Successful students are just like any other child. What differentiates them is usually an unbending will and consistency of efforts. Your child can become as productive and studious with a few tweaks to their routine and habits. It’s crucial to guide them at the earliest to kickstart their journey to success. Here are some of the most common study habits that one can customise and adapt according to their needs. Â
Study Habits of Successful Students
- Goal-Oriented The key trait of an accomplished child is the sharp focus on their academic goals. They usually have a clear and concrete long-term objective and multiple small targets to achieve. All their habits, activities and efforts are directed towards that goal. It helps them to plan their year out and motivates them to stick to it.
- Study Plan While a daily plan helps students indulge in different activities of the day, a study plan is a must for perfect academic results. A consistent weekly routine to study certain subjects at a fixed time, in a designated space, is an effective study habit to adopt. In addition, it helps students de-stress and focus solely on learning. Having dedicated time and place to study further helps in attaining and retaining the information.
- Strict Schedule Besides a study schedule, successful students strive to follow a set timetable beyond school as well. Planning the year out helps students keep a track of their time and use it judiciously. It helps them stay ahead of deadlines and keeps them prepared for tests and homework assignments. From a day-to-day class schedule to recreation time, students should chart it all out and follow through. It’s important to add ample breaks and room for holidays over the year for overall development.
- Note-Making Preparing and maintaining notes is the most efficient way of studying. It makes it easier to concentrate in class, understand the concepts, review and revise important material quickly before exams. It improves comprehension, attention, organisation and memory skills as well. Students can pick different methods of note-taking for different subjects, such as the Outline, Boxing, Charting, Cornell method etc.
- Active at School While not everyone is outspoken or an extrovert, it’s still essential to be actively present at school. Students should always interact in the classroom, ask questions, get their queries clarified, respond to the teacher and study actively. They should also strive to participate in curricular activities as well. This helps students build a well-rounded personality with diverse experiences and a positive outlook.
- Holiday Studying While a study break and holiday time are important during the school year, it’s also crucial not to lose touch with studies. A period of time without studying can cause summer slide and degrade reading, writing and maths skills. There are plenty of ways to make holidays a learning adventure. For instance, schedule family reading time, discuss current news and social impact topics, urge the child to do the chores that involve reasoning and calculation or hire a holiday tutor.
- No Procrastination Successful student habits ensure no room for laziness. They adhere to deadlines and work in a pre-planned manner. Procrastination can lead to a backlog in work, which overburdens the student and makes them prone to mistakes. It is a result of the lack of interest in the subject, being distracted or being sluggish. Instead of avoiding work, students should make the study sessions engaging with the help of a tutor, study group and different resources.
- Organised and Time-Savvy Time is of the essence and its significance cannot be underestimated. To study intelligently one needs to instil the secret habits of being organised and time-conscious. From a study plan to a set of stationery, tools and books, successful students keep all of it assembled for their study time. Their notes are neat and colour-coded and their study space is always in order, customised to their needs.
- Additional Resources A student who knows the value of smart work instead of senseless hard work succeeds in all of their pursuits. Work habits for students encourage them to step out of their comfort zone. They delve into books and literature outside the assigned list and enjoy the process of learning. They are always curious and eager to learn. One can seek these additional resources from teachers, libraries, friends or let a tutor satiate their thirst for knowledge.
- Testing Habits To achieve high grades and results students need to consistently read, review and revise the studied material. However, solely learning without testing the knowledge is futile. Practice tests, especially in a timed manner replicating the actual exam format and environment, are highly beneficial. It helps to gauge the student’s preparation efforts, identify mistakes, and change the learning strategy for the final exams as needed.
Other Tips
- Students should learn to use technology for their benefit. There exists a ginormous wealth of knowledge on the web that can be utilised to learn, practice, and test their preparation.
- Students can study effectively only when they are physically and mentally fit. It’s important to adopt a healthy diet and sleep schedule.
- Students should form study groups with friends or classmates for integrated study sessions. It can further enhance learning by sharing ideas, clarifying doubts and quizzing each other.
- Students should prepare and arrange their class notes separate from their own notes for quick revision and complete preparation. Any missed information in class material can be refined and organised later in personal notes.
- Instead of bearing the burden of multitasking everything at once, students should divide the syllabus into small chunks to be studied over periods of time. It makes the learning process manageable and productive.
- Students should avoid using their cell phones and other entertainment devices while studying. It’s optimal to keep them switched off or on aeroplane mode to fully focus on studying.
- Students should avoid cramming and rather focus on a deeper understanding of the subject and its concepts. A tutor can further help with difficult topics and help build a solid foundation for further studies.
To begin a journey towards excellence, students need to learn from their mistakes and strive towards the best version of themselves. Successful students know what works best for them and aren’t afraid to ask for help when they are unsure. At EzyMathTutoring, we pride ourselves on guiding students’ pathways to brilliance. We can help your child develop constructive study strategies, work smartly and attain academic success! Â