1/14/2020 What Are the Benefits of Good Study Habits & Organizational Skills?

Home » College
What Are the Bene ts of Good Study Habits &
Organizational Skills?
By Mary Thomsen

•••

Staying organized and studying effectively deliver lifelong bene ts of knowing how
to learn, remembering necessary information and nishing what you start.
Understanding which methods work for you provides a key to educational success.

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1/14/2020 What Are the Benefits of Good Study Habits & Organizational Skills?

Memorization Works
Rote memorization enjoyed a long history in education because many students learn
well by committing facts to memory through repeated practice. Educator and author
Ben Johnson explains that memorization techniques, such as question-and-answer
sessions or ash cards, allow information to stay in the short-term memory long
enough to transfer to the long-term memory, improving learning success.
Psychometric Society researchers surveyed college students in 2011, ☰
nding that 80
percent of those with GPAs higher than 3.6 reported quizzing themselves to learn
information while studying, while those with lower grades employed this technique
less often.

Staying organized and studying effectively deliver lifelong bene ts of knowing how
to learn, remembering necessary information and nishing what you start.
Understanding which methods work for you provides a key to educational success.

Greater Recall
Studying boosts memory and teaches recall skills for a lifetime. Without repeated
study, most people forget half of what they are taught in just 20 minutes, with
another quarter of the information out of mind within one day, and almost nothing
retained long-term, Northwest Florida State College has found. The SQ3R method --
Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review -- of studying helps students retain
information. To follow the method, survey the pictures, subheads, bold words and
other major components of a reading assignment, then ask yourself questions
about what you can expect to learn. Read the material while asking yourself more

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1/14/2020 What Are the Benefits of Good Study Habits & Organizational Skills?

questions, recite out loud the answers you nd and then review everything you have
learned.

Staying organized and studying effectively deliver lifelong bene ts of knowing how
to learn, remembering necessary information and nishing what you start.
Understanding which methods work for you provides a key to educational success.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Get Things Done

Organizing styles dictate a student’s optimal studying techniques, say therapists
and authors Martin L. Kutscher and Marcella Moran. Visual organizers need
supplies within sight, but hate a crowded desk. They focus best with pictures and
visual cues, like colorful supplies and a binder dedicated to each subject. Spatial
organizers need a comfortable work space with supplies nearby and respond best
to a positive approach. Try using a single large binder with separate pockets and
supplies that feel good to the touch. Sequential organizers enjoy numbers, an
orderly work space, chronological lists and dates and learn well by memorizing. A

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1/14/2020 What Are the Benefits of Good Study Habits & Organizational Skills?

planner with one week on a page and a binder with subjects organized
chronologically keep them on task.

Staying organized and studying effectively deliver lifelong bene ts of knowing how
to learn, remembering necessary information and nishing what you start.
Understanding which methods work for you provides a key to educational success.

Discover Your Learning Style

Understanding your learning style can unlock the door to effective studying, and
most people learn either by seeing or hearing. If you remember an email address or
phone number when it’s spoken out loud but struggle to recall written information,
you learn by ear and may bene t by recording a lecture or reading your own notes
into a recorder to listen to while studying or doing other tasks. If the written
message gets through better, you are a visual learner and should take good notes
during classes and draw diagrams and pictures of what you learn.

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Home » College
About Study Tips
By Dr. Mary Dowd ; Updated September 18, 2018
How to Beat Bad Study Habits in
College →

References

About the Author

Photo Credits

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1/14/2020 What Are the Benefits of Good Study Habits & Organizational Skills?

•••
About Study Tips

Have you met students who have more free time than you and still get good
grades? Highly e cient students study smarter, not longer. Using study tips can
optimize your study time. But what works for one student may not work for another.
Research and experiment with different college study tips to narrow down strategies
that work well for you. Discovering the bene ts of study skills can be liberating.
Study tips help you excel academically while enjoying everything college has to
offer.

Study Tips for College Students

Every student wants to know, "What is the best way to study?" Generally, students
do best when they break their work down into manageable portions. Cramming for a
test may have worked in high school, but college is different. Competition is erce
at an elite school where everybody expects to be an A student.

