Effective study methods for high school students

Whether it seems like it or not, college admissions time is right around the corner. Here’s what you can do while you’re in high school to be prepared for what’s ahead. It might seem like eons until your college admissions essays are due and you get those acceptance letters in the mail. But believe it or not, in the blink of an eye that day will come, and you want to be ready.

Adapting to college life is hard enough — being away from your family for the first time, not having someone look over your shoulder to make sure you’re going to class, parties and social events until late at night — it can be disorienting. By building good study habits now, during your high school years, you can avoid some of the pitfalls of many college freshmen, and find success in college.

Learn to take good notes

Just simply sitting in class and half-listening to your teacher isn’t going to help you when it’s exam time. Learn early to take good notes. That means thorough outlines, bullet points, and highlighting important key words and definitions. Taking notes like this is called “active listening” and it helps solidify the information in your brain, not just by simply listening, but by writing down what you’re hearing. Writing down what you’re hearing keeps you active and engaged in the classroom, so when you’re ready to start studying for the test, you can recall the information more clearly. If you’re still having a hard time with taking notes (remember, practice makes perfect), consider finding a tutor who can help you organize your thoughts and get them down on paper.

Be well-rested

It sounds like getting more sleep wouldn’t help as a “study tip” but believe it or not, students who are more well-rested do better on exams than those who got less sleep the night before. When you get to college, you won’t have a “bed time” and no one will be checking to make sure you get to sleep on time. Build that habit now and you’ll be better disciplined when you get to college.

Don’t cram. Spread out study sessions

The best time to start studying before an exam is right after the material has been presented. Then, keep going over it repeatedly before exam time, building on that information with the additional lessons your instructors have presented. Don’t wait until the night before an exam to start studying. A study by UCLA showed that sacrificing sleep so you can cram for an exam is counterproductive, and won’t lead to doing better on the exam. It’s best to set gradual goals for your studying throughout the semester or school year instead of trying to fit it all into one caffeine-fueled study session.

Holly V. Kapherr is a writer, editor and content strategist working with SolutionInn, a company that matches students with tutors from around the world. SolutionInn offers a scholarship program of up to $500 to deserving students who write essays on specified prompts.