After summer break, getting back into the swing of things for the 2021-22 school year may be challenging. Sometimes it feels like you can study for hours and none of the information stays in your brain. Here are several tips that can help improve your focus and your grades for the upcoming school year.

 

Don’t: Wait until the last minute.

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It’s easier said than done, but the most effective way to retain more information while studying is to not wait until the day before you need it. Waiting until the last minute to study for a test can cause you to panic and become frustrated. Overall, if you study for a test throughout the week instead of the night before, you are more likely to feel less stressed and get a better grade.

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Do: Get organized.

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Getting a planner and writing down the due dates of your assignments every week can help to make sure you don’t miss any classwork. It also can help you to plan out your week so you don’t run out of time to do your homework.

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Don’t: Surround yourself with distractions.

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Studying with the TV on or listening to a lecture while you’re on social media just won’t work. You are separating your focus into different directions, and this can cause you to become drowsy or overwhelmed. In class, avoid sitting with your friends if you think they will distract you. Paying attention in class is crucial to understanding the material. Turning off your cell phone will also help you to focus on your lecture or study your material.

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Do: Ask questions if you don’t understand.

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If you don’t understand something, raise your hand and ask questions. If you don’t feel comfortable talking in front of your class, email your professor or approach them after the lecture is over. Asking the instructor to clarify can really improve your test scores. Additionally, this will also show the professor that you are putting effort into understanding the material. 

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Do: Study in short bursts.

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Every thirty minutes you study and do homework, you should take a short 10-15 minute break to recharge and strengthen your focus. Short study sessions are more effective and help you make the most of your studying, according to Oxford Learning. 

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Do: Designate a study area.

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Having a steady study area that is quiet and has few distractions can be helpful towards your grade’s end result. It’s important for a study area to have good lighting. If the lighting is dim, it can cause you to become drowsy. 

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Studying and doing homework in your bed can also cause you to become tired, which decreases your ability to resonate with the information in your textbooks. Doing such activities in bed can lead to a deviation of the brain to become lazier and possibly fall asleep. Studying in your bed has also been proven by the American College of Healthcare Sciences to limit focus, and decrease productivity. Using your bed to do homework or study can make it harder to fall asleep, too. Your brain can start being trained by your body to associate your bed as a place to get work done, but once you lay in bed to go to sleep, your brain will continue to think it’s doing work. 

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Do: Rest up

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Getting a good amount of sleep every night during the school year is very beneficial for your grades. The average adult needs seven or more hours of sleep a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When a person lacks the right amount of sleep, they can have memory issues and trouble with concentration — all of which are detrimental to a successful academic life.

 

Getting back into the school year can be stressful, but knowing how to study effectively is a skill that will help you for the rest of your academic career and into your professional life. If you work on these study tips, you can discover which works best for you and gives you the greatest results!