Organization and Time Management Part 4: Study a little bit each day!

By Chelsea Wicks & Kim England

Have you ever studied everything at once for a big test? Maybe you passed the test with no problem, but how much can you remember from that class? In my experience, studying very hard right before a test may be effective in the short-run, but it requires a lot of energy and you feel exhausted by the end. Even though it is natural for students to wait and study everything at once, it is more effective to study smaller amounts of information over a longer period of time.

Have you felt this way?

Instead of studying everything at once, study a little bit each day. Review what you learned in class and preview what you will learn in the next class. This will help you process the material. By taking some time after class to immediately review what you learned, you are able to hold more information and recall things much easier than if you wait to study everything at one time. Not only will studying everyday help you master the material, it’s much better for your physical and mental health.

Here are a few other things you should consider for your daily studies:

• Who you study with
  • Who do you study best with?
  • Alone? With a friend? With a group of friends?
• Where you study
  • Where do you study best?
  • Library? Samson center? Coffee shop? Home?
  • Inside? Outside?
• When you study
  • When do you study best?
  • Morning? Afternoon? Evening?
• Balancing your studies
  • How long should you study?
  • How often should you take breaks?

Take a moment to ask and answer these questions; were you able to answer them all? If not, it would be a good idea to figure them out. By knowing the answers, you can take advantage of your study time and set yourself up for success. It might be a good idea to actually write out your preferences as well. For example:

I know that I…

• Study best alone.
• Study best in the library or a quieter, indoor area.
• Study best in the afternoon and early evening.
• Can only study about an hour straight before I need to take a break.

From this information, I know when, where, and how I study best. I can now plan my daily schedule to maximize my time and environment to best fit my study needs. Also, I know that I should take a break every hour so I don’t feel so tired or stressed about studying. Even though separately these may seem unimportant, by combining them, you can see how important they are for your study plan!

Remember: planning is great, but putting that plan into action is your ultimate goal. Now that you have an idea about how to study daily, it’s time to make sure you actually practice and follow through on your plan.