Daniel Wong

How to Be a Disciplined Student: 25 Proven Strategies That Work

Updated on January 6, 2026 By 27 Comments

Disciplined student

Do you find it hard to be disciplined when it comes to studying?

There are so many things competing for your attention.

It’s so much easier to text a friend or watch a video than it is to study. But while doing those things, you’re probably feeling guilty.

You think to yourself, “If only I had more self-control…”

In this article, I have 25 strategies to share to help you be a more disciplined student.

(To learn 5 bonus strategies, download the free PDF below.)

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1. Change your environment.

When you try to study, you may think it’s all about willpower and self-discipline.

Those things are important, but are you aware that your environment matters even more than self-control?

Some environments make it difficult to study. For example, if there’s someone in the next room playing music or talking loudly, it will be hard for you to get to work.

Even studying in your bedroom can be hard if you’re surrounded by distractions.

In contrast, have you noticed how easy it is to study when you go to a library?

In a library, there’s an atmosphere of quiet concentration – everyone is focused on their work. That’s the kind of atmosphere that will help you to be a productive student.

Of course, you don’t necessarily have to go to the library.

You could go to a different room in your house that you use exclusively for studying. If there’s a place like that in your house, it will remind you of your purpose – you’re there to study.

As such, you’ll get a lot more done.

2. Do one small thing every day that you dislike doing.

Of course, willpower is still an important part of being a disciplined student. After all, studying requires effort and focus.

These are things that don’t come naturally to most of us. You may even find yourself resisting the idea of studying.

This is where willpower comes in.

You can build up your willpower through habits. One way to do this is to perform a small task every day that you dislike doing.

For example, you could try…

  • Cleaning your room
  • Making your bed
  • Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
  • Taking a cold or lukewarm shower
  • Reading a book for a few minutes instead of watching videos

When you do one small thing every day that you would prefer not to do, you’ll become more disciplined.

It’s like working out: your willpower “muscle” will get stronger every day.

3. Find an accountability partner.

Accountability partner

An accountability partner is someone who holds you to your commitments.

If you commit to studying for 90 minutes each day, your accountability partner will check in to see if you’ve followed through on this.

You’ll do the same for him or her. In other words, you’ll help each other to stay on track when it comes to your academics.

You could find an accountability partner from amongst your friends or your classmates.

There are also websites and apps that will pair you with an accountability partner, such as:

4. Be specific about the tasks that you plan to complete each day.

When you set study goals for each day or each week, make the goals as specific as possible.

This is crucial for two reasons.

Firstly, when you set goals, you’re programming your mind to accomplish a particular task.

Your brain needs details. Without details, your brain cannot form an image of what it is that you’re planning to accomplish. The more details you provide, the more likely it is that you’ll take action.

Secondly, you need specific goals because you need to be able to measure whether you achieved that goal.

For example, “study some chemistry” is a vague goal. You may have read through a few pages of your chemistry textbook, but how much meaningful work did you actually do?

On the other hand, “read Chapters 3 and 4 of the chemistry textbook and create summary notes” is a specific goal.

It’s a goal that’s easy to measure, and at the end of your study session, you’ll know whether you met your target or not.

5. Don’t say negative things about yourself.

Negative self-talk reinforces negative behaviour.

For example, many of my 1-to-1 coaching clients say things like “I’m so lazy”, “I’m a procrastinator”, or “I’m just unmotivated”.

If you say these kinds of things to yourself again and again, you’ll come to believe them. This makes it even more difficult to change your behaviour.

Studies have shown that when your teacher believes you’re capable of great things, you’ll be a much more successful student than if your teacher doesn’t expect much from you.

It’s the same with our own beliefs.

Negative thought patterns lead to low expectations for ourselves. We then act in a way that’s aligned with these low expectations.

So do your best not to say negative things about yourself.

Even if you think negative things about yourself, start by holding your tongue and refusing to say them out loud to others.

