Whether you're trying to get good grades or improve the ways in which you study, the following tips have proven to be super helpful for me, and I hope that they are the same for you.
- Choose a study area. More specifically, choose a study area that works for you. Every person is different, and everyone is able to focus in a different setting. One person may have no problem with studying in a library or in a café that may get busy or loud, whereas another person finds quiet rooms and spaces to be more beneficial for studying. I personally enjoy quiet areas to study, because I tend to get distracted easily, especially if people are moving around me or talking about how their Tinder date went behind me. At that point, I'm completely hooked into that conversation and definitely not paying attention to what I should be doing. Simply put, find a good, comfortable place to study that works for you.
- Prioritize schoolwork before you do anything else. If you want to get good grades, you're obviously going to have to put the work and effort in. Depending on how a person's schedule is organized, I would suggest prioritizing schoolwork over any other activity. For me, instead of going to the gym right after school, I'll do whatever it is I need for the next day, and then go work out in peace, knowing that I have accomplished everything that I needed to do. Especially during the weekends, I make sure to do my work first thing in the morning, because that's when I feel the most refreshed and focused. I also don't need to stress over it throughout the day and can divert my attention to something else. I understand that this may not be feasible for every single person, because you may have other obligations such as work, but whenever you have the time, do prioritize your school work and try to get as much of it done in the time that you have for it.
- Listen to music. Listening to music while studying is something that a lot of people I know do, and it's something I myself do, depending on the subject I am studying for. For certain subjects that require a lot of reading and therefore a lot of my attention and focus, I would sometimes play relaxing instrumental music in the background to help me maintain my concentration and to also provide some background noise. For other courses like math, which are more mechanical than say, history, I always go for pop or rap or any kind of music that is more upbeat and lively. If this doesn't work for you, that's completely fine. Remember, different things work for different people, and figuring out what works for you will require trial and error.
- Plan. In order to get good grades and be an overall good student, you have to be organized and plan out your week. I would suggest getting a planner and writing out everything that you need to do for each week. Doing this will help you lay out what you should prioritize doing for each day and generally, it gives structure to your day. Writing down assignments, deadlines and activities is one of the most beneficial, if not the single most beneficial thing you can do for yourself, because then, you know exactly what you need to do and you'll be able to do it more efficiently.
- Incentivize studying. Motivate yourself to study and get those A's. I always use the gym as a reward for studying first thing in the morning on weekends, because I know I would be able to give my all to my workouts without having to think or worry about an incomplete assignment. Not everyone shares this view and might have other incentives for studying and getting good grades. Whether it's a day at the mall, a cheat day or a spa day, reward yourself for your hard work. You deserve it. By rewarding yourself each time, you'll feel more motivated to do well and study. This will ultimately turn into a habit that will produce endless good grades, and that's what we want.
