Organizing Your Class Materials
Keep a course binder. For each class you are studying for, it is best to keep a binder. All of your course notes, homework assignments, quizzes, and tests should go into the binder. You can sort them and keep them divided with tabs in the binder. Keep extra paper in the binder for taking notes during class. Place the syllabus in the front of the binder with important deadlines highlighted. Color code your subjects to easily keep track of everything.
Prioritize your studying. If you are studying for a test or exam, you are likely under a time limit. Look through the concepts you will need to know and prioritize based on what you know and how likely the concept will be on the test. If it’s something unlikely to show up and you already know it quite well, it is low priority. Focus most of your time on the material that you struggle with. You can always review the things you know well on the last day before the test.
Write a study checklist. When it comes time for finals, a study checklist is essential. Look through the study guide and prioritize what you need to study and put it on the list. If you struggle with a specific problem or concept while studying, add it to the checklist and take that with you when you visit your teacher or professor to ask questions. As you go through concepts, check them off and move on to the next one. Include important assignments and reading on your checklist as well.
Make flashcards. Flashcards are a great way to organize and study. Make flashcards throughout the year on important concepts that you come across. Flashcards are really nice because they are easily transportable and you can flip through them at any time. If you’re waiting in a long line or commuting, take out your flashcards and review.
Creating a Study Space
Choose a quiet space to study. The best level of background noise is different for everyone, but in general, a quiet place is the best for studying. An ideal study space is in your home, perhaps at a kitchen table or in an office-specific for studying. If you need more background noise, try a coffee shop. Avoid making your bedroom a study space as this can lead to associating your place of sleep with stressful studying.
Get a study group together. Not everybody studies well in groups, and you may not want a group for every class or subject. If you feel like being in a group motivates you to study rather than distracting you, a study group that meets regularly can be great if you are a social learner.
Make the space comfortable. You want the space to be comfortable, but not overly comfortable. Set up a desk and a comfortable chair. The desk should be about waist-height and the chair height should allow you to place your feet flat on the floor and rest your elbows on the table without scrunching. If using a computer, position it 18-30 inches away from you. Make sure the temperature isn’t too hot or too cold. Avoid reading in your bed or on a comfy couch so you won’t fall asleep.
Optimize the lighting. If possible, make your study space near a window to get lots of natural light. If you are studying at night or don’t have access to a window, make sure you have a good lighting. Simple overhead lighting is often not enough. Get a desk lamp or a floor lamp to brighten your study space. Position lights so that there are no distracting shadows. Avoid placing lights in a way that cause them to shine directly into your eyes.
Keep everything you need nearby. Once you get in the study zone, you do not want to be distracted by having to grab scissors or a piece of paper. Make sure you have everything you will need readily available. Some good things to have close-at-hand include: Calculator Paper (lined and plain) A glass of water and/or snacks All necessary notes and textbooks Calendar and to-do list
Set aside distractions. Social media websites, cell phones, and television are some of the most distracting things when trying to study. Turn off your computer (or just the internet), turn your phone on silent (or leave it in another room), and turn off the T.V. Limiting the number of distractions around will help you focus and get your studying done. Tell your family you’re going to study so they also know not to distract you. If you want to listen to music, background music is better for memory and retention than using headphones or earbuds.
Keep it clean. Clutter can be very distracting so clean it up to stay focused. When you are done studying, put everything back where it belongs. If you had snacks, take your plate back to the kitchen and throw away any garbage. Remove all non-essential items from your study space at the end of every study session.
Making a Study Schedule
Start your study schedule early in the year. The best time to prepare a study schedule is at the beginning of the school year when you receive the syllabus for each course. Start by writing down all major homework assignments, quizzes, tests, and exams on your calendar. Color code your study schedule for each subject. You can start a study schedule at any point in the year, but it is best to start as early as possible. You can even make individual study schedules for final exam time. EXPERT TIP Alicia Oglesby Alicia Oglesby Professional School Counselor Alicia Oglesby is a Professional School Counselor and the Director of School and College Counseling at Bishop McNamara High School outside of Washington DC. With over ten years of experience in counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. She also studied Race and Mental Health at Virginia Tech. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events. Alicia Oglesby Alicia Oglesby Professional School Counselor Set up manageable systems for organizing schoolwork. Use colored pens to code school subjects in planners and matching folders. Set phone alerts for tests, projects, and assignments, so you stay on top of work. Handwrite to-do lists by due date and class to help retain the information.
Work backward from important deadlines. Once you have the important dates on your calendar, add in other important study deadlines before these hard deadlines to stay on task. Add in tasks like “review lecture notes,” “skim textbook chapters,” “rework homework problems,” etc. Give yourself at least a week to study for big tests.
Identify free time in your schedule. Write down everything that you are obligated to do each day (classes, meetings, extracurricular activities, exercise, etc.) on your calendar. Once you have everything on your calendar, you can figure out how much free time you have each day. Make a list of all of the time you have for each day and how large the blocks of time are. Your schedule might look something like this: Mon: two 2-hr blocks Tues: three 1-hr blocks Wed: 4 hrs Thurs: two 2-hr blocks Sun: 6 hrs
Schedule these blocks for study time. The material that you need to cover each week will change, but take a look at your schedule at the beginning of each week or for the next two weeks and plan what you are going to work on. You may need to read for one class, do homework for another, or work on a project for a third. One-hour blocks of time between classes are a great time to review notes or flip through flashcards. Take advantage of these times and you could add 4-8 hours of study time to your schedule.
Include breaks every two hours. If you have large blocks of study time on the weekends, make sure you schedule in breaks. If you have five hours of time to study, take a 30-minute break in the middle to give your brain time to process and decompress. If you find you are easily distracted, try setting a timer and working in 20-30 minutes chunks with a short 5-minute break between chunks. Reward yourself when you take a break by getting a snack or drink or playing a game. You might also time your study sessions so that when you're done you can go do something fun with your friends. This way you'll feel like you're working towards something, even if you don't particularly like studying. You also want to make sure you have time for fun and social activities. Don’t schedule every second of free time for studying because you will be unlikely to stick to that.
Stick to your schedule. A schedule is only good if you actually follow it. The study schedule is not absolute. If you need to revise it as you go along, definitely do that. You may find that you work a lot better in the morning and have trouble working in the afternoon. Use this information to your advantage and try to maximize your morning study time. Schedule the more important and/or difficult material for your best study times. Work on the easier material when you are not at your best. Make sure your schedule is flexible and can accommodate emergencies or conflicts as they may arise.
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