STUDY HACKS 101

Ever wondered why you study the way you do? Is there any way you could have improved? Maybe. Maybe not. Studying is a subjective matter (Pun intended). Depends upon how you take it but mostly it's done in similar ways across the whole student community.

We understand that you're already busy with all the workload you have of college and you don't require any extra classes so we saved some time for you and put together a list of few hacks which might help you ahead in your college life.

While you’ve likely heard some of them before, there are probably at least a few you haven’t considered. And even if you have heard a study tip before, you could likely do a better job of applying it (we all could).

So without further ado, here are the very best study tips out there. We hope they make your studies more efficient, effective, and even enjoyable.

1. Put all your work on a To-Do List: Ever wondered how specific to be with your day to day assignments? It might be hectic to memorize it all- Not everyone is Mike Ross. But when you put your homework assignments on a to-do list, you’re much less likely to forget them. Plus, you get the satisfaction of crossing off each assignment after it’s done.

2. Have a separate study space: Where do you study? Your living room? The library? Lying in your bed? The place you study matters more than you think. Having a dedicated study space will help you avoid distractions and signal to your brain that it’s time to learn. Find a space that will let you focus for long periods of time, has all the supplies you need, and is free of interruptions.

3. Maintain a distraction log: Most of us struggle through having different thoughts and ideas while studying and it could be a major distraction. So why not keep it simple. You could write down your thoughts and ideas on a piece of paper and after you’re done completing your lessons, you can now focus on them even better.

4. Write on paper: Writing your notes on paper helps you understand the concept even better rather than typing it on a laptop or an iPad. There’s a technical reason behind this fact. When you write by hand, in contrast, the slower speed forces you to summarize and put concepts in your own words, which leads to better understanding.

5. Understanding > Memorizing: We all know that till now, we have been memorizing lessons and studies but from now, the whole method changes to the next level. It’s the place where understanding concepts helps you more rather than just mugging things up. You can take the help of graphs and tree charts for better understanding purposes. Pros- it helps create a visual memory in your brain which might be difficult for you to forget. Job easily done.

6. The Feynman Technique: It is one of the best techniques for understanding concepts. Let's say that you recently learned something. How do you know that you have completely understood the whole concept? Easy. Take a sheet of paper. Next, write as simple (yet comprehensive) of an explanation as you can. Imagine you’re explaining it to someone who knows nothing about the topic. Once you’ve written your explanation, compare it to your notes or the textbook. Look for gaps in your understanding, as well as places where you’ve used unnecessary technical language. Now, re-write the explanation to include any information you missed. By doing so, you understand the concept in one go and then there’s no looking back.

7. Rehearse your presentations: Does your spine experience severe chills while presenting in front of the class? If yes then you might take this point seriously. First, you need to make your presentation far enough in advance that you have time to rehearse it. Then, you should practice it out loud, ideally in a setting similar to the place you’ll be giving the real presentation. If you take some time to rehearse, then you’ll be much less anxious (and give a much better presentation) when the real thing arrives.

8. Don’t Obsess over grades: Grades are certainly something which is highly focused upon when in college but it’s not the only resort. I’m not denying that they shouldn’t be cared for but don’t obsess over them. Once you graduate and get a job, no one will care about your GPA. Plus, if getting a job is your goal, then GPA is a minor factor in the scheme of things. Prospective employers will care more about the internships you did, the projects you worked on outside of class, and how well you present yourselves in interviews. Don’t focus on grades so much that you forget to be a well-rounded person.

9. Put your phone away while studying: Your phone is a huge source of distraction, and checking it compulsively means it will take you longer to finish whatever you’re supposed to be working on. Instead, put your phone away. Ideally, put it physically out of reach, either in a different room or at least in your bag

10. Take a break: No not Kit-Kats, but literal breaks. Taking short breaks keeps your study sessions effective. No matter how long your attention span, there’s a limit to how long you can truly focus on difficult concepts or complex mental tasks. Taking short breaks lets your mind rest and then return refreshed once you resume.

Now since you’ve got something with you, why not consider it? It just takes 21 days to form a habit. Let’s use these simple hacks and make the best use out of it.