wikiHow to Study Well

Four Parts:Taking Care of YourselfStudying SmartPreparing for Your StudiesSetting the Right MindsetCommunity

Q&A

The main thing about studying well is to first study smart.[1] Preparing for a test shouldn't
involve staying up all night before an exam. Studying well requires preparation ahead of
time. The trick to studying well is learning a few tricks as well as your own preferences.
Studying depends on your commitment and what type of environment you strive in.

Part1
Edit Taking Care of Yourself
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Drink plenty of water. Water is the elixir of our bodies. Having a glass of water
available while studying will help fuel your concentration during studying. Staying
hydrated can benefit your memory as well.
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Eat well. Treating your body well is half the battle of entering the right mindset. There
are certain foods you can eat that will improve your focus and your general well-being.
Studies show that eating high-carb, high-fiber, slow-digesting foods like oatmeal are
 best for the morning of a test. The food you consume the two weeks leading up to the
exam are just as important and affect how well you study. Eat a well balanced diet that
includes plenty of fruits and vegetables.[2]
 Incorporate superfoods into your diet like blueberries and almonds.
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Stimulate your circulatory system. This system controls your heart and blood path.
Part of healthy studying is a healthy flow of blood to your brain. Studies have proved
that 20 minutes stimulating this system improves your memory. Don't feel obliged to go
 on a run if you don't want to. Bust a move in your living room to your favorite dance
track. Let this be your time to unwind and alleviate stress during your study break.[3]
 The main thing is to get your heart rate up. Once it is faster, continue doing an exercise
for at least twenty minutes.
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Sleep well. Getting a full nights rest (at least 7-8 hours) helps motivate you to study. If
you are sleep deprived, studying will feel like a chore. You won't learn nearly as much
information sleepy as you will after a good night's rest.

Part2
 Edit Studying Smart
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Stick to a schedule. After planning out when the best times are for you to work, follow
through. Set aside a chunk of time every day for studying. Even if your exam or
presentation is two weeks away, a little each day goes a long way.
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Understand what you're learning. It's common for students to memorize what they
know they'll be tested on, but it's not as efficient. Understanding what you study
increases your chances of retaining it. You might not care to retain trigonometry past
your final exam, but in the long run, you will.[4]
 Create links to what you are studying. Establishing connections to what you are
studying to your everyday life is not always easy. This is a skill that you can improve
over time. Spend extra time using your imagination to draw links from what you're
studying to aspects of your life.[5]
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Use flash cards. This is one of the best techniques you can use in studying that
stretches across almost every subject. The act of writing out the information onto the
card begins your brain's focus onto the subject. Once you've finished you can test
yourself for an extended period of time, and then let others test you.
 If you read the definition side of the card and quiz yourself on the term, switch sides.
Force yourself to give the definition or formula to the word or concept.
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Rewrite your notes. Some people may find this excruciating because they already
spent a fair amount of time creating the notes in class. Rewrite your notes by adding
more information to them. Don't just sift through your notes mindlessly transcribing
them. Use external sources like a textbook or an assigned essay.[6]
 This is a good way to study because it requires you to take an extra step past reading
your notes and textbook. Reading, thinking, and writing are all ingredients to an efficient
study session.
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Take breaks. After spending a decent amount of time studying, between 45 minutes to
an hour, take a quick break, 10-15 minutes. This is a tried and true learning method.
After your break revisit what you were previously working on as a test. Revisiting
subjects after distancing yourself will reinforce the materials into your brain.[7]
 Don't watch a television program or play a video game on your break. You might
become too engaged and distracted to go back to work. Try walking the dog or go out
for a quick run.
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Test yourself. After studying for your allotted chunk of time, test yourself during the last
20 or 30 minutes. This is a good way of reviewing everything you just went over and will
cause the concepts you've learned to sink deeper into your brain. Textbooks often have
practice tests at the end of a chapter. Try your best to go through one of these even if it
isn't assigned.[8]
 You don't need practice tests to test yourself. You can always use your hand to cover
up definitions or parts of your notes. Then say the idea of what you've covered up out
loud.
 If you're wrong, go through the correct answers.
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Avoid cramming. Cramming, or studying extensively the night before, doesn't work.
Most people need a few days to review their notes for the information to really sink
in.[9] By cramming, the information you're memorizing will not be retained. Ignore those
who claim to cram for everything. Sometimes people are freakishly good at testing and
school. Don't compare yourself to them! Everyone is different and you'll need to do
whatever fits your needs.

3
Part

Edit Preparing for Your Studies

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Keep an agenda. In class it's important to write your assignments down.[10] When your
teacher tells you about an exam next Friday, write it down. Place a note about the exam
for each day until the exam. Writing down your assignments will reinforce homework
into your mental to do list.
 An organized schedule for your school work prevents you from being overwhelmed.
 For it to work, you need to use it everyday and look at it every time you sit down for
homework.
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Plan your study time. Different people like to work and read at different parts of the
day. Try out a few time slots to figure out when you're most productive. It's common for
students to take a small break after school and then study. Take time to have a quick
snack and then sit down to study. If you finish your work in the afternoon, you can relax
in the evening.[11]
 Some people find it more beneficial to work on homework and study at night or early in
the morning. This all depends on your schedule and habits.
 If you're committed to sports or an after school activity, you'll need designate your time
to study carefully. It's easy to blow off studying after an intense training, so be aware.
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Have a good space to study. You need a desk or a table with a decent amount of
space. You will also need good lighting. Students will often say that listening to music,
having the TV on, or keeping their phone out helps, but these are all distractions. If you
can't work in silence, listen to ambient music instead of music that's lyric driven.
 Avoid reading textbooks on your bed. The temptation to sleep is too great.
 Studying outside of your house can help you focus. Changing the literal room of where
you study can improve your retention rate.[12] Try visiting a local coffee shop or a nearby
library. It depends on your preferences.
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Plan a study group. A lot of people benefit from participating in study groups. These
can be extremely informal and are usually very effective. You don't need to be a lone
wolf when it comes to academics. Humans are social creatures. Even if you feel that
you don't know as much as these other students, you should still try it. You'll find that
you do have something to contribute to the group.
 Studies show that those who prepare for exams studying in a group have higher
passing rates.
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Know your learning style. There are three different types of learners: visual, auditory,
or kinesthetic. If you're a visual learner, you might need to highlight your notes. If you're
an auditory learner, you may need to make a song out of your notes. If you're a
kinesthetic learner, you might need to act out your notes.
 Your learning style is a big part of studying success. If you're not studying in a way that
complements your learning style, the information won't sink in as well.
 You need to at least study 2 and half hours everyday. So you need to study 30 minutes
for each subject you have.
 Part4
Edit Setting the Right Mindset
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Give your full attention. In the classroom, you should be ready to learn and not view it
as a time to clown off. Sit in the front row, if you don't have assigned seating. Avoid
classmates who like to joke around in class. This attitude will sink into your study
time.[13]
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Change topics. Concentrating on one subject for an entire study session can be
counter-productive. If you can do it, power to you. Vary what subject you are studying.
This will freshen your concentration by fixing your eyes onto a new topic. [14]
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Be here now. It can be the hardest thing to do in today's world of distractions. If you
begin to feel like you're not being as productive, say to yourself, "be here now." Then
slowly focus back to what you were studying. It might sound gimmicky, but reminding
yourself in this way could help. It doesn't work for everyone.[15]
 Say this with a deep breathe while your eyes are closed for a deeper calming effect.