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A study guide to every student’s success
Published 3:06 PDT, Fri August 30, 2019
Just like playing sports and exercising, practice makes perfect when it comes to studying.
Just like playing sports and exercising, practice makes perfect when it comes to studying.
“The brain is like a muscle, you need to exercise it with studying,” says Ann Yap, an instructor at Kumon Math & Reading Centre (Richmond-West).
Yap says maintaining consistent and disciplined study habits are key to academic success.
Stay organized, she says. Create and stick to a study schedule that stimulates your productivity. A weekly routine also allows a sense of structure and formality because it helps in tracking progress, time mismanagement, and develops work ethics.
Yap says before getting settled into your work space, make sure to remove all distractions. This includes avoiding social settings and muting social media. A tip is to leave your devices in another room. A distraction-free study space should be established in a quiet area like your own home or in a library. Cafes are cool places to study, but they tend to be noisy.
She also recommends preparing your mind before embarking on a study session. Stay optimistic and positive. This can keep you motivated and allow you to concentrate longer.
And take care of your mental and physical health. To keep you more motivated have a good amount of sleep every night (at least seven hours), keep some healthy snacks and water handy. Exercising also allows for a more energized brain to hash out that study session. Make sure to take breaks after long periods of studying to not burn yourself out.
Yap also suggests evaluating your headspace. If you’re feeling motivated, then begin your study session. But if you’re feeling exhausted or not quite up to studying, take a nap. A short power nap will boost your energy and keep you alert for studying.
Now that you understand the best ways to go about setting good study habits, Yap offers more advice to make sure you are academically prepared.
“While studying, you need to make corrections and learn from the mistakes you make. Just like life, the journey and the process is what is important,” says Yap.
Understand the goals and expectations for your classes, such as guidelines for tests and assignments, deadlines and the quality of your work. Knowing the end goal for each assignment is what will keep you motivated in the process.
“If you take a road trip with no knowledge of the destination, then it will be harder to make any progress in getting to the end. However, with a goal in mind, you will feel encouraged to reach the road signs that will get you closer to your destination, the end goal,” says Yap.
She also suggests that when taking notes in class or at home, make sure to write concise, direct and important key facts.
Yap shared a tip. Before each class, read the lessons in advance. This way, you will reach a clearer understanding of the concepts and lessons taught in class.
Make sure to raise your hand and ask questions for more clarity from your teachers, teacher assistants or peers in order to accomplish your homework without any obstacles or confusions.
For some extra assistance, don’t be scared to hire a tutor, or join a study group or to reach out to a personal academic advisor if you have other concerns.