Study skills also known as study strategies refers to the different strategies applied when learning.
Study skills are essential to success in schools as well as throughout life and they help a student to acquire good grades.
Students deal with so many issues in life and because of the many things that needs their attention, it becomes hard to fully concentrate when studying.
In order to perform well in school, you need to study, however, effective study does not involve studying for long periods or cramming but rather studying smart.
The following are 5 proven effective study skills.
· Approach studying positively
How you approach something determines what you will achieve from it therefore, being in the right mindset is very important when studying.
You should not force yourself to be in the right mindset and you should also avoid studying when there is something distracting you such as relationship issues or an upcoming game, as it will be a frustrating experience and you will end up not gaining anything.
· Choose a suitable place to study
An ideal study place is a very essential study skill but most students make the mistake of studying in places that are not conducive to concentrate.
A place that has too many distractions makes any place poor to study from.
You should choose quiet places such as a coffee house, library or the study hall.
· Carry all the materials you will need and nothing that you do not need
Nothing wastes and consumes time than running back and forth to collect study materials that you forgot in the dorm, study hall or even home.
Plan for everything that you will need in the study session and ensure that you carry all the materials.
Also, you should not carry things that you will not need such as iPod and the computer.
Though some students use the computer to store notes, it can be a major distraction because one can do many things with it like playing games, surfing the web checking and replying to mails.
Therefore, if you can consider taking notes on a book instead of using the computer so that you do not have to carry it when going to study.
· Make a schedule
Most students treat studying as something to do when you feel like it or when you have free time but scheduling time just like class time is scheduled makes studying less of a hassle.
Instead of having to cram in the last minutes to the exam, you will be well prepared as you have not studied in a marathon.
Set aside 30-60 minutes daily to study to allow you learn as much as you can before the exam time.
This will make you feel more confident when doing the exam.
· Practice with friends
Practice certainly makes perfect even when studying, you can practice alone but having a friend to set and ask you question in the topic that you were studying is more effective.
You can also consider joining a group to discuss the study materials available and explain to you any concept that you may not have understood.