only makes it easier to study later (or on the go!), it’s beneficial as you’re writing the information for the second time.
Make a plan. Instead of cramming the night before a big test, schedule a little bit of time to study each day. Begin each study session by quizzing yourself with the material you focused on previously. By doing this, you’re holding yourself accountable to adding to the content you’ve mastered. Otherwise, it’s easy to mindlessly review the information.
Chunk your study sessions. Nobody wants to spend hours studying without any breaks. If you need to put in one hour of study time in a day, choose to spend 15 minute chunks four different times throughout the day. Not only does it make the studying less miserable, it also gives your brain the chance to retain the information.
Fly away. Put your phone on airplane mode during your study sessions so you aren’t distracted. As soon as you’ve completed the study sesh, all your texts and tweets will be there waiting on you.
Set the tone. As you’re studying, it’s important to feel relaxed and have all of your stuff around you. Gather up any notes, textbooks, flashcards, as well as a water bottle and some relaxing music so you don’t have to get up for something every 5 minutes. Get comfy but not too comfy! Stay away from your bed so you’re not tempted to take a nap!
Solid sleep. While it might sound like a good idea to pull an all-nighter, your brain actually won’t be able to recall what you’ve studied. So plan ahead (see #4 and #5) and then snooze away!

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