Are you wondering what the most effective learning methods are? Do you want to know how to learn quickly and in a short time? Do you need more time for extracurricular activities, but need to hold back on preparing for exams? With our scientifically proven study tips and tricks for students, you will be able to solve these problems.
To learn successfully and quickly, you need to:
- Recognize your learning mistakes.
- Create a schedule and a suitable environment.
- Use brainstorming techniques and online tools.
- Study different topics every day, without multitasking.
- Really understand the topic you’ are researching.
In this article, we will discuss why studying takes so much time. Our experts have listed the typical mistakes students’ make and revealed some secret study tricks that will make your learning easier. So, here we go! Why does your studying take so much time?
A good starting point is to analyze your study habits to find out what mistakes you usually make while studying.
We have listed some common mistakes below:
- There is no planning, no schedule, and no priority. Depending on what students WANT to do rather than what they NEED to do, some students prefer random assignments.
- Cramming at the last minute. As a result, this strategy has proven to be ineffective. After passing your exam, you’ll quickly forget what you learned.
- Distractions while studying. Your progress will be hindered by gadgets, TV, music, loud family members, etc.
- Taking no notes and trying to remember everything. Use your brain wisely. It can process and store a lot of information, BUT you have to gradually fill it and leave some written notes to refresh it later.
- Living an unhealthy lifestyle. Lack of sleep, lack of exercise and eating junk food are harmful to your body and your studies.
Of course, there are many more mistakes that students make. So make your own list and start improving. In the meantime, our tips will help you find your way.
How to learn fast and in a short time
Anyone can increase their efficiency and improve their learning skills. You just need to learn some tips and tricks to achieve this.
Let us get to the bottom of it and see how students who are tired of learning can learn more effectively.
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Create a schedule
The most important secret to effective studying is to plan out all the tasks that need to be done and learned, and then schedule them accordingly. Take some time to learn more about time management. It will completely change the way you approach your studies.
Nothing makes a person more productive than the last minute, but not in our case… If you plan everything for the last minute, you risk losing time and delivering a poor-quality assignment. There is no time left to fix it.
Are you still wondering how to save time for studying?
Think, plan, and act in advance.
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Choose the best time for your brain
You must identify the time when your mind is ready to interact and perform at its best in order to make the most of your study time. After a good night’s sleep, most people are able to remember, think, and produce their freshest ideas. As a result, your body feels rested and can offer you its best performance.
Here’s the thing:
Each person has a different optimal time of day. Some people feel too sleepy after a full night’s sleep, and all they can do is to yawn and make themselves a coffee cup.
Hopefully your best performance time isn’t at night. Otherwise, you’d have trouble combining your day and night studies. Remember that you also need 6-8 hours of sleep to stay healthy!
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Study in a quiet and comfortable place
Trying to concentrate at home, where it’s always noisy and restless, can be an extremely difficult task. You’re unlikely to perform well in a place with so many potential distractions.
In this case, we recommend that you find a quieter place to study.
Why not go to the good old library? Or maybe your local Internet café?
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Take notes in class and at home
Taking notes is something you can’t do without if you want to learn to learn faster. You may resist it because you think taking notes takes too much time.
But is it true?
You’ll indeed spend some time taking notes. On the other hand, you’ll save much more time if you study and prepare for the exam at home.
- You’ll have all the necessary data and notes collected in one place.
- You’ll remember the important information taught in class (something you may not find in books).
- You can remember the information faster if you write it down – writing is much better for your memory than typing!
- You’ll instantly remember all the important points you need for your exam.
The method of taking notes is one of the best study methods for those who wonder how to study for an exam quickly and effectively.
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Take breaks
It may sound unbelievable, but taking regular breaks while studying can save you time. The secret is to give your brain enough breaks to boost its performance.
Don’t sit still for hours on end.
Instead, stand up every 30-60 minutes and remember to stretch your legs and hands. This way, you’ll avoid stiffness and muscle cramps. You might even opt for some more vigorous exercise to boost your metabolism and feel more energized. By moving your body, you’ll also improve your concentration, memory and creativity.
Studying More in Less Time
Our tips will help you:
- Learn as much as possible;
- Engage in a busy and entertaining social life;
- Achieve As on all assignments and exams.
