Study Tips

Studying in college is about finding a balance between learning new ideas, staying organized, and making time for yourself, all while getting to know how you learn best. It is not a one size fits all skill and can change depending on the subject or purpose. While learning how to study your way may be done through a lot of trail and error; using Education Planner's self assessment to discover your learning style can help you determine which techniques are more likely to suit you. Once you know your learning style, test out some of the ideas found here. 

On this page you will find:

• 5 Tips for Managing Your Time
• 5 Study Techniques 
• 5 Ways to Get and Stay Organized

Time Management

Taking college courses can feel overwhelming, as you balance academic responsibilities and extracurricular activities with your personal life; but mastering time management will help you stay on top of your studies while still enjoying all the experiences college life has to offer.  

5 tips for managing your time: 

1.  Get organized: Everything from having specific space for important items or activities to how you take notes can effect how you manage your time. So, getting and staying organized will go a long way to helping you manage your time more efficiently. Check out our tips for getting organized. 
2. Use a planner or digital calendar: Keep track of important dates, assignments and events in one place to avoid last-minute stress while ensuring nothing is overlooked. Bonus: it will free up some mental space that you can use for studying, working or socializing. Also with digital calendars you can set alarms and reminders to help keep you on track. 
3. Prioritize tasks: Focus on the most urgent and important tasks first, and break larger assignments into smaller bite-size pieces. 
4. Set realistic goals: create daily or weekly goals to keep yourself on track. Make sure they are specific, achievable and that you can know when you have achieved them. 
5. Avoid Multitasking: Concentrate on one task at a time to improve focus and efficiency, as multitasking can often lead to mistakes leading to task not being completed or need to be redone. 

For more, watch "How to manage your time more effectively" by Brian Christian from Ted-Ed. 

Back to the top

Study Techniques 

Developing effective study techniques, such as finding a quiet space, using flash cards, and breaking up your study sessions, can make a huge difference in how well you understand the material and how confident you feel during exams.

• Teach a Rubber Duck: This involves explaining a topic out loud to an inanimate object, like a rubber duck, to clarify a topic by organizing one's thoughts. You can also teach a friend; this is a great way to get feedback. 
• Flash Cards or Quizzing: Using your notes or course text, create a series of questions on index cards. Then quiz yourself on the material, or if you are in a study group quiz each other. 
• Study Groups: Collaborating with peers allows you to share insights, clarify doubts, and gain new perspectives, making studying more fun and effective.
• Body Doubling: Similar to a study group, rather than work on the same material, each person is working on their own things but in the same space. You can also try working in a coffee shop, or go virtual and study over a video call. 
• Mind Mapping: Study your notes or course text by creating visual diagrams that connect key concepts. Visual diagrams can  help you see the relationships between ideas and organize your thoughts better. 

For more, watch "3 Tips on How to Study Effectively" from Ted-Ed. 

Back to the top

Organization Techniques

Staying organized is key to staying on top of your work, reducing last-minute stress, and making sure you have time to enjoy all the other great experiences college has to offer. This means keeping track of your assignments, managing your time wisely, and setting up systems, so you can make the most of your time.

• Note taking: Try out various note taking methods (Cornell, outline, mapping, etc.) to find a technique that helps you stay organize and study effectively. Check out our Effective Note Taking workshop video for more techniques. 
• Schedule: Review your calendar and schedule specific time to work on your research each week. Remember to plan time for breaks, so you can re-charge and to prevent burn-out. Suggestion: Keep research time to about 1 - 2 hours at a time. 
• Space: Whether you keep digital files or prefer printed, create a space strictly for your work. If it is feasible, designate a space where you only do research. By designating a place as your research spot, it can help you focus. If you cant have a physical space, creating a specific routine that you only use when you are researching can also help with this. 
• Needs List: Create a needs list. This could look like a time-line of due dates or a check list..
• Set up accounts early: Set up any necessary accounts like RefWorks and Interlibrary Loan or others that you know you will need. Doing these now will save time later. Ask others what accounts or apps they use while studying, completing assignment, or staying organized for suggestions.  

For more, watch "How to get motivated even when you don’t feel like it" from Ted-Ed. 

Back to the top