Media Credit: Jordan Shefte

1. Time management.

Students need to know how long it will take to get all of their assignments and studying done. At minimum, a student should study two hours for every one hour of class. However, this can change depending on the difficulty of the class. Some classes can take as much as five hours of studying for every one hour of class.

2. Taking good notes.

A student should take notes that he or she can understand later on. Don’t write information down word for word. Make sure to get all of the important information and listen to the professor’s lecture.

3. Effective review of material.

Material for most classes needs to be reviewed more than once. A student should go over the information until he or she can write it out without help of the book or notes.

4. Don’t get behind.

Catching up the night before a test is almost impossible. Only a small percentage of students can effectively cram, so keep up with readings and your homework.

5. Use short study periods.

Most people have a short attention span while studying. Break up study periods by setting goals and rewards when goals are met. For example, a student reads 15 pages for a class and then has a cookie or goes outside for some fresh air. For more difficult classes, the study periods can be shorter.

6. Keep information fresh.

Go over the information 60 or 90 seconds before class or a test so the information is fresh. Go over the information you feel most uncomfortable with. This skill can become a study habit.

7. Consistent sleep.

An adequate amount of sleep is vital in performance on tests and papers. Make sure to study often so you can sleep the night before. Missing sleep can effect performance on other things. Information will be forgotten in a short period of time with little sleep.

8. Find a balance.

Students, especially freshmen, can have a hard time adjusting to the new schedule of college. The secret is to find a balance between work, studying and a social life. All three aspects are important, but each individual needs to determine which are the most important.

9. Use outside resources.

If the resources given to out by a professor are confusing to a student and don’t explain things in a way the student understands, a student can check out an alternative textbook, use the library or use the Internet to better comprehend the information.

10. Highlight effectively.

Highlighting in a book or notes can be very effective, but students needs to learn to highlight appropriately. Highlighting complete paragraphs does not work. Highlighting specific words or phrases is more beneficial and less overwhelming. Yellow highlighters are the most effective.