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Mind-mapping is useful
Visualize your facts using maps, clouds, diagrams, charts, tables, etc. If you’re a visual learner, this study method will boost your performance and save you time.
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Learn with online tools
It is not only fun to use online tools, but they can also increase your productivity and serve different purposes as well.
This is how they can help you:
- Develop your creative and critical thinking skills.
- Collaborate and share ideas with classmates, friends, and peers.
- Research extensive online content databases.
- Organize and manage your information.
- Find your optimal learning method through a learning style quiz.
- Deepen your knowledge with the option to take free online courses.
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Learn different subjects every day
Have you ever noticed that it makes less sense to focus on one subject every day than to learn several every day?
Let us look at an example:
Imagine you have to prepare for final exams in literature, chemistry, math, and law. It’s better if you study each subject a little bit each day. Focusing only on writing on Monday, only on chemistry on Tuesday, only on math on Wednesday, and only on law on Thursday might be too much. The sheer amount of information on each subject can make you feel overwhelmed.
Spend one hour a day on each subject, and you’ll learn much faster and retain that knowledge better. As a result, your brain will have more time to process and absorb the new information.
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Multitasking is not a good idea
If you don’t want to become less productive and more distracted, don’t multitask. If you concentrate only on what you’re learning right now, your studies will take less time.
Are you looking for some essential tips on how to improve your concentration and prepare for exams?
You can find it here:
- Make sure your study area is organized and your desk is free of clutter.
- Before you begin your studies, prepare everything you’ll need.
- Switch your gadgets to airplane mode or put them away.
- Log out of all your messengers.
- Use apps to increase your productivity.
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Focus on learning, not grades
When you’re studying, don’t focus on the grade you’re going to get. Instead, focus on the process. Learn to enjoy it, and you’ll automatically get good grades.
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Don’t memorize, but understand
This approach is also important for those who want to know how to learn better.
Memorization is one of the most common mistakes that many students make. This method is very time-consuming and uses mostly short-term memory. Your understanding and ability to draw conclusions are the skills you need to develop and show to your professors.
Focus on understanding what you learn and analyzing it critically.
Do you have a complex topic? Then try these tips:
Create associations between concepts. Our brains learn by making connections between new information and what we have already learned. Once you discover some similarities between your new topic and some concepts you already know, you’ll quickly understand the material.
Visualize the data you’re learning. Think visually; make a movie in your head to help you memorize the facts faster. For example, it’s difficult to remember numbers on your own. That’s why you should connect each number with a picture and make a short story out of it. Our brain likes stories and retains them longer in our memory than simple numbers, facts, etc.
Look for regular patterns within the new topic. If you recognize patterns and observe their frequency, it’ll be easy for you to understand the whole framework of the topic.
Make Your Brain Work
You will be able to save plenty of time while studying if your brain works faster and more efficiently.
Doesn’t that make sense?
You can exercise your mental muscles just like you exercise your physical muscles!
Here are some easy ways to boost your brain power:
- You can improve your problem-solving skills by playing Sudoku. Once you try this puzzle game, you might find it somewhat addictive. You can buy this game on paper or download it for free.
- Make sure you practice math every day. Use a Mad Math Minute worksheet or a printable worksheet. Give yourself 1-5 minutes to solve as many problems as you can. This exercise will keep your brain in good shape. And you won’t need your calculator as frequently as before.
- Learn something new every day. Spend at least 30 minutes a day reading a newspaper or a book. Another option is to use Wikipedia. Just pick any article, enrich your knowledge and keep your brain healthy.
- Pretend you’re teaching. The trick is that as a teacher, you always want your students to understand the concept and know how to do it correctly. So if you imagine you’re teaching, you’re more likely to avoid mistakes and do it in the best way possible.
Learn smart, not hard
Remember that how you orient your learning can make or break your success in university or university. “Smart learning” will save you a lot of time that you’d otherwise lose if you studied “hard” instead.
The whole learning process depends on your “concentration” To improve your concentration and learn faster, you need to choose the right learning strategy. It will allow you to grasp the essence of a topic and then immediately connect it to newly discovered concepts.
First, you need to critically analyze your current learning method and determine what is taking up too much time. Then, follow our proven tips to boost your performance and reduce the amount of time you spend studying.
We believe in you: you can do it!
Thank you for reading our article! We hope you found our study tips and tricks helpful. Share them with your colleagues who might need them too.
