Studying is a pretty hot topic these days…though, to be fair, it’s a pretty hot topic almost ALWAYS…except for maybe the first week of school.

If your studying skills are a little less than ninja, it might be worth exploring some of these. Not everything is going to work for everybody (or in every situation), but the more tools you try, the more prepared you’ll be to tackle anything that comes!

Here are 17 proven strategies that will help you study like a pro!

*As an Amazon Associate, I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

1) Start Early

I know you’ve always been told not to cram, but what does starting early really mean? A week? Two weeks? A month?

The correct answer: right away!

Whenever you learn something new, the best time to review it is right away. This way, your brain will have the most time possible to let things sink in slowly. There’s a difference between short term memory and long-term memory, and information is more easily recalled and manipulated if it’s in your brain at more than a surface level.

As a general rule, the more you can study closer to the time you initially learned the material, the better. So at the very least, get into the habit of reviewing today’s and yesterday’s notes at the end of each school day.

2) Create Winning Notes

The best way to study is off of notes you have created yourself…but it’s also imperative that those notes are organized, tidy, and as all-inclusive as they need to be.

If you want a deeper look at some note-taking tips, check out my other blog post: Note-Taking - Everything You need to know

Here are some basic tactics to keep in mind:

Take notes as you go (whether you need to or not)
Make an “everything you need to know” version
Reduce the “everything you need to know” version into a study guide
Write in point form
Organize with headings and sub-headings
Bold important words
Highlight “key concepts”
Colour-code sections and headers
Have lots of white space for clarity
Reduce, Re-arrange, Review

3) Reduce distractions

If you have trouble focusing, you’re only making your life worse by letting active distractions take over. Here are some things that will help you focus on the task at hand.

Turn off anything that beeps, blips and buzzes
Find a quiet place to study
Have a secondary quiet place to study
Use noise cancelling headphones
Listen to music without lyrics
Set an alarm for the end of the study session

4) Eliminate Multitasking

You’ll work better if you can focus on only one thing at a time. While it sometimes feels like that extra little side project is helping you concentrate, unless it can be pretty much subconscious (like a fidget or gum chewing), it’s most likely doing more harm than good.

When you’re studying, study. When you’re breaking, break. When you’re switch subjects, switch.

multitasking home learning study tips prevent burnout.jpg

If you have a brain that runs a mile a minute and wants to do everything at once, you will need to make a conscious effort to designate a specific length of time for every task. Keep these times clear in your head by setting alarms for the end of every session. When you know there will be an obvious end-time it will be easier to focus on the task at hand.

Have a “random thoughts notepad” nearby to write down anything that pops into your head that DOES need to be remembered...and otherwise, throw away those random thoughts and come back to the page asap.

5) Have a plan

There’s more to having a plan than knowing you’re starting at A and hopefully ending up at Z. There are many, many steps in between!

Break down those steps and figure out a full studying timeline. It’s guaranteed to seem overwhelming if you look at things all at once…so do yourself a favour and focus on smaller, incremental tasks.

While you’re making this plan, take into consideration your ideal studying time. Not everyone’s a morning person, and not everyone’s a night hawk. Make a conscious effort to put your biggest challenges at your best brain time.

6) Sleep

Sleeping is a time when your brain sorts out a lot of things…so don’t forget its power as a secret weapon.

Your brain reviews and organizes a lot of information while you’re sleeping. It’s important to make sure it knows what you want logged in your long-term memory. Studying right before you go to bed will make sure your brain knows that THAT information is important, and while it still isn’t a complete fast-track to memorization, it certainly helps.

Even if night-time isn’t your best brain power-hour, it’s worth doing a light review of things before you go to bed.

While we’re on this subject, sleep is one of the most important things you can do the night before a big test….so it’s another reason to not leave your studying until the last day.

