HOW TO STUDY FOR BEST RESULTS
- kineretnn4
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 27

The number one mistake I see in most students who don't perform well on their exams is that they don't know HOW to study. More often than not I end up teaching my students how to study before even teaching them the material.
Tip #1
The number 1 Tip to studying effectively is to study Actively. What does studying actively mean? If you are studying on your own and you come across a word or topic you don’t understand, you really cannot move on until you understand that word or topic. Because if you do, you probably won't understand what is coming next. Active studying means that if you come across a word like that you must stop and look up that word (or topic) and be clear on what it is before continuing to study. This is called active reading and it is the same for studying. No matter how many times you have to stop to look up something, that is the only way to move forward.
Tip #2
Study Early! Don’t wait until the last minute to study. When we first begin college, we sometimes think we can carry over the same study habits we had in high school into college but that is completely wrong especially when studying for sciences. The college science courses like Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Organic Chemistry require a lot of hours of practice and study and being prepared for this will save you a lot of time in the future.
Tip #3
Be Realistic!
Don’t take on too much responsibility. When you sign up for one of the major science courses like chemistry, organic chemistry, physics or biology, make sure you have enough time in your week for at least 8-10 hours of study. Yes, that is the only way to succeed in these courses. Don’t take on an extra job that will take you away from studying. Don’t take too many other difficult courses that will take more time from you and you wont be able to focus on the sciences. Know your limits and know your abilities. In the long run taking it slow and doing better on your courses will get you more success than trying to rush it.
Tip #4
Eat Well!
Make sure you are properly nourished. Nutrition is very important during your college career and to learn more about this head over to our blog that gives you 10 nutrition tips for studying better.
Tip #5
Get adequate sleep! Don’t go partying a night before you have to study hard. When you’re tired you cannot study and will usually end up wasting the entire day. A good nights sleep is the best for retaining information and remembering things.
Tip #6
Don’t study NEW information a night before your exam!
When you try to cram in so much information a night before your exam, your brain does not have enough time to integrate and process the new information and move it from your short term memory to your long term memory. What ends up happening is you end up over loading your brain and you forget the old information your learned because you are interrupting your brains ability to process information. “IT IS BETTER TO KNOW 70% OF THE INFORMATION 100% WELL, THEN TO KNOW 100% OF THE INFORMATION 50% WELL”. You should never forget this! If you know 100% of the information 50% well you will most likely fail the test. If you know 70% of the information 100% well you are more likely to get in the 70’s 0r 80’s. When you are pressed for time, this is the best advice I give my students and it ALWAYS works.
Tip #7
Clean and quiet workspace
Make sure you are studying in a stress free environment where you can focus. If you have a lot of people at home driving you crazy, go to the library. If the library is too quiet, go to the café. If you need music than listen to music. If you need the TV on in the background then do that. If you need to clean your room, then clean your room. Do whatever you need to have an environment that helps you focus. If you don’t, you will never be able to study.
Tip #8
Change it up
You’ve been sitting for hours in the library studying and you find yourself suddenly reading the same line over and over again and still don’t know what you’ve read. That means it is time to CHANGE IT UP! Go take a walk, or buy some ice cream, or even chat with a friend. Taking that break helps your brain recuperate and actually process information better. Exercise and physical movement is very important while studying as it helps you process information better and keeps you from brain blockage or brain freeze. Also take on a hobby, like dancing or painting. A hobby outside of study will help you grow in all areas of your life and give you something that fulfills you and makes you happy outside of school.
Tip #9
Socialize
Spending time with friends in between studying is EXTREMELY important. Taking some downtime for yourself, going shopping, seeing a movie all helps the brain process information. In fact, social people tend to process and retain information better. I once rode a train all the way to city and back just to clear my head. Doing things outside of studying is just as important as not.
Tip #10
Don’t study in groups a day before your exam
This is perhaps the most important Tip. Every student has a different way of studying and is on a different level. Studying with people every once in a while is ok, but studying together with someone right before an exam is more likely to confuse you and make you feel insecure, especially if you and that person are not on the same level. When a person will mention something they know or don’t know and you don’t see it that way you may get confused and doubt everything you know. This is a big mistake. Even right before a test, avoid sitting in the classroom and hearing people say thing to each other. More likely what they are saying is wrong and will just confuse you and destroy your confidence right when you need it the most.
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