Useful Tips to Study Smart in 2023

Since everybody studies differently, a slight change in our perspectives when preparing for school, studying, and exams would make a huge difference. So how about making your study time fun? Good idea, right? Yes, but how?? The answer is to study smart. There are several ways to do so! College applications to study in Europe, for example, could be filled out faster and better if you are doing that in friends’ company. As for studying, you can make study groups with classmates to guarantee teamwork and elevate the sense of camaraderie and achievement. These examples are just a few simple examples of how to study smart. In this article, we will discuss more about what it means to study smart. You’ll also learn some useful tips and tricks to study smart in 2023.

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What does it mean to Study Smart?

To study smart means to know exactly how to learn in a way that is efficient and effective. This means you can quickly and efficiently while also retaining information for a long time. Choosing to study smart is the opposite meaning to choosing to study hard.

The difference between choosing to study smart or study hard relies on the method of learning. When you study hard you find your studies to be time-consuming and stressful, but when you study smart, you can see how enjoyable they are, and you become less stressed, more efficient and more productive.

Why Should You Study Smart?

When you study smart, your skills increase your self-confidence, feeling of competence, and self-esteem. They also reduce your fear of exams and deadlines. In other words, your skills could effectively help you spend less time studying and more time doing other things in your life if you choose to study smart.

After all, a problem shared is a problem halved. Hence, try to think about your current study situation and apply the following tips so you can study smart.

Here are 8 useful tips to follow so you can study smart:

Adopt the Study Cycle Concept

To study smart, you need to adopt the study cycle concept, which is dividing the studying process into 5 stages:

Preview new lesson
Attend class
Review the discussed lesson
Study the lesson
Check your understanding

For example, if you have a new topic that will be discussed in your next English class, try to skim it to get the main ideas and then follow the rest of the steps. You would guarantee a better studying experience if you carefully followed all stages of that study cycle.

Make Your Study Meaningful

When you come out with meanings, morals, and goals from classes you attend and relate them to other school subjects and real life, this is called active engagement. In other words, when you aim to learn for a bigger milestone than just the textbook and the class itself, this is when you achieve an active studying mentality. This, of course, means you study smart.

For example, an example of this is when you derive examples that relate to your own experiences from the studied courses. You can also formulate new questions and problems out of the assigned topics and create mind mapping, diagrams, and symbols explaining a chapter and the mentioned concepts, so they stick in your mind more clearly.

To make your study meaningful, you need to practice planning and organizational skills so you can really study actively. Start with the materials offered for the class (presentation notes, textbook notes, articles, handouts, assignments, etc.) and tag each topic with its material so you can easily study by topics and be able to think independently.

Take Notes with Pen and on Papers

This may sound primitive, yet it is effective for sure. Unlike the smart ways of taking notes in classes by using digital tablets, mobiles, and laptops, using pens and papers while doing so guarantees retaining information longer.

The technique itself is quite boring, tiring, and time-consuming, but it helps you really focus. This is because you aren’t distracted by using smart devices that have many different applications that you can get engaged with. The pen and paper technique has been psychologically proven to help you retain more information in the long run.

Try it with a couple of pens of different colours. Read what you have written later when you review the discussed topic. I am sure that you will remember even the motion of your hands writhing down, and at that point, you will study smart.

Hit the Iron While It’s Hot

Another tip on how to study smart is to hit the iron while it’s hot. The meaning of this is to do what is required from you right after it’s assigned, if possible. Two examples of this are doing homework as soon as it is asked, rather than putting it off. The other example when you study a bachelor’s degree is that sometimes papers, essays, presentations, or reports are required of you. Before starting, read the instructions a reasonable period (a few days maybe) ahead of time, so you have time to think about a topic. As a result, your brain unconsciously will be better prepared when you start doing such an assignment.

Be Your Own Teacher

Act as if you are a teacher explaining something to students. If you want to study smart, be a teacher to yourself and your colleagues or a study partner. Break the material down to yourself. Connect the studied topic to real-life situations and examples. Prepare, explain and point out the material just as a teacher does.

