What To Avoid Doing While Studying In College

College Studying Don’ts

So there are thousands of articles out there telling you how to study right? However, which is the wrong way? You might be doing some things that are keeping you from the most productive studying session. Below are some studying don’ts to make sure you get the most out of your studying dos:

1. Do not save it until the last minute.

Saving studying until the last day (or night) can lead to stress, lack of sleep and motivation and some unsatisfying grades. so If you are not one for a long, sit-down study session, try studying for an hour or two each day a week leading up to the test, so by the night before, you are simply reviewing.

2. Do not be cluttered with distractions.

It is not a compulsory requirement to hide your cell phone while studying or to deactivate your Facebook page, but at times all this social media can be a major distraction. To avoid distractions, look at your phone only every hour, keep it in your backpack, or leave it in your dorm while you study in the common room. Close all of your Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts. Unless you are contacting someone with questions, leaving all of your personal profiles open is just a recipe for procrastination. If you must, reward yourself every hour with a peak at Instagram, and then get back to studying!

3. Do not avoid sleep

Give you brain a rest and catch some sleep so that it can better retain information studied the night before. Cramming and pulling an all-nighter may sometimes be your only choice, but if not, try your best to give your brain a rest.

4. Never underestimate the time to you should set aside to study

Always give yourself more time than you need and then add some! Chances are if you tell yourself you will only need two hours to study, you will actually need four.

5. Do not underestimate all the materials you will need.

You would be surprised at how "prepared” you might think you are when you have only got half the materials you really need. What happens when you have left your dorm to go study with just your notebook did not bring your laptop, or your books, then you get to class and class notes are online?

6. Do not only cram in studying in between all of your other plans/classes/breaks/practices, etc.

Studying in a rush creates a lesser possibility for one to remember information later on. This is because studying and retaining information takes time. It is certainly a smart idea to take advantage of those one hour breaks to review information, but do not rely on that time to get all of your studying in.

7. While studying in a group, do not move on if you still do not get it

When you are studying in a group, there will be those few people who understand everything like clockwork, and they tend to lead the study session. If you do not get something, do not let them move on. Back track, ask them to explain again, give an example, or walk you through it. It is just more review for them and less being lost for you.

8. Do not be scared to go to office hours.

Give your professor a heads up if you’d like help studying, or see if they can set aside extra time for you. Professors should help you in every aspect of their class, including studying.  Your school may also have free student tutors available for particular majors or classes who you can schedule time with.