William F. Doverspike, Ph.D.
drwilliamdoverspike.com
770-913-0506

Academic psychologists have researched a variety of behaviors that contribute to the formation of good study habits. By practicing these habits on a daily basis, students have been shown to improve their performance in the classroom.

Attend all classes. It may seem like stating the obvious, but some students find it difficult to develop the self-discipline required to simply get up and go to class. Like many things in life, showing up counts.

Be prepared for class. Be sure to complete reading assignments before--rather than after--class. By reading the assignments before class, you place yourself in a better position to ask questions for clarification. More importantly, you are in a better position to answer questions that the teacher may ask.

Sit in the front row. Giving an apple to a teacher will not get you noticed by the teacher as well as simply sitting at the front of the class. Besides, teachers know that some of the top students sit near the front of the class. To be a better student, you must first become a better student.

Get involved in class discussion. Participate in class and group discussions whenever possible as a means of improving your understanding. The more you can articulate an idea, the better you will comprehend it.

Take notes in class. Even when exams are not based on class notes, the notes will often give an indication of what topics the instructor has emphasized for the course. During class, it is best to listen attentively and take outline notes. Then, the best time to fill in the gaps in notes is as soon as possible after class. The sooner the notes are reviewed after class, the more material will be available to add to the notes.

Take notes while studying. Take sufficient time to make thoughtful and careful notes on your readings. Leave plenty of space in your notebook for additions and corrections. Do not record long, detailed passages. Instead, use a definite system of outlining and note-taking. Put only the most important points in your notes.

Record notes in your own words. Whether in class or while studying, write in your own words when taking notes. Record the main ideas in your reading or listening. These will make more sense to you later on, when you review your notes.

Understand your assignment. Understand what your assignment covers before you begin to study, so that you don’t waste time doing unnecessary work. Empirical research has shown that when a student has a better idea of a task, he or she will learn it better and faster.

Keep your work up to date. Strive to keep your study work up to date. If you have to work to make up, it will be on your mind and will prevent you from feeling free to learn new material. In some courses, such as math, accounting, and chemistry, it is almost absolutely necessary to perform equations or word problems on a daily basis because subsequent skills build on previous ones. Aim to work things out for yourself, but if you are still confused, seek advice before you get discouraged.

Put work before play. The adage "work before you play" is an old-fashioned behavioral concept known as "grand-ma’s rule." Known to educational psychologists as the Premack principle, this behavioral strategy can be effective in increasing target behaviors (such as studying). The way to increase a low frequency behavior such as studying is to follow it with a high frequency behavior (surfing on the Internet, talking on phone, watching TV, goofing off, doing nothing). In this way, the high frequency behavior serves to reinforce and increase the low frequency behavior.

Set up a regular study schedule. Set up a study schedule and do not let anything interfere with it. Do this by dividing an entire week into hour-long segments and then marking off each of these for a specific activity.

Set aside a time for studying. Allow yourself a solid block of time for studying, so that you will not waste time starting and stopping again and again. When the time for studying comes, begin promptly and don’t allow yourself to be distracted before you even begin. At the same time, be sure to take rest pauses every hour or so.

Reserve a special place for studying. Don’t hop around the house reading here and there. Try to establish what educational psychologists call "place habit." Use a straight-backed, comfortable, yet not-too-comfortable "study chair" for studying. Don’t use the "study chair" for sleeping, and don’t study in bed.

Use a warm up period before studying. Do some easy studying first, thus getting yourself into the swing of studying before you tackle the more difficult work. Using an analogy to physical exercise, your mind needs a warm up period before working out. Study your most difficult work while you are still fresh and, if possible, break the lesson into small units which are more manageable.

Keep external distractions to a minimum. Arrange a study environment that is quiet and free of distractions. Try to ignore minor noise and distractions. If the noise is distracting, and you can’t do anything about it, start looking for another place to study.

Try to ignore internal distractions. Try to forget all personal worries during study periods. If you can, settle any unanswered questions that are on your mind before you sit down to study. Keep a pad next to you to jot down any outside problems that come to mind while studying, thus allowing yourself to concentrate on the lesson at hand.

Strive to keep mentally alert. Keep mentally alert throughout the study period. Take a brisk walk, deep-breathe near an open window, do some a physical exercise, or splash some cold water on your face. An excellent refresher might even involve taking your "morning shower" during your evening study period.

Avoid the use of alcohol or drugs. Never use alcohol, marijuana, or any other drugs prior to studying, when studying, or before a test. Drugs and medications may affect your brain’s efficiency and reduce your learning ability. Some over-the-counter medications such as cold preparations can also reduce alertness and cause drowsiness.

Review what you have learned. Reserve a few moments shortly before each class period to review mentally what you have studied. Try to do this by only glancing at your notes and not reading them.

Test yourself to see if you are learning. Ask yourself questions that you think you might be included in an exam and see if you can answer them. Practice taking timed tests at home.

Take a complete rest when stuck. Take a complete rest or change if you feel stale, restless, or irritable. Sometimes the solution to a problem comes easier if you "let it go" and then return to it later.

Set up a time for relaxation. Have a systematic plan for a brief rest after school hours. The best time for this is right after you arrive home or just before dinner time. Remember, you can’t keep a fresh mind in a stale body.

Get enough sleep each night. Sleep deprivation reduces learning efficiency. Because learning is consolidated in the brain during sleep cycles, getting sufficient sleep each night improves your learning ability.