Study Hacks for College Students

You might have skated through high school without even cracking a book, but chances are, your college career isn’t going to be as smooth. Many professors draw exam questions straight from the book and your class notes, so spending time with the material outside of class time is essential. Here are eight study hacks to help.

Make an appointment with yourself.

If you have a hard time finding the time to study between athletics, extracurricular activities and social events, try making an appointment with yourself. Block out time and don’t miss it. Put it in your phone or planner and set reminders to get to work.

Find friends to study with.

Studying alone can be hard, and it’s too easy to get distracted. Pairing up with others in your class can make it easier to focus. Find people in your classes who are excelling and make friends with them; offer to form a study group and have weekly meetings for refreshers.

Take breaks.

A serious study session is intense and it’s easy for your brain to start to hurt and for you to feel overwhelmed. Taking breaks during your study sessions can help you refresh your mind and body to prepare for the next 20-30 minutes of study time. Take a walk, get a snack, call your mom.

Bring a snack.

Studies have shown that snacking during study sessions can help stimulate your brain beyond just the words or numbers on the page. Bring a healthy snack to your study session and take a couple bites between sentences or math problems to wake up your senses. Just stay away from anything smelly or loud.

Hire a tutor.

If you know someone who has passed the class with flying colors and has some time to help, start there. You have other options, too, including your school’s tutoring center or online tutoring services like SolutionInn. Online tutors work on your schedule and within your budget to help you succeed.

Learn to take notes like a pro.

Your class notes are going to be like your Bible to success in your college classes. Maybe in high school you didn’t find note-taking important. Trust me, in college, it’s everything. Stay organized. Make a different notebook for each subject. Learn about outlining and then review the notes at least twice before your exam.

Use pen and paper for note-taking.

It’s tempting to take notes on your laptop or phone, but trust me when I say that writing with a pen or pencil and some paper is the best way to go. The physical act of writing actually does help with retention in ways typing doesn’t’.

Read out loud to yourself.

There are many ways to learn: reading, writing — even listening. One way to help with retaining information is to read your notes or your textbook out loud to yourself. Reading out loud focuses your attention on what you’re supposed to be studying and sometimes it’s easier to recall something you’ve heard more than once than something you’ve read.