Text books are intentionally designed to stress the most important concepts, so pay
close attention to introductions, headings and chapter summaries. If you like to
highlight, don’t get carried away. Avoid mindlessly highlighting every other
paragraph. Pay close attention to the rst test you take in each class. Noticing
whether your professor tests more on lecture, class discussion or reading
assignments may help you hone in on what you need to study. Some professors like
to quiz students on small details while other professors are more interested in big
picture thinking.

How to Improve Study Skills

Determination is key to enhancing study skills. Many individuals have a preferred
way of learning and retaining information through their senses. Ask other students
what study skills they nd helpful. Once you have a general idea of what might also
work for you, start experimenting. Be mindful of your attention span.

Note what helps you focus and what distracts your concentration. Practice using
your newfound study skills and modify as needed. Consider taking a rst year
seminar class that helps students build study skills. Some counseling centers and
tutoring centers offer workshops and individual assistance related to improving
study skills. You may also want to ask instructors or your academic adviser for

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tips. For example, your anatomy instructor may know lots of creative ways to
memorize the skeletal system.

Study Tips for Audio Learners

If you are the kind of student who learns better by listening to lectures than reading
textbooks, you may learn best through receiving information with your sense of
hearing. Learn more about study tips for audio learners. For instance, many audio
learners enjoy listening to audio books.

If allowed by your professor, it could be helpful to record lectures and replay them
later. If not, you may nd it useful to read your notes out loud after class. As a
study aid, you could record yourself reading formulas, names of historical gures or
other vital information likely to be on a test. Identify a place where you can read
your homework assignments out loud. Study with other audio learners and quiz
each other on the material.

Study Tips for Visual Learners

Some students learn best by reading information and seeing illustrations. If you like
to read but drift off in a big lecture room, you may be a visual learner. Try using
study aids that help you receive information through your sense of sight.

Study tips for visual learners include paying attention to the headings and
subheadings of chapters, highlighting main ideas and de nitions, outlining the
chapter and looking up unfamiliar terms. Many visual learners also like to create
maps, charts and diagrams. While reading a subject like history, visual learners may
enjoy visualizing what is being described, such as the signing of the Constitution.

Study Tips for Group Learning

You may be asking yourself, “How can I make studying fun?” If you get bored easily
when studying, consider forming or joining a study group. Getting together with
classmates can keep you from feeling sorry for yourself for being in a library
cubicle instead of chilling with friends.

When studying in a group, predict questions that may be on a test and quiz each
other. Have a bag of M&Ms handy and reward each correct answer with an M&M.
Make a pact to stay on task for an hour, and then enjoy a planned activity together
like watching a movie. Studying doesn’t have to be a passive activity. One of the
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best ways to reinforce your own learning is to teach someone else. Consider
volunteering as a study tutor or apply to be a lab assistant.

Recommended Hours of Study Time

Being a student is practically a full-time job. Professors warn students at
orientation that they should plan on studying one to two hours for every hour spent
sitting in the classroom. For example, a three credit class typically meets three
times a week for approximately one hour. That that means you will need to study
up to six hours outside class to keep you with the material in each of your three-
credit classes. If you are taking a full load of 15 credits, you may study up to 30
hours per week. Leaving all your studying for the weekend is a very bad idea.

Practically speaking, you may end up spending more hours on some classes and
fewer hours on others, depending on your interests, natural ability and prior
learning. If you also belong to student organizations and work part-time, you will
need to be very creative about nding study time. Set a goal for how many hours
you want to set aside for studying each week. Then decide when and where to
study. Instead of just sitting around between classes, use that time to study. Review
lecture notes and formulas while waiting for a bus or standing in a long, slow
moving cafeteria line.

Keep Your Attention Focused

Like many students you may be grappling with the question of how can I study hard
with full concentration? Nothing is more frustrating than reading a page of text only
to realize that you don’t have a clue what you just read. Comprehension requires
focus and immersion to digest the meaning and validity of the material.

