Study habits for surviving college

CEBU, Philippines - Entering college takes a lot of adapting to the academic environment and avoiding distractions.

The school environment in college is quite different. There are more distractions compared to high school.

The greatest challenge for a college student is how to build habits - study habits especially - in order to be able to resist the many temptations that pester a young student's life. While fun is nice to have, it shall not be allowed to compromise one's academic performance.

The student's average retention rate of a class lesson is lowest during lecture and highest when he tries to teach it to others. When the student engages himself further in the topic, his retention of it increases proportionately. When the student applies his learning by explaining the topic to others or by actually putting it to practice in his daily life, he is most likely to keep the knowledge for good.

The following study tips are sure to help ensure academic survival in college:

1. Have a list of things to do.

It must be an actual list, not simply a mental note. Write down everything that needs to be done, even things you need to remember. List down class assignments and other school-related matters. Remember to indicate deadlines or schedules of exams.  You don't have to strain your mind remembering things that can simply be written down in a notebook.

2. Observe the same study schedule every day. 

The point here is to establish a routine. Identify your most ideal time to study, considering factors like freshness of topics, possible distractions, your mental energy level etc. Once you have identified your ideal study time, start conditioning your mind for study a few minutes before you actually begin.

3. Keep your study time within comfortable limits.

Studying too much in one sitting can result in either information overload or mental fatigue, in which case your efforts will just be wasted. The brain may have the capacity to take in great amounts of information, but it can absorb only enough at a time. Especially when coupled with stress, retention of too much information input would be less.

4. Take a break during long study hours.

Taking a break when studying for long hours helps in the retention of the studied materials. The break, however, is meant to relax the mind a bit, and shall not be spent in other engaging activities like accessing Facebook or other social media platforms; in fact, such activities must be avoided completely when studying as it veer away your attention.  The break is only to allow you to go to the comfort room, or grab some light food to munch, or to refresh your eyes. It is also okay to contact a classmate for help, if necessary. 

5. Study difficult lessons first.

The idea is to tackle the difficult lessons while your mind is still fresh and has the energy to figure out complicated concepts.  And, once you are through with the difficult tasks, the easy ones seem a lot easier and no longer require much time to study.

6. Scan your class notes before delving into the assignments.

Reviewing your notes can help get you in the right mindset and hasten the process of doing your assignment. Some students go right into their assignments without reviewing their notes, and often have to refer back to their notes as they hit a snag. To avoid wasting time in the process, it's better to review your notes first.

7. Be open to ask for help.

No one student has the monopoly of understanding class lessons or class assignments. A classmate may have understood the topic far better than you do; so when having a difficult time with a lesson or assignment, don't hesitate to ask for his help. Or, if not, see your teacher or go to the library. (FREEMAN)