Regardless of how far along you may be in high school, there is always time to improve your GPA.
A higher GPA will help you get accepted to a better school, open up scholarship opportunities, and even allow you to graduate with honors. Before you can secure that 4.0, though, you need to master your study skills.
It’s possible that you’ve gotten along well without studying. But once you start to take college-level AP or IB classes or see tougher math subjects, learning to study is an important skill to have. This skill will even transfer all the way to your college and professional life!
Without further ado, here are 10 study tips that will help you become an academic success story!
1. Set Up a Schedule
One of the keys to studying well is getting your brain ready to study. In order to do this, setting up a study schedule may be a good idea for you. By having your day scheduled, you will know how much time you can dedicate to studying and when exactly to start it.
For example, if you schedule 6-7:30 PM as study time, your brain will know that this is the time to do work and will help you avoid distractions. Having a planner or school diary will help you with this.
2. Choose a Good Environment
Another way to get your brain in the study mood is to set up a good studying environment.
This can be anything, from a desk at home to your local library. It may be best to separate this environment from any areas of free time, as our brain can be distracted when it associates certain spaces with entertainment.
Be sure to keep your studying environment organized, ready with supplies, and free of distractions. This will contribute to your head feeling less cluttered and focused on the task at hand.
3. Be Engaged In Class
Most of how you study will be determined by how you are in class. If you spend all of class time texting or talking to friends, you will not have a good enough basis to study the material at hand.
Be sure to be an engaged student in the class, who understands the materials and participates.
4. Start Studying Well In Advance
Many students in today’s generations pride themselves on being “master procrastinators”. But, procrastination can often lead to crammed learning and a lack of long-term understanding. Instead of procrastinating your studies, start studying for an exam at least a week in advance.
By learning the material over time and only loading your brain with small amounts each day, you can ensure that the material will be saved to your long-term memory, meaning you will be sure to remember the material for your finals and future classes as well!
5. Take Advantage of Technology
While technology often gets in the way of studying, it can also be a great study tool! There are various apps to use now, including Quizlet and Google Docs, that can help you with note-taking and studying.
Some of these apps will allow you to quiz yourself to test what you’ve learned. Others will allow you to share study documents with friends or will be a new version of flashcards for your memorization.
6. Start Small and Build Up
When studying for finals or midterms, you may think that there is too much material to work on. This may also be the case when working on large-scale projects or research assignments. In any case like these, building up to the final product by starting small is a great idea.
Starting small can mean anything, including making a study plan or choosing a research topic. By accomplishing small tasks, you will be motivated to continue on and slowly work to your goal.
7. Study Immediately After Class
Your teachers may tell you that you should study “a little bit every day”. This is probably the best tip they can give you. Studying a little bit each day will allow you to truly understand the material and help you build up to the exam.
By studying after class, you will understand the material even better than you may have during class and will be caught up for the next day of class.
You will also be building a larger base for yourself so you don’t have to do as much “catch up” studying before exam time.
8. Study With Friends AND By Yourself
There are various strategies you can use to study, and group studying is a great way to learn. By teaching others what you know, or having your friends fill in the gaps of your knowledge, you will be putting yourself at a greater advantage.
Be sure to also set up a time to study on your own after studying with friends. This will help you stay on course if your time with friends was filled with distractions as it often ends up being.
9. Put Things Into Your Own Words
The secret to doing well on any exam is truly mastering the material. In order to do that, you have to be able to put these subjects into your own terms. One good example of how to do this is asking your parents or siblings to listen to you try to explain the material that you’re responsible for.
10. Reward Yourself
There are many rewards that come with mastering these study tips. External rewards may even include a higher GPA, which can lead to you becoming the best in your class! If you’re on that track, check out this reliable source on how to become your class valedictorian.
But, on top of all of these rewards, you should also reward yourself while you study in order to keep yourself motivated. Some break time or your favorite food are great ways to reward your studious ways.
The Keys to These Study Tips
Be sure to stay motivated in order to truly master these study tips. With them, you will surely see your grades improving, your GPA shooting up, and your future looking bright.
If you liked these tips, check out some of our other lifestyle articles.