College study tips include stopping after every few paragraphs to write a brief
sentence summary and critique of what you just read. Another technique is to
brie y summarize out loud the main ideas. Or you may nd it helpful to brie y
outline the chapter as you read along. When your mind wanders off, gently pull your
attention back to the material. Concentration is further enhanced by analyzing when
and where you nd it easiest to learn.

Learn to Memorize Quickly

Some people are naturally better at memorization. Nonetheless, anybody can
improve memorization skills with the help of shortcuts. First, you must focus and
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understand the information. Raise your hand and ask questions if a concept
confuses you. The brain has di culty moving vague ideas from short-term to long-
term memory. Pay attention in class and take notes. Then read your notes right
after class to help commit the ideas to memory. Mnemonic techniques can help you
quickly cluster concepts together. For instance, remember the phrase “kings prefer
coin over gs, goats and sheep” to recall the order of kingdom, phylum, class, order,
family, genus and species.

Mnemonic devices work because the odds of recalling information improve when
new ideas build on prior learning and associations. As much as possible, relate
subjects you are studying to your everyday life or belief system. Consider how
recently acquired facts and insights deepen your understanding or broaden your
perspective. Write key facts or dates on ashcards to help you remember on test
day.

Relieve Boredom when Studying

Taking breaks helps tremendously, especially if you must catch up on studying. No
matter how hard you push yourself, your brain will go o ine if you don’t pause
periodically. Taking ve to 10 minute breaks every hour can recharge you. Use your
breaks to relax, enjoy a healthy snack, do yoga stretches, text a friend or check
sports scores. When reading books or perusing journals that seem painfully dull,
ask yourself why the author apparently found the subject riveting. Many disciplines
become more interesting as you delve deeper into the eld. Your reading
assignments may even lead you to a different major.

You will get more out of your education if you don’t procrastinate until the last
minute. Use a planner or online calendar to balance study time with less sedentary
activities like running, biking or working out. If you are able to get audio versions of
your textbooks, try listening with headphones while riding on a stationary bicycle to
relieve boredom.

Develop a Study Strategy

You need a battle plan to conquer your academic workload. Make sure your planner
or online calendar is complete and up-to-date. During your rst week of the term,
you should go through each course syllabus and enter the dates of upcoming
exams, and add due dates of assignments on a calendar. Resist the compulsion to
randomly open a textbook when you sit down to study. Know what’s coming up in
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the next few days so you don’t bomb a test because you weren’t prepared. Prioritize
your work.

Most students nd that it works better to work on least favorite subjects rst when
concentration is sharpest. Intentionally deciding the order of doing assignments
applies the Premack principle, which you may have studied in high school
psychology. The Premack principal states that aversion to disliked activities may
decrease if followed immediately by more enjoyable activities. Simply stated, you
may feel less negative about calculus homework if you consistently reward yourself
with a more enjoyable activity after nishing your computations.

Choose the Best Place to Study

As a starting point, re ect back on where you usually studied in high school. Did
you prefer the quiet of your room, or were you used to little brothers and sisters
screeching in the background? Did barking dogs annoy you or could you easily tune
them out? Next, compare the rigor of your college courses with the subjects you
took in high school.

Consider whether you may need to make some changes if your homework will
require intense concentration. Be realistic about how much you can absorb if you
plan to read your textbooks in your dorm room. The distraction of booming stereos,
people laughing in the hallway and your roommate’s snoring can impede your ability
to focus. Noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs should be on every student’s
packing list. Explore quiet nooks and crannies on campus and in nearby coffee
shops that may offer a comfy option.

Determine the Best Time to Study

Because you are conditioned to get up in the morning and go to school, studying
during daylight hours may be easiest. If you are an early riser, it may work well to
study right after breakfast. On the other hand, you may be a night owl capable of
cracking the books late at night. Experiment with what seems to work best for you.

Notice if your energy levels follow a predictable pattern or rising and falling each
day around the same time. You can concentrate better and get more done when you
feel wide awake. You will focus better by studying one subject for awhile and then
switching to another. Even interesting material may lose its appeal if you study for
hours at a time.

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References

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