7 Steps Towards an Improved Study Life

The school year is kicking into high gear; the first quarter is over and routines have been set. Now is probably a good time to evaluate how you are spending your time on homework, sports, clubs, and activities, which may all be starting to pile up. With that comes the challenge of keeping up and staying ahead of the game. At Southlands, we have a few tips for you, so that you can optimize your time in the best way possible. We hope and pray these are useful to you throughout the rest of the school year.

1. Review

You may be working hard and have a great work ethic, but one way to maximize your time is to review your class notes soon after getting home from school. Not only is the material you just learned in class still fresh in your mind, studies have shown that studying material a few hours after learning it is more effective than studying it a a few days later. “Studying one hour immediately after a class will do more good in developing an understanding of the material as several hours a few days later. Studies show that as much as 80% of material learned in class is forgotten within 24 hours if there is no review.” – oknsa.org So next time you get home after school, crack open that textbook for a good hour of studying before turning on the tv.

2. Stay Organized

Organization is probably the most common advice in the book. Nothing will do more to jumble your mind than a messy desk or scraps of paper crammed into your notebook. Organizing your class materials will go a long way towards improving your study results as a whole.

3. Prioritize your work

In this day and age, there are great apps that can help you to organize the list of assignments you take home each day. Creating a to-do list can help you prioritize and keep you accountable when completing assignments; not to mention, it also brings a sense of accomplishment when you can check things off your list!

We recommend apps like Wunderlist, Any.do, or the built-in reminders app on your iPhone or Android phone.

4. Create a dedicated study space

In order to stay on top of your work, try creating specific places in your room or living room that are dedicated only to homework and studying. This will help train your mind for study mode and minimize any distractions you may have.

5. Manage your time

Afternoons can fly by quickly if your time is not managed well. Many of you have extra-curricular activities which only leave you with a few hours to complete your homework and make room for studying. Setting said distractions and keeping a disciplined schedule can go a long way.

TV shows, gaming, and social media can wait, but unfortunately due dates and exams won’t.

6. Rest and rejuvenate

While it’s important to set aside time, for dedicated school work, we also want to stress that a good night’s rest is also pivotal in order to maintain a healthy school/life balance. It can be difficult to read a chapter on relativity and quantum theory if you’re running on four hours of sleep. Make sure to cut yourself off from other things when bed time rolls around and eat a good breakfast before heading to class. In Scripture, we read that God rested from His work as an example for us to follow. Not only is it good to look forward to rest, resting itself works wonders in clearing your mind and helping you to refocus.

7. Experiment

Lastly, experiment. Every student is different, and now is a great time to figure out what works best for you. We recommend following the above tips; applying them to your every day life should go a long way.

Happy studying!