7) Breaks

While it may seem super productive to study for as long as you possibly can, once your brain is tired, all of that time becomes useless and inefficient. You’re much better off to have short bursts of intense studying with lots of breaks so you never run out of steam. Once your brain gets tired, it’s hard to get it back again that day…but if you can break up your day well, you’ll be able to last all day.

For a simple pattern of study sessions/break times, check out the Pomodoro Technique.

It is also useful to not focus on the same subject for too long. If you have multiple things to study, mix it up for a little bit. Spend a few intense sessions on one, then do the second subject….then rotate back and forth over the course of the day.

Rest is just as important as working hard.

Breaks don’t have to mean doing NOTHING for that time. Breaking just means leaving your desk and doing something else for a bit. Exercise is one of the best break activities because it reinvigorates your brain and gets your blood pumping. Exercise doesn’t have to mean intense workouts, either. Check out: 25 Simple Ideas to Add Movement/Exercise into your Online School Day

No matter what you do, make sure it’s at least moderately enjoyable, so you can start your next session in a positive headspace.

8) Self-Quiz

One of the best ways to check to see if you know your material is by self-quizzing. Work through your notes in short sections, and try using active recall: read something, cover up the answer, and try repeating it without looking.

Flashcards are a great way to quiz yourself once you’re beyond this initial stage of active recall. On one side, write the main topic/vocabulary word/name, and then on the back, write the key points. Test yourself from both sides of the card, and shuffle them often.

Whenever you’re practicing active recall methods and flashcards, focus on extra repetition of the things you know the least. If you like systems to follow instead of just judging your knowledge for yourself, check out this article on the Leitner System.

9) Study with a Buddy

Whether you have a classmate you can call on or not, it’s always useful to study with a partner.

If you have a classmate, quiz each other back and forth from your own flashcards and notes. You might find that different elements stand out for each of you differently, and two brains are better than one.

When you don’t have classmates, it doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to studying alone. Give your notes to someone else, and have them quiz you. The best way to learn something well is to teach someone else…so explaining it to your friend who knows nothing is one of the best things you can possibly do.

10) Use memory games

Whenever you have long lists of things to memorize, make little games for yourself to help you remember them. I’m sure most kids had some sort of list of words that helped them remember the order of the planets, so this isn’t necessarily a new concept…you might just not realize that you CAN also do this yourself!

Not every mnemonic device has to be as perfect as My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas, either. Sometimes the most outlandish/barely make sense ones are the ones that somehow stick!

Whenever you’re trying to memorize something, look for even the most trivial similarities and links. There’s always a way to make it easier, and the more you link things, or make up mnemonic devices, the better. It’s your own brain you’re dealing with, so you’re free to do whatever works for you.

For a great intro to mnemonic devices, check out this awesome article: 9 Types of Mnemonics for Better Memory

11) Tackle the Hard Things First

Most people have things that will come easier than others. If you know in advance that something’s particularly challenging, don’t leave it until the end of the day - tackle it first…or second.

By tackling it first, you’ll get it out of the way faster.

If you’d prefer to tackle it second, start with something quick and easy to complete; that momentum will help carry you into the more challenging task. Sometimes, your brain likes having something easy-ish to warm up with, and the sense of accomplishment from completing something right away is always nice!

12) Rewards

Struggling with motivation? It’s true - sometimes the satisfaction of a job well done isn’t enough to keep you going. If this is you, make up other rewards that you can earn when you complete goals.

What do I mean by rewards?

While they could mean some kind of treat (like a cookie or a popsicle) or other material prizes like stickers. You can also reward yourself with gifts of free time. Take a 5-minute game break. Let yourself go outside for 10 minutes. Don’t be afraid to get creative! Anything can be a reward if it makes you happy.

13) Set Realistic Goals

Goal setting is a great habit to get yourself into…but only when you set practical, accomplishable goals. While “getting an A” is a goal, it’s not really something you have that much control over…and it will be a difficult motivator because of that.

