Basic Study Tips 101

Throughout my past few years at Bentley, I’ve gone through many struggles of studying. There are many obstacles that get in the way of a successful study session. By now, I feel as if I have learned enough tips and tricks to get by these obstacles, that I now know how to study in the most effective way possible. Here are my tips:

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1. Environment: The place you choose to study is debatably the most important aspect of a successful study session. As tempting as it may be to study in your room, I have learned that it is pretty much always better to study somewhere else. Whether it be the library or student center (depending on if you prefer studying in silence, or with background noise), making the walk to a different location can actually make a huge difference. I’ve noticed that it gives me a lot of motivation, as I feel the need to make my trip to the library worth it by getting some work done. I believe it’s also a good idea to separate your place of studying from your place of hanging out. This is because when you are studying in your room, you might get the temptations of doing what you would normally doing in this place (sleeping, watching Netflix, etc.)

2. Food: Studying on an empty stomach is never a good idea. It serves as a constant distraction and might lead to bad habits, such as studying too fast and not in-depth enough so that you can just get it over with and eat some food after. On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve learned that trying to study right after a big meal is also not the best idea, as it can lead to grogginess. Ideally, you should study after a light snack. Some light snacks that I usually like to eat before or during studying are cheese and crackers, nuts, apple slices, or tea.

3. Sleep: Most people know this, but getting ample sleep is key to studying effectively. It’s significantly harder to retain information when your body is drained and ready for bed. I understand that sometimes, people have very busy schedules and have to sacrifice more sleep than they would like to give up, to studying. One thing I could suggest for these people is to wake up early and try studying then instead. Even if you don’t get as much sleep as you would want to, I’ve learned that studying in the morning after you take a shower and have eaten a good breakfast, is much more effective than staying up late and trying to finish everything right before bed.

4. Breaks: When studying for any time period longer than 45 minutes, study breaks become very important. Sometimes taking your mind off of a subject for a little bit can be very helpful, as it can give you new perspective once you come back to the subject. I’ve also learned that if I study for too long without taking a break, I get headaches and lose motivation to keep going. It all depends how long you’ve been studying, but generally, I wouldn’t recommend taking a break longer than 15 minutes. This can take your mind out of a study mode and can make it harder to get back into the subject. This part is another reason as to why the environment you choose to study in is very important. When studying in your room, there are plenty of things that could do that would tempt you to take a break longer than 15 minutes.

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