Submitting homework on time, earning good grades, having a social life, and staying sane all at once might feel impossible for a student. You always need to sacrifice something to get a good grade or meet a friend. But with some good planning, you can achieve balance. In this article, we will talk about daily habits that can take you from an average, stressed-out student to a calm and high-performing one.
Get Help When You Need It
There are multiple resources even within your college that you can use when you are struggling. A college library will provide you with the most relevant sources for your research. You can talk about your mental health with a school counselor. Go to a custom term paper writing service and ack to “write an essay for me”when you see you don’t have the time to complete a paper. Call your high-school buddy when you start to feel homesick.
When we are struggling, we tend to feel alone because we are taught not to show bad emotions publicly. But the truth is, everybody is struggling, especially the students who are just starting to figure out how to be an adult. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; your close ones will be happy to talk to you.
Create A Schedule
Sure, you already have your classes scheduled, and maybe you write down homework in proper order, too. But if you write down all your tasks – from writing a paper to cleaning the fridge, you will see them all clearly. This will allow you to prioritize, delegate, where possible, and complete everything on time.
Planning out your study sessions in advance will also train your brain. If you sit down to study every day at a certain time, your brain will remember this as ‘productive time.’ Once you establish this habit, you will have no trouble focusing when you need to. And don’t study in your bed. It’s for the same reason – so your brain doesn’t associate the bed with studies. Otherwise, you might have trouble falling asleep.
Take Breaks
Even if you forget a deadline and rush to submit the paper on time, you still need to take breaks. Your brain cannot stay focused for longer than an hour. And it will be the most productive if you take 5 to 10-minute breaks every 30-ish minutes. This exact schedule might not fit you perfectly, as we all are wired differently. Try out some variations to see what works best for you.
There’s a science to taking breaks, too. Don’t reach for your phone and start scrolling through your feed immediately after the break starts. This way, you might need more time to return back to focus mode. Apps like Tik Tok and Instagram are made to increase user engagement by shortening the attention span.
What you can do instead is grab a snack (go for something healthier, like nuts or dark chocolate), look out the window to reduce the strain on your eyes, make a cup of tea or coffee, or play with your pet.
Get Organized
Keeping your study materials, notes, and sources in proper order means you’re halfway to success. Make it a habit to carry the same notebook with you to class so that you don’t get lost in endless random sheets of paper.
When taking notes, try writing things down in as much detail as possible. On the one hand, you might end up with some extra information. But it’s much worse to look at your notebook a month later and not understand a thing, right?
If you take notes on your laptop or phone, date them, always have the topic written down at the beginning and highlight keywords from the lecture. This will make reviewing your notes before tests so much easier.
Sure, it takes some work. But once you form this habit, you won’t even notice yourself doing it. Just imagine how grateful the future you will be.
Revisit Notes Regularly
If you’re trying to actually study instead of just graduating, learn some memorization techniques. Practice active recall. When reviewing your notes, try to recall information from memory rather than just re-reading your notes or textbook. Close a part of the page with your hand, so you don’t cheat. This will help you learn how much you actually remember and what you should work more on. It’s best if you revisit your notes regularly and not just before the test.
Flashcards might be a great option for filling the gaps in your knowledge you find during the previous step. Make physical cards or use an app on your phone. Get a friend and quiz each other. It might be even more efficient as you will keep one another accountable.
Get Enough Sleep
We all have pulled an all-nighter or two before a test, but do they really work? How often do you wake up after sleeping for an hour and realize you don’t remember a single thing from the night before? Proper sleep, scheduling, and timely revisions – all these aspects contribute to your academic success.
Sleeping well after a study session can lead to better retention of information. It is vital that students get 7-8 hours of sleep daily. Napping after a study session is also theorized to improve retention by Mander, Bryce A., et al. in their “Wake Deterioration and Sleep Restoration of Human Learning” study.
Stay Motivated
Learning to self-motivate is hard but extremely useful in life. When you don’t have the energy to study, remember why you are doing that in the first place. Think about the wage gap between people with and without a diploma. Maybe even consider your parents’ expectations.
Set goals for yourself. Make sure they are manageable and achievable. If you have never done that before, start small. Finishing your paper before the deadline will be a good start. Then, reward yourself for achieving that goal. That will motivate you to reach higher and set bigger goals.
In Conclusion
Being a student can be challenging, but with the right daily habits, you can achieve balance and success. The key is to get help when you need it, create a schedule and stick to it, take breaks, get organized, take good notes, and practice active recall.
Additionally, revisiting your notes regularly, using flashcards, getting enough sleep, prioritizing your tasks, and staying motivated will help you become a better student.
Remember, it is important to find what works best for you and not be afraid to ask for help. With the right mindset, you can reach your goals and excel in your studies.