Study hard. Study smart. Keep studying. Are you tired of hearing these comments daily? To gain better results, you need to have efficient study skills. Study Skills? What does it even mean? This comparatively new term coins the old-school definition used in the online tutoring service age. In general terms, they are the skill set that aids the students study effectively. However, these skills are not something one needs to learn externally. They are well accustomed to them, and all they got to do is identify, polish and refine them.
When you start your studies, you are fascinated and overwhelmed by everything. You join the famous institute, get trained by the best tutor, pick the top study material, and try everything within your limits to improve your results. You will feel lucky to have learned new things, but going blank during the exam is your reality check. The classroom enthusiasm doesn’t get reflected in marks. You are not the only one, there are many like you. Now is the time to learn, before it gets too late. With hundreds of tutoring websites being easily accessible now, there is no restriction by schedule and location. Are you one of them? This is for you too.
Be Organized
Organizing your things doesn’t simply mean keeping everything within reach. Rather it means keeping the right thing in the right place. Organizing starts with books and includes your study room, plan, notes, and everything. Labelling books is also an easy way to keep them organized. While a better result is your ultimate goal, mark smaller goals to lead you.
Cleanliness
A neat and clean room keeps you away from being easily distracted. Keeping the books arranged neatly saves time. Develop an effective study plan which works best for you. Keep the room and study table clean, which impacts your efficiency indirectly.
Notes Taking
Not everyone can just read and retain it for a long. Make the right use of note-making skills. You might be doing it already- but are you doing it effectively? Underling keywords, marking titles, noting pointers, infographics, sticky notes, or anything which helps you recall the concept. It will be of no use if you simply copy-paste from the book. Rather try writing it in your own words.
Mind Mapping
Mind maps are also a proven effective way to master the skill of retaining things you studied. Mindmap helps you summarize the concepts without even looking at books. Several mindmap-making apps make it easier to create one attending a lecture on any offline or online tutoring platform.
Time Management
Time waits for no one. You heard it multiple times in your student life. But no one teaches how to get hold of time to manage it better. As a student, efficient time management means planning and sticking to a study schedule. Time is not unlimited and thus, while scheduling the tasks, allocate limited yet enough time based on your capabilities. Initially, following a fixed schedule might be tough, but once your brain gets used to it, you can sail smoothly.
Prioritize Tasks
Managing everything at a go becomes hectic for people who hop between their jobs and studies. With good time management skills, you can keep your day, week, and month sorted. Irrespective of being a full-time or a part-time student, one needs to organize their time as well as their energy, to keep worries away. Post-pandemic, there is a hike in the number of admissions on the best tutoring websites where not only students but also elders are preferring to take up different courses and brush up their skills. So you need to prioritize the skills that you need to learn and follow the list accordingly.
Is that all? No. These are only a few top skills you need to master to excel in your studies. But there is a never-ending list. The other important skills include- staying away from distractions, reading out loud, studying in a group, taking sufficient breaks, practising mock tests, etc. Also, there is no one size fit for everyone. When you master the right study skills you can find a well-lit way of learning and understanding the topics rather than mugging up. With regular practice, you can excel in the field of your choice.
Author Bio:
Mia Alison is a learning specialist who works with individuals or groups of students who are struggling academically at university level. She is currently researching peer-to-peer learning and online tutoring by being associated with a Canadian university tutoring platform thescholarsclub.com. The Scholars Club claims to be Uber for academic help. It lets university students find a private tutor according to the required support.