As midterms and finals start to roll around, it’s time to get your study session on. Are you a studying master, or could you use some help?

We get it. College students are busy. You need to fit in academics between work, responsibilities, and some semblance of social life. That means that you need to learn how to study better so you don’t start to slip.

That’s why we’ve come up with a list of study tips for college students. Keep reading for some of the things that we did to maintain our grades when we were in school.

1. Handwrite Your Notes

In a time where most people are using their laptops nonstop in college, we suggest taking your study notes to a standard notebook. Even if you type them up at first, take the time to handwrite them later.

Writing takes up time, so you might think that this is counterintuitive. On the contrary, the act of writing (especially if you’re re-writing) can help you memorize the information that you need to retain.

2. Use Colorful Pens

While you’re handwriting, get yourself a pack of colorful pens. We love gel pens for this, but you could also use standard ballpoint pens that come in packs with several colors.

Use different pens for different kinds of information. For example, important keywords or vocabulary words could be in purple while full concepts or excerpts are in green.

When you’re going back over your notes and you need to find the specific information you can go right to the color that you need. Not only that, but the bright colors make studying more fun.

3. Read Things Out Loud

Whether you’re reading a textbook or writing something like a draft of a difficult exam paper, reading out loud is helpful. It helps your brain retain information in a different way.

This is also great for figuring out whether or not your drafts make sense. It’s even better if you can have someone else read your work out loud because they’re not used to your work and they haven’t yet gone blind to your errors.

This is why many professors use peer-review as a part of their classes.

4. Give Your Brain a Break

It’s tempting to stay up all night studying, but this isn’t good for you. Cramming the night before isn’t good for your memory. You aren’t retaining information, you’re just familiarizing yourself with it.

It’s better to stay up for the normal amount of time and study with plenty of time to spare (and not doing it over one night). Sleeping can help information stick.

It’s also a good idea to take study breaks. The human attention span is only so long, and we start to lose efficiency before we realize it. Taking 5 to 10 minutes out of every hour to decompress will actually help your studying.

These Study Tips for College Students Make Studying Easy

Don’t stress during your next study session. Take notes and study the right way using our tips for college students and you’ll be well on your way to better grades. Remember, cramming and overloading your brain the night before a test isn’t the answer!

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