6. Realise that there’s never a perfect time to get to work.

One thing that stops students from studying is the belief that it isn’t the perfect time to start.

This leads to procrastination because you keep waiting for the ideal moment to begin your study session.

The truth is, there’s no perfect time to get started. Waiting for that moment to arrive means that you probably won’t get to work until it’s too late.

What should you do instead? Read the next tip to find out.

7. Follow a routine and schedule.

Schedule

Another way to become a disciplined student is to create a routine.

For example, your routine could be that you do your schoolwork every weekday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Or, if you’re an early riser, your routine might be to do your schoolwork from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. every weekday.

If those routines sound too restrictive to keep to every weekday, then start by following the routine only on Mondays, for instance.

Routines are about making use of the power of habit. Just as bad habits are hard to break, good habits are also hard to break.

When you have a well-established study routine, you won’t need to rely so much on motivation.

Instead of having an internal dialogue about how you should be studying, you’ll simply start your study session because it’s part of your daily routine.

8. Start small and be consistent.

If you’ve had trouble being a disciplined student, it’s best to start with small changes.

For example, you could make a commitment to study for just 15 minutes each day. Doing that every day for just one week will give you more confidence in your ability to be disciplined.

From there, you can step it up to 20 or 30 minutes a day, and so on.

Begin with small changes, notice the feeling of progress, then use that feeling to take it to the next level.

You could even make a smaller commitment. If you feel a lot of resistance to studying, just make a commitment to read the notes for one minute.

The danger of setting big goals at the beginning is that there’s a strong likelihood that you won’t meet them.

You’ll then feel discouraged and your sense of having failed will feed into a self-belief that says, “I can’t do this.”

So start small and build on the progress you make. That’s the way to become a more disciplined student.

9. Develop a cue for you to start each study session.

Productivity experts have identified a loop that exists in virtually every habit:

  • Stage 1: Cue
  • Stage 2: Routine
  • Stage 3: Reward

Let me explain.

The cue signals to your brain that it’s time to begin the routine. And the routine ends in some kind of reward.

In the gym, the reward might be the feeling of satisfaction after a workout. For a study session, the reward might be the feeling of mastering a topic or skill.

The most important part of this sequence is the cue.

The cue is what triggers the habit loop. A cue can be anything you do that you intentionally associate with starting a study session.

For instance, it could be putting on your headphones, making yourself a cup of tea, or putting a sign on your door that lets others know that you’re studying.

When it comes to starting work, I have a cue that consists of 4 parts:

  • First, I put on my earphones.
  • Second, I play relaxing instrumental music on my computer.
  • Third, I write down the specific task I’ll be working on during the work session.
  • Fourth, I start a timer.

Experiment with finding a cue that will become part of your study “habit loop”.

With enough repetitions, that cue will trigger your study routine and you won’t have to rely on willpower to get to work.

10. Take regular breaks.

Break

If you find it hard to stay on task for long periods of time while studying, try “short-burst” learning.

This approach to learning recognises that our brains are not wired to focus on the same task for extended stretches.

In short-burst learning, you study for 20 to 30 minutes and then take a 5- to 10-minute break. Stop working when the 20 to 30 minutes are up, even if you feel you could keep going.

Repeat this process several times before taking a longer break, e.g. a break for dinner or to exercise.

Many students find that, by using this strategy, they’re able to do higher-quality work. They’re also able to get a greater quantity of work done too.

11. At the end of each study session, give yourself a reward.

As mentioned earlier, habit loops always end in a reward. So it’s important to reward yourself at the end of each study session.

The reward could be something simple, e.g. listening to your favourite music for 5 minutes, doing some stretches, taking a short walk, or eating a healthy snack.

Rewards are a key part of building successful study habits. They’re also a key part of eliminating ineffective study habits.

One reason why rewards are so vital is that they allow you to divide your work into manageable “chunks”.

Each chunk of work is followed by a reward, so you’re less likely to feel overwhelmed by all the work you want to complete.