Instead, set goals for memorizing certain small sections or flashcards…or set goals like “I will study this section for at least three 20-minute sessions today”. These goals are things you have direct control over, and they’re not linked to some external force’s judgment.

A goal should be something that YOU can set, YOU can do, and YOU can cross off your list.

14) Self Care

Your brain can’t handle intense work at ALL times - you have to take care of it to keep it functioning well. Give your brain time to rest and recharge. Get exercise, fresh air, sleep, and keep up proper nutrition. Pay attention to your mental health, too. Your brain is a part of your body just like your wrist or your hamstring, so if you abuse it, you will suffer the consequences.

One of my favourite ways to make sure you don’t spiral with studying thoughts until the end of time is to watch something funny right before you go to bed. While it’s often useful to review before sleeping, that can become a distracting habit if you’re the type of person to lie awake and go over things forever. A quick, funny distraction is the perfect way to let go of some of that stress so you can sleep. It will also put you in a more pleasant and relaxed state, which is ideal for your mental health.

For more self care ideas, check out my other post: How to Combat the Work-From-Home Blues - 13 Ideas to Boost Your Mood

15) Use “Easy Weeks” to Your Advantage

It would be really nice if somehow every week had 1 big thing, 3 medium things and 6 itty bitty things…but in reality, you’re more likely to get 6 itty bitty things one week and 5 massively big things the next. When you’re going to school, challenges tend to come in waves.

Even if you have “down time” in your schedule, don’t treat it as such. While it’s always good to take a little breather if you can, don’t take your foot off the gas too much - it will only make it harder to get going again, especially if you get behind in the process.

Use any down time you have to either work ahead or review older materials. Your future self will thank you. A LOT.

16) Write Things Down

As you’re working through the course, write down any questions you have. Some of these will be answered as you continue moving forward, and others will continue to be mysterious. As you’re able to answer those questions, go back and fill in point form answers. Any questions still left at the end of the day will be ones that might need a bit more research. Try to do a little active hunting to find some of those answers before ultimately asking your teacher. Your teacher is THERE to help you, so use them.

17) Approach Everything with Positivity

It may be shocking to learn that mindset matters in matters of the mind. Whenever you’re trying to learn something, the more you wallow in negativity, the harder everything will be.

The more you think something is hard, the harder it will be, so make an effort to re-train those thoughts as soon as possible.

Whenever you find yourself spiralling into the negative, take a break and find something positive to focus on. If you don’t have much time, set a timer for 5 minutes and devote it to conscious time away from your work. This could mean something like watching some funny cat videos or even doing a positive meditation.

Before you leave for your break, write down those worries in your random thoughts notepad. This will help unload those fears so they’re not on the forefront of your mind during your break. Feel free to write down other negative thoughts as you’re going along as well. Although you’re still clearly feeling them initially, writing them down will help release them from your brain’s obsessive spiral.

There’s nothing wrong with a challenge - without a challenge or obstacle, you can never truly succeed!

Want More Study Tips?

If you’re still looking for tips to get you through homeschooling, check out the A+ Academics at Home book linked below. I was once a new home learner myself, and I TOTALLY get the struggles that come along with it. It was one of the best learning experiences of my life, though, and it completely changed the way I view education. I want to help you on this journey to discover the excitement that comes with learning something on your own!

A+ Academics at Home - Finding Success Through Distance Learning

Click Here to Purchase

If you want to keep reading, here are some other articles you might find interesting:

Who is Nadya Corscadden?

Nadya holds an MA in Musical Theatre and is no stranger to the home learning scene. Having spent a good chunk of her younger years in distance education (and opting for some correspondence electives at university), she has accumulated many tricks to help maintain focus and inspiration. She has a passion for independent learning and wants to help anyone and everyone find their stride in this atmosphere whether it’s homeschooling or simply studying for that next big test!

She is also a triple threat singer, dancer and actress….and can’t wait until stages are alive again!

17 Effective Study Habits Guaranteed to Launch you to Success