How to Study and Become a Successful Student

Schools expect students to study but often don’t teach them effective studying skills. They usually don't offer any study guides. The following is a list of effective techniques and study skills that can be used by middle school, high school and college students.

1. Make a to-do list of what you have to study each day for each subject. As much as possible, include review time for previously learned material

2. Skim all material that will be covered in class the next day. Look up the meanings of new words. Don’t worry about actually understanding anything at this point. The idea is to become familiar with new words and ideas before a lecture. Your mind is less likely to wander if you already have some familiarity with the material. If you don’t know what material is going to be covered, ask your teacher in advance.

3. Don’t miss a class or lecture, unless it is absolutely necessary.

4. Take note of concepts that the teacher spends a lot of time on. If the teacher pays a lot of attention to certain topics, they are more likely to appear on an exam. Also, take note of what they skip in each chapter of the textbook. These concepts may be less likely to come up on an exam, so you may want to pay less attention to these when you study. Don’t skip these altogether though.

5. Ask questions about the material you are studying. Then try to answer them. Ask your teacher about anything that is confusing to you.

6. Study in a quiet place with no distractions. Study for about 30 minutes and then take a short break. You will come back refreshed for further studying.

7. Form a study group with other students. You can learn from each other.

8. Regularly review material, so you aren’t trying to cram at the last minute.

9. Read regularly. The more you know and the better you read, the easier your classes will be.

10. Download iTunes and look for free podcasts in the subject you are studying. These podcasts are in MP3 format, so they can be used on any MP3 player. There are many podcasts aimed at high school and college students. The Sansa Clip is an affordable MP3 player that has a bookmarking feature. Bookmarks are very useful when you are listening to long podcasts.

11. Check out your local library for additional books to study from. Something that doesn’t make sense in your textbook may be easier to understand in a different book.

12. Look online for more information about concepts that are confusing to you. Khan Academy is a great source for Math and Science help. YouTube has many educational videos in lots of subject areas.