12. Think about what has and hasn’t been working for you.

Think

Another way to become more disciplined as a student is to be aware of when you are at your most productive.

Answer the following questions:

  • Which types of environments help you study most efficiently?
  • What kinds of background noise (if any) help you stay focused?
  • What time of day do you find it easiest to concentrate?
  • Do you learn better when studying one subject intensively each day, or do you prefer to study a few different subjects each day?
  • Do you absorb information better when reading through the material one time first, and then going back over it to take notes? Or does it work better for you to take notes during your first reading?
  • Is it more productive for you to take notes on a computer, or do you prefer to take handwritten notes in a notebook?

When you discover what your personal preferences are, you can use them to your advantage to develop greater self-discipline.

13. Before you start work, remove every possible distraction.

It might seem obvious, but you can’t expect to study effectively if you are surrounded by distractions.

For example, if you’re working on a computer, deactivate all email and browser notifications.

In addition, here are a couple of apps designed to create a distraction-free work environment:

  • Freedom (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome): Blocks distractions across all your devices simultaneously.
  • RescueTime (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android): Time management app that includes a distraction-blocker.

Listening to music can help you focus, but if the music has lyrics, it may become a distraction.

I recommend that you listen to instrumental music with no lyrics while doing your schoolwork.

Clutter can also be a distraction. Clear your desk or work area of any mess, such as food wrappers, old notes, scrap paper, etc.

Most importantly, turn your phone off or put it on airplane mode for the duration of your study session. It’d be even better if you put your phone in another room.

You definitely shouldn’t be receiving calls or text messages while studying.

14. If you anticipate an obstacle, create an alternative plan.

There may be occasional events or activities in your life that prevent you from following your usual study schedule.

For example, you may have relatives visiting from out of town or medical appointments to attend. If these events are unavoidable, be sure to plan around them.

When you break your study routine, it can be hard to re-establish it.

So be proactive and make alternative study arrangements ahead of time. That way, you can keep up with your schoolwork despite these interruptions.

Be specific about what you’ll change in your schedule. Write down any upcoming events in your calendar and block out alternative time slots for when you’ll complete your schoolwork.

15. Exercise regularly.

Cycling

Aerobic exercise will help you to stay focused during your study sessions.

Research shows that exercise results in neurogenesis – the creation of new brain cells.

Exercise also helps to improve the connections between existing brain cells, so that your brain works more efficiently.

Studies have shown that after aerobic exercise, problem-solving, memory and attention all improve.

So aim to exercise every day for at least 20 to 30 minutes. This will enable you to build self-control, increase your sense of well-being, and learn faster.

16. If you feel guilty about your past failures, forgive yourself.

Sometimes regret or shame about the past can prevent you from forming new habits or turning over a new leaf.

That’s why you must free yourself from negative feelings about the past.

Whatever may be haunting you from the past, forgive yourself for it. Understand that you did the best you could at that time.

One way to forgive yourself and move on is to recognise that mistakes are part of learning. Without mistakes, there can’t be long-lasting learning.

Instead of dwelling on the mistake, identify what you learned from it and how it helped you to grow.

When you feel overwhelmed by self-critical thoughts about the past, write them down on a piece of paper. Then, on the other side of the paper, write a compassionate response to each point of self-criticism.

Remember that forgiveness is a powerful healing force, whether you apply it to yourself or others.

17. Write down exactly why you want to be a more disciplined student.

Notebook

To be a disciplined student, you must have a clear purpose for why you want to study hard.

When you’re clear about your purpose, you’ll find it much easier to make commitments and keep to them.

I recommend that you take a piece of paper and list all the reasons you want to become a disciplined student.

When making your list, try not to focus on the end result, such as “so that I can become a doctor” or “so that I can be a straight-a student”.

There’s nothing wrong with having such goals, but try to focus on how you want to develop as a person. By doing so, you’ll develop deeper motivation and determination.

