10 Study Tips that Got Me Through College

Have you tried to study but just found yourself staring at the page, not knowing where to start? Or have you started to study and felt like your brain was too foggy to take in any of the information? Having a studying process, as well as knowing how to fight brain fog and boredom, are the best ways to study productively. Before you can study, you have to have notes. You can use a textbook, but taking notes is a great way to shorten the material you need to study. To learn some tricks on how to take notes or to find your learning style, check out Family Focused Tutors’ other blogs! If you have your notes ready to go, you are ready to read these studying tips, which I actually use all the time!

1. Underline Your Notes
My first step to studying was always going through my notes and underlining important information. Anything in my notes that I felt unsure about and that could be tested on, I would highlight or underline. Going through the notes and thinking about what to underline is a great first step to familiarize yourself with the information.

2. Make Flashcards
Whether it is paper notecards or Quizlet, I rely on the blind recall that flashcards provide. Just reading over the information sometimes feels like enough, but when you are staring down at a test page and your mind is blank, you’ll wish you had quizzed yourself on the information before you got there. Just creating flashcards is an excellent way to solidify information, but asking yourself the question on the front and making sure you can remember the right answer is sure to keep the information in place during the test. Personally, setting aside the cards I know and watching the pile grow as my learning increases is so satisfying!

3. Use the Folded Paper Method
I learned this technique in high school, so you may have seen it before. After underlining my notes, I would write what I underlined as a question on the left side of a piece of paper, and then I’d write the answers on the right side. Then, you can simply fold the right side to cover the answers and move down the list of questions just like flashcards. You can even cut a line in the paper between each answer so you can look at one answer without revealing the next one. If you don’t like shuffling a bunch of cards around, then this technique might be perfect for you.

4. Listen to Instrumental Music
I love listening to cello music. Something about the deep tones of the large string instrument helps me to focus without falling asleep. These days, YouTube has thousands of videos with study music, from relaxing beats to video game-inspired tunes. Whatever your favorite game or movie is, you can likely find the instrumental soundtrack online. Music from games is often intended to keep the player’s focus and energy up while they complete the task, so it is perfect for keeping your brain entertained without distraction while you study. Any music without words makes a great addition to a study session.

5. Change Your Environment
In college, I could go to a new building to study, but moving around your house works just as well. If you always work in your bedroom but start to feel less productive, try finding a different location to set up your study supplies. Going to a different room, finding a comfortable chair, or switching to a table can help your mind feel reenergized and ready to keep studying. If the weather is nice, the fresh air can keep you refreshed while you master the information. Whether inside or outside, finding a new place to study is a great way to take a break and refresh your state of mind to get back on track with studying.

6. Enjoy Drinks and Snacks
I love to have hot coffee while I work or study. Something else that can bring you new energy during a long study session is water! Nothing cures brain fog like ice water, so you should be sure to stay hydrated! You might also enjoy tea or hot chocolate while you study. A snack, gum, or some hard candy can also keep your mind from wandering and your hands busy. Snacking is a bit like a fidget toy, as long as you don’t overeat!

7. Use Fidget Toys
Speaking of fidget toys, I find new fidgets to try all the time. Having something to keep your hands occupied while your mind is at work can also be a huge help to keep you focused and drive away boredom. Usually, you can buy a variety of toys for cheap, but you can also look up fidgets you can make or find something from around the house. The perfect fidget toy is something you can do with your hands without looking at it or thinking about it. Try keeping a bag or basket of toys like that and switch them out regularly while you study!

8. Quiz Someone Else
If I have a friend in the same class, I try to get together with them to study. You can study with someone in person or over the phone, or you can study with a family member. Try asking the questions or answering them to see which helps you learn better. You can even use the folded paper or flashcards as the questions to ask, which makes this method even easier. When someone else is asking the questions, you definitely can’t look at the answer by accident.

9. Use Mnemonics
Memory devices are my favorite way to master tricky details. If you can never remember the date of an event for a history test or the order of a list in science class, make up a mnemonic—a memory device. The best mnemonic is one you come up with yourself, because just thinking of something silly or something that makes sense will help you remember the details. Some examples are saying the first letters as a word like PEMDAS (Parenthesis, Exponent, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction), making the first letter of each word into a silly sentence like King Phillip Came Over For Great Spaghetti (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species), connecting information to something you know like the Atlantic Ocean is on the East Coast by Atlanta, Georgia, or coming up with a rhyme like "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." There are all sorts of memory devices, and if you practice making them up, they are a huge asset to your study.

10. Turn It into a Song
Personally, I use songs to memorize Bible verses. Have you noticed that you remember songs better than paragraphs? If so, turn your notes or a tricky concept into a song you can sing during your test. A good melody is often the perfect way to remember a lot of information. Just think of the way you learned the alphabet! I know a song for multiplication tables, to memorize the parts of speech, and to list out the Books of the Bible. Try looking up a song on YouTube and listening to it a few times until you can sing it to yourself when you need to bring up the information.

Conclusion

Studying can sometimes feel overwhelming, but with the right strategies, it becomes much more manageable. By incorporating these tips, you can make your study sessions more effective and less stressful. Remember, everyone learns differently, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different techniques until you find what works best for you. With a little effort and creativity, you can turn studying into a productive and rewarding experience.