Embrace the mentality of teachers and professors when asking questions and doing quizzes. Identify the questions that you find challenging and test yourself on only those questions. Engage your brain by responding out loud, as this contributes to retaining the information and rectifying where they are needed.

Adjust Your Preferred Study Settings

Part of your method to study smart is to adjust your study settings according to your preference. Study in your favourite spots, whether at school, around campus, at the coffee house, or at home. Change up your space if you find that it is no longer a working space that is inspiring for you. Using a variety of study spots helps create a good study environment for you to study. Also, remember to stay away from the bed as it can make you lazy and demotivated. After all, it was made with the purpose of chilling and sleeping.

Besides this, you should be aware of the atmosphere you find comfortable to study. You should have a set routine during the study time like background noise, music, or even complete silence like the environment in libraries. But bear in mind that active studying is rarely silent as it often requires saying the material aloud. The thing is to find what works best for you so you can study smart.

Identify Your Ideal Time to Study

If you want to study effectively and in a smart manner, you must do it at your most productive time. This is the time when your brain can focus better and absorb more information. You should seize the time when you study best, whether in the early morning, in the late evening, during breaks, or between classes. At the end of the day, it’s your call.

That being said, different timings work best for different people. Also, remember that good timing doesn’t help much without consistency in studying. You should be able to study in your best timing at least a couple of days per week to make progress. This will help to improve your studying quality over time.

Another useful time tip to consider is to make good use of downtime. There will be easy times and less stressful weeks during the academic year. Consider this ample time as a gift and make good use of it to do assignments or start big projects or papers.

Keep Trying to Get Your Job Done

One of the main keys to be able to study smart is to persist with whatever is possible for you, and to get your study mission accomplished. Prioritize what is required from you during class. If you are struggling with a class, look for the key concepts to understand them. Also, you need to pay attention to the main points in class as they could help you understand what’s been taught and save hours of busy work later.

You should train yourself to not be distracted from whatever possible distractions while the teacher is speaking as well. The philosophy of asking for help is healthy when it’s truly needed; you can email your teacher, ask a friend, or visit the study lab to understand what you struggle with. Additionally, there is tons of information right at your fingertips in case you consider an additional course to study online.

Always learn from your mistakes in exams. When the class is complete, these ideas will resurface later.

Always be Intense!

This technique is unlikely among study smart methods due to its intensity, but it may be a great option for you. Sometimes, shorter, intensive study times are more effective than drawn-out studying time. These Intensive study sessions can last 30 or 45-minute sessions and include active studying strategies. You can also use Self-examination as an active learning strategy that increases the intensity and effectiveness of your studying.

Following this technique regularly would eliminate procrastination and help you to understand your courses fully. Shorter, more consistent periods are more suitable for working on exhausting projects and make them less likely to be put off until the last minute.

Your Calendar is Your Mirror!

You need to plan for your smart studying by controlling your routine and getting rid of distractions, as this will help you achieve your goals. When you manage your calendar, you can better complete assignments and keep up to date with your classes.

Here are some suggested steps to manage your calendar:

Plan out your schedule for the week on the same day each week,
Write down what you’d like to get completed for each class that week.
Determine how many hours you have to complete your work from your calendar.
Measure the amount of time available to complete the tasks on your calendar.
Mark your calendar with the required assignments to complete in due time.
Plan for the next day before bedtime. You will be more productive with a plan.

Always Take Your Well-being into Consideration

It’s easy to think about mental health if you’re focused on your study habits, but studying without exercise can leave you exhausted. If your body isn’t ready, you can’t study smart as you wish.

Stick to the basics. Get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and do exercise. Avoiding junk food and eating healthy can also improve vitality.

To study, you don’t have to slave over your work for it to be good study time. Our minds function individually. The most important thing is to be honest with yourself and know when you are most productive and what are the situations that help you get the most out of studying. If you can find a way to enjoy your study, your motivation for future study will be the enjoyment you get from doing it. Reach out to us, and our educational advisors at UniApp will guide you for more about how to study smart. Try to make use of the mentioned tips little by little, and you will witness your study progress. Remember that consistency is always the key to success!

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