If a child dislikes the concept of monotony, chances are that they will grow up disorganized. Our body always wants to follow a pattern to get used to a rhythm. Just like musical notes, if our bodily rhythm goes out of tune, it feels off to our senses. Making study a habit helps students follow a pattern to learn during set intervals. Let us explore the 7 effective study habits that can enhance learning ability for academic success.
It is funny how we pick up bad habits and continue doing them because they are unorganized and leave a negative impact. We are naturally drawn to doing the wrong things, which gives us short-term pleasure. For instance, getting up late every day and reaching school after it begins, eating unhealthy food during supper, and doomscrolling on our phones for hours.
On the contrary, we feel overwhelmed to prioritize exercising every morning, eat on time, and make a systematic study routine. We know these are the habits we need to follow but none give us an immediate result.
The primary importance is realizing that good habits give us long-term gains. It can be as simple as waking up in the morning, brushing our teeth, and repeating the same action before bedtime. Doing such a simple task can enhance the longevity of our teeth. However, being unable to see the impact refrains us from following a mundane routine.
When the process of studying becomes a habit you form day after day, it becomes a part of your routine. It eventually stops boring and becomes an active part of your daily schedule.
The first strategy for study is to follow habits that help you learn effectively. The following will set the tone, optimize your environment, and help you find balance in monotony:
Students who are easily distracted when their teachers teach in school need to put in additional effort while learning the same chapters. The most important of the 7 effective study habits is to pay complete attention when taught.
As children go to higher classes, they find it hard to follow what teachers teach in class. Since they go from one subject to another throughout their school day, attending each class with the same enthusiasm becomes challenging.
Many opt for tuition classes after school for additional support. If the student pays attention in class, they can self-study and clear doubts with the help of their teachers. Even if they cannot, tuition classes further require attentiveness to complete what they couldn't learn in school. So, if students find a way to optimize what they learn while they have teacher assistance, they will learn faster. If not, revision becomes an unending learning cycle and often makes the child lag behind.
If there is a place to eat and sleep, there should also be a place to study. Creating a corner for yourself will always matter, no matter how big or small your house is.
Your body gets used to being in a particular zone and it adapts to the process physically first. Gradually, your brain programs the location as the perfect spot to learn, and that’s when you adapt to it mentally.
A place to study is like a temple for a student trying to become knowledgeable. Having a desk and a chair that assist them to read and write enhances the experience further.
Many children like to have quiet time and concentrate better in a library. While they can always access their school library, they need a similar environment after school hours. So, using a room or a corner within the house is recommended. It should be organized, free from distractions, and undisturbed.
Imagine having a study desk piled up with books and stationery items that are left unorganized. Such study areas cause massive distraction, drawing attention to other items while studying.
We don't realize how our peripheral vision bothers us while we try to concentrate on one thing. The worst part is that most of us don't acknowledge such distractions and try to focus with difficulty.
Organize your study desk by removing anything that causes hindrance is the best way to optimize learning. This one is one of the most effective study habits in this list, but unfortunately underrated.
Distraction isn’t only caused by a decluttered room. It can also happen when you let someone or something get in the way. For example, keeping your wi-fi on while studying can draw your attention to your smartphone, which shows up with notifications. It is wise to keep the smartphone in flight mode or switch off the wi-fi if you don't need to use the internet for studies.
Students who have their space and can practice in isolation tend to have more focus. If your house has guests during study time, such interactions become unavoidable. But on a regular study day, don't let anyone interrupt your study time. Politely excuse yourself to prioritize your study time because only you can be accountable for your actions.
If there is a time to wake up, go to bed, and attend school, there should also be a time for studying. Out of the 7 effective study habits, following this one is essential because you must create a repetitive pattern for academic excellence.
When you fix a particular time to study daily, it becomes a part of your 24-hour cycle. While this pattern might feel challenging, it flows into your rhythm within weeks. The monotony brings joy when you think about its impact on you when doing well in the papers.
7 secret methods of studying change the process into a healthy habit. Choose one of these methods after trying each one to see which works best for you.
These techniques include:
Collective studying is one of the most effective study habits because it opens new perspectives. Group studies are perfect if you're someone who gains more knowledge when you team up with your friends.
Group studies allow students to discuss what they learn and make the process interactive. Studies often feel easier when students share concepts with each other than when learning from teachers only. This is because they all belong to the same age group and have similar learning abilities. When students help each other, they create a way to follow Feynman's teach-to-learn technique and also gamify the process for each other.
The effective study habits are actions that will have an immediate effect as soon as they are applied. But the goal is to find fun amidst a monotonous rhythm. Students must take breaks, keep their hobbies alive, and follow a proper schedule to do multiple things daily. Study habits should make the process fun and doable and not overburden children after a tiring school day.
Understanding the long-term gains of having a schedule to follow is the vision that parents and schools must create. At DWPS Barasat, we constantly strive to help students make the best of their time while helping them go beyond academics and improve their overall lifestyle.
A practical study habit is following a set routine, removing distractions, and giving yourself intense focus. It must include frequent breaks, but they should be timed to not stray away from other forms of interest.
By removing distractions of any form and giving undivided attention to one subject at a time, you can focus 100% on studying. The goal is to not sit with a book for hours – to sit with a book for a set period and evaluate how much you could learn.
Managing time and following a schedule diligently is the only way to study regularly. Not following a schedule will disrupt the rhythm you otherwise need to find success that comes with repetitive practices. Monotony here is vital as growth lies in repeatedly doing boring things. It applies to every sphere of life, and not just academics.