Maintaining focus is very important if you want to study efficiently and effectively, here are some tips that will help you to develop a successful study style.
1. Sleep to remember, remember to sleep.
Studies show that getting the right amount of sleep (6-8 hours) improves your hormones, it will give you more natural energy for you to be a better focus on studying. In a Swiss University’s study, two groups of people were introduced to a new language, one group was learning it right before bed and the other group was learning it during the daytime. The group who slept immediately after the lesson learned the language quicker than those in the daytime.
A tip to improve your sleeping quality is – DON’T USE YOUR PHONE/COMPUTER ONE HOUR BEFORE BEDTIME. Melatonin (also known as the sleep hormone) is raised when the sun goes down, to indicate to our bodies that it’s time to rest. The problem with phone/computer is that the unnatural lights confuse this hormone and trick it into thinking it’s still daytime.
2. Select an appropriate study space
According to a psychological study, when a student is trying to record information in an exam, they will record it best if they learned that information in an environment similar to the exam environment. Have a think about the space you are going to be tested in, and trying to select an environment that provides the same atmosphere. For example natural lighting, optimal temperature (when the temperature is cold, it requires more body energy to maintain concentration, hence cold temperature leads people to make more mistakes than warm temperature) and background noise (soft/classical music will help the brain to be more receptive to information).
3. Develop an effective study plan
Start by using an agenda. Firstly, you need to write down all self-study time, try to have at least one hour of study time each day and write down what exactly you will be studying (e.g. Math: Division, do exercise on page 110-115). Secondly, write down all the already planned and important social appointments. It is also important for you to have some time to relax, so I will recommend keeping at least one day (preferably two) study-free. Finally, write down some buffer study-time, also try to have at least one hour each day. The buffer study-time can become a free time when you’ve finished your planned study tasks.
An additional note for creating a study plan is, you need to set a daily goal and a weekly goal. The goals need to be realistic and measurable. An example of a daily goal has been provided for you in the previous paragraph, and a weekly goal can be, for example, finish all exercises in Math book chapter 10-13.
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