Study Tips and Tricks

School Study Tips

COVID-19 has affected us in more ways than we thought possible. From hanging out with friends, to doing something as simple as going to the store or attending school in person, everything has changed. Speaking of school, hybrid and online school is challenging for many students, and improving your study habits is one way to help you succeed. If you are struggling, in order to become a better student, you need to accept that your habits may need to change, find out what your learning style is, identify what you need help with, and use your resources!

Changing Your Habits:

If you’re struggling, the first thing that you need to do is accept that you need to change your habits. For a lot of people, this is a hard thing to do because it makes them feel like they are doing something wrong. Trust me, though, you are doing the right thing now, and that’s all that matters. Even better, you’re learning from your mistakes, and that is definitely correct. You will not be successful if you don’t have the correct mindset either. Remember that growth-mindset idea that you learned in elementary school? This is a similar concept. Once you understand this, you will be able to move on to the rest of the task for becoming a better student.

Learning Styles:

The next thing that you need to do is find out what your learning style is. If you already are aware of it, great! If not, read on to discover what yours is!

The three different learning styles are kinesthetic, visual, and auditory. Some people learn best when doing all, while others prefer to stick with one- whatever works best for you, is what you should do.

If you sometimes forget people's names, but remember their face, or if you understand concepts better when the teacher writes them on the board for you to see, then you are a visual learner. This means that you learn best while watching others. For you, the best way to study would be to watch documentaries or videos about the topic, draw and label a picture of the topic you’re studying (Ie. if you’re working on the French and Indian war then you could draw a comic explaining it), and rewrite your notes. A tip for you is to color code! You could organize your drive with colored folders, which would give you easier access to your notes and documents.

For those of you who love hands on experiments and prefer gym to a lecture, then you may be a kinesthetic learner. This means you learn best while doing, not by watching or listening. For you, the best way to study would be to get flashcards and walk around the house while going over them. Another way to study is to build a model or do an experiment that will help you understand the concepts. One thing that would be a good idea for you is to (when you can) take a break and stretch/go on a walk! This will refresh your memory.

Working On Specific Things:

After you’ve found out your learning style, then all you have to do is see what you need to work on! This is the simplest of the steps by far. You can go over your notes, play a kahoot, or look through your study guide (if your teacher gave one to you). If you saw anything that you don’t feel comfortable with, or that you got wrong in the kahoot/study guide, highlight it! Review everything in the beginning, but then be sure to spend extra time on the highlighted parts. The night before review it all (including the unhighlighted parts) again.

Using Your Resources:

My last piece of advice for you is use your resources! Some good (free) only websites are Khan Academy, Quizlet, and Kahoot. Another resource is to meet with your teacher. If you are struggling with how to do a topic, then meet with them. There are few things you need to do if you want to meet with your teacher. First, you should always email your teacher before you visit, ask them if you can visit them, and if so, what time. Don’t be shocked if your teacher says no- it’s nothing personal. Teachers are just busy people.

Conclusion:

All in all, having more difficulty studying during these crazy times is nothing to be ashamed about. If you are struggling with school work, the best thing to do is recognize it, find your learning style, spot what you need help with, and use your resources wisely. Remember, it’s never too late to turn your grades around.