How to Develop Good Study Habits for College

Learning “How to Study” can be one of the best investments of your time in terms of preparing to go back to school or improving your grades while you are in school.  The best part is that anyone that truly wants to improve their learning process can do so by following a few basic principles of time management, organization and prioritization.  In this post, we are going to discuss with you, 10 effective tools and study habits for college students that want to improve their GPA (grade point average) or make sure they start their academic career off on the right foot note.

Dedicate a specific time and place to study

Having a set place and time to study can make all the difference.  Students who don’t practice this technique tend to be more stressed about homework and studying because they are never sure how or where they are going to study.  Often, they also won’t know if they will have enough time to complete the assignments and review the material.  Having a set time and place to study alleviates all of those “stressors” and allows you to focus on the material you need to cover.

Prioritize your time

No matter how much you might wish differently, there are only so many hours in a day you can devote to studying.  So it’s important that you prioritize your time before you start studying each and every study session.  Start with the more difficult tasks and material you have in front of you for the study session.  Most people are more open to difficult material in the beginning of the study session.  As the session wears on and you start to get tired, that is the time you will want to spend on material that you have a good understanding of already or have basic tasks to complete on a project or assignment.

Set the mood

Only you know what works for you.  Do you do better with some light background music?  Or by having a little snack before you begin?  Maybe you study better in the early afternoon, or between classes.  Maybe you’re a night owl that does their best work between 1 and 3 in the morning.  No matter what “mood” you set though, the most important part of this step is being honest with yourself and how you work to maximize efficiency.