A Few Reminders on Forming Study Habits

This article discusses how successful studying requires understanding personal strengths and weaknesses, including preferred study environments, nourishment, sustainable study methods, learning styles, and more.

By Norrell Edwards — March 18, 2024

Tags: learning styles, productivity, smart studying, study habits

It took what felt like an embarrassingly long time to figure out what study practices worked best for me. Successful studying requires you to understand your personal strengths and weaknesses. Where do you excel and where do you struggle? Once you leave high school, you have a lot more flexibility and freedom in your schedule to determine what works for you. Don't let the increased anxiety of the final season erode the progress you've made throughout the year on forming consistent study habits.

Location

Location matters. It's difficult to focus when you're in a space that's uncomfortable. Your physical surroundings can impact your mood and can cause a lot of distraction. Are you the kind of person who can focus with a jackhammer in the background? Or do you need a quieter environment?

I do my best work by myself, usually in a coffee shop or place where I'll run into a few people. I used to go to the school library in college, but if you've seen one overcrowded library during finals weeks, you've seen them all. Your school's library can often hit or miss when it comes to providing a quiet space ripe for focusing. Depending on your college campus, you might not have many off campus study options. I highly suggest you explore what you have access to. If you're an extrovert like me, it's way too easy to get caught up in a conversation with an acquaintance. You should seek out as much isolation as is feasible. Keep in mind that you might need to change locations and experiment to see what works best for you. That can change and that's okay too.

Nourishment

When I was younger, I used to eat super poorly when focusing on exams. I would sustain off many sodas, maybe a few bags of chips, and that would be it. It is so important to fuel your body well while you're studying. Prepping meals and snacks in advance can really pay off by improving your energy and concentration.

Sustainability

I also used to be the kind of person who could study for ten hours straight without a break. While I found success with that kind of method, for most people that is a one-way ticket to burn out. Are you studying in ways that protect you mentally and physically from burn out? Ten to fifteen years ago, we glorified grind culture. Now public discourse has shifted to recognizing how toxic the grind can really be, both in the immediate and in the long term. Are you getting enough sleep? Can you still find time to exercise? The pomodoro method (which I personally hate) is very popular for many. This method breaks up your activity into twenty-five-minute chunks with small five-minute breaks.

Learn Your Learning Style

Personally, I learn everything through writing. When I took AP Bio in high school, I used to rewrite some of my textbook chapters. Writing out the sentence helped me better process what I read. I used to do something similar with my French textbook too. Repetition is one of the best ways to remember something. For me, rewriting ideas provides a way to practice repetition. I've always found success quizzing myself with index cards as well.

Now, not everyone has an inclination for writing. You must figure out how best you learn, popularly called your learning style. Is it visual? Is it auditory? How do you learn best? Whichever way you learn best is the style you need to prioritize when studying.

Luckily, since we're in the era of educational social media—there's limitless resources that can aid your studying. This is not to say that you can find ALL your course material online, but there's a good chance—if it's a popular educational topic, that there's a video somewhere providing a deep dive.

Get Out of Your Way

As a young student, I used to feel like receiving help meant cheating. I thought I had to figure out and understand everything by myself. That isn't true. It shocked me to learn that many of my high school peers paid for tutors. It's easy to feel defeated when something doesn't come to you naturally. That disincentivizes many from pursuing it further, but you've got to push past those feelings.

If you're struggling with course materials—most colleges have numerous resources that can help. Your teacher or professor is your first, primary resource. Then there are often tutors connected to different departments or centers, and the library — even residence life — might host study nights. Sometimes all you need is someone else to hold you accountable to putting in the time and doing the work. Even as an adult, I still struggle to manage my time well and do everything I need to do. There is no shame in getting the help or support you need to do your best.

Norrell Edwards

Norrell Edwards is a scholar, educator, and communications consultant for non-profit organizations. Her employment experience and research interests place her work at the nexus of global Black identity, cultural memory, and social justice. Norrell graduated with a BA in English Literature from Hunter’s College followed by a PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park in 20th and 21st Century Black Diaspora Literature.

View all posts by Norrell Edwards