Study tips

Study tips

Exam time is upon us and we thought you may be busy enough, so we’ve come up with some great study tips to help you throughout study season.

Organisation Is Key
It’s easy to shove a load of paper in your bag after a lecture, but in the long run staying organised can save you a lot of time and stress. If you’ve got a habit of losing those scrunched up notes that were important, then try to keep all your notes and work on your laptop or tablet. Organise your folders, both electronic and physical folders will prove helpful when it comes to studying those topics again.

To Do List
If you’re feeling slightly overwhelmed with your work load and unsure where to start, create a to-do list. Writing everything out that’s in your mind onto paper can take a weight off your shoulders. Once you’ve written out your to do list, prioritise each thing and start with the top priority. Plan everything, planning can give you a clear idea of what points you want to get across, along with providing a structure which will help steer you away from waffling on.

Reference, Reference, Reference
It’s important when you are working on an assignment that you cite your work or Harvard reference depending on your universities referencing guidelines, which are often found on your Uni’s website. Citing and reference as you go can save you A LOT of time in the long run. Make sure you don’t leave it till the end as you’ll wonder where you found all those references.

Breaktime
Taking frequent shorts breaks from your work can be really beneficial. If you work for too long on one thing you can burn yourself out and risk losing motivation. Set certain goals throughout your work and reward yourself with a break once you’ve completed them. You’ll get a great sense of achievement this way and feel motivated to keep smashing those milestones.

Brain Foods
It’s easy when studying to stray from the healthy path and order a take away but this can often leave you feeling sluggish. And the last thing you want to do after a big meal is knuckle down revising or writing an assignment. Have you ever thought about eating foods which can help you study? Check out these brain foods which can help boost your brain and energy. Then why not treat yourself to a take-away once you’ve finished!

No Distractions
This one is old as time and one many of us struggle with, but parting with your phone is the best way to avoid distractions.  If you, like many can’t help the temptation of your phone then check out the six best apps to stop smartphone addiction. You can set a certain amount of time you wish to be locked out of your phone and other handy methods to resist those distracting urges. If this feels a bit too extreme, then just put your phone away in a drawer and tell yourself it’s for the best. Now your phone is away you may be tempted by the likes of Netflix on your laptop, don’t! Think of the series you can binge watch once your work is done, absolutely guilt free!

Bite Size Info
It’s no surprise we can all struggle with taking big chunks of information in at once. A great way to absorb key dates, theories and thinkers is by using revision cards. Try simplifying long amounts of text into key words or short sentences this can help jolt your memory for more details on the topic.

Your Reading Guide
You’ll have access to hundreds of thousands of books, journals and articles being a student in your university library and online. Use this opportunity to collect as much relevant resources on the topics you need. You’re also likely to have been given reading lists by lecturers it’s always worth reading these.

Find What Works Well For You
If you study well in groups then why not organise study sessions, this couldn’t be easier in our common spaces. You may find studying in the library the best way. Studying to music or just in your room on your own. Whatever method works well for you, stick to it. Don’t fear getting fomo if your friends are studying all together and that doesn’t work well for you – you’ll have tonnes of time to socialise after.

Whether your studying, revising or writing an assignment best of luck to you! You can do it!!