Here are some examples of things you might put on your list:

  • I want to challenge myself.
  • I want to develop more self-control.
  • I want to expand my mind.
  • I want to cultivate a spirit of professionalism as a student.
  • I want to pursue excellence.
  • I want to make a contribution to society.
  • I want to build resilience.

The goal is to develop a genuine love for learning, rather than continually thinking about the outcomes you want to achieve.

18. Remember that nobody is disciplined 100% of the time.

We’ve talked a lot about how to be more focused, disciplined and organised. But it’s important to not be obsessed with perfection.

Remember that no one is disciplined all the time.

You might give in to distractions once in a while, or you might find yourself daydreaming on occasion.

This is nothing to be ashamed of because even the most disciplined student sometimes loses concentration.

The key is to consistently get back on track, one study session at a time and one day at a time.

19. Time your work sessions and breaks.

Stopwatch

By timing your work sessions and breaks, you’ll become more intentional about how you’re spending your time.

You’ll also take the emphasis off of the work and place it on the effort you’re putting in.

You’re reminding yourself that the act of working for, say, the next 30 minutes is what’s important. Because if you complete enough focused 30-minute study sessions over the course of a day, you’ll finish all the necessary work.

Sometimes, you’ll feel as if you achieved a lot during a work session. Other times, you’ll feel as if you didn’t get that much done.

But that’s not what matters in the long run. If you develop the habit of working at set times for set periods, you’ll become more and more disciplined.

By timing your breaks as well, you won’t take breaks that are far longer than you intended.

20. Join a study group consisting of self-motivated students.

A study group can offer some of the same benefits as having an accountability partner.

When you study in a group, the other students in the group will keep you on task and remind you of your commitments.

Surrounding yourself with self-motivated students will have a positive impact on you. This is because we are shaped by the people we spend time with.

Here are some other benefits of joining a study group:

  • You can compare class notes. You may have missed certain details while taking notes, but you can make up for this by comparing notes with members of your study group.
  • You can discuss the material. A study group gives you the opportunity to discuss the course material and think deeply about the concepts you are learning.
  • It makes studying more fun. Studying can be an isolating experience when it involves long periods of working on your own. But having a study group makes it a social activity that’s more enjoyable.

21. Use technology to help you stay on track.

Electronic devices

When you’re studying several different subjects, there may be a lot of tasks, resources, etc. that you need to keep track of.

The good news is that there are many online task management tools to help you stay organised.

Here are some online tools you can try out:

  • Trello: Helps you organise various projects and tasks easily.
  • Google Keep: Note-taking app that makes it simple for you to create lists and reminders.
  • Any.do: Productivity tool that you can use to organise your tasks and lists.
  • Habitica: Productivity app that uses gamification to help motivate you to achieve your goals.
  • BlockSite: App that enables you to become more focused by removing online distractions.
  • Forest: App that turns study sessions into a game, which will encourage you to concentrate for longer.
  • Tide: App that allows you to set up personalised study sessions, with a wide range of background sounds to choose from.

22. Every day, write down the tasks you’ve completed.

At the end of each day, spend a few moments reviewing what you’ve done that day. Make a note of all the tasks you completed, however small.

If you prefer, you can keep a running list of the tasks you’ve completed as you go along. (This is the method that I use.)

By writing down what you’ve accomplished, you’re reminding yourself that you’re making progress. This positive feeling will spur you on to develop even more self-discipline.

23. One day a week, don’t do any studying at all.

Bicycle in the woods

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

This is an old adage that contains a piece of timeless wisdom.

When you study hard for extended periods of time, you’re drawing energy and mental resources from a well. This well needs to be replenished periodically.

This is why an essential part of being a disciplined student is having downtime.

You could spend this downtime with your family, doing volunteer work, engaging in religious activities, or going for a walk in nature.

If you set aside one day a week where you don’t do any schoolwork or studying at all, you’ll find that the other days of the week will be more productive.

You’ll also look forward to the one day a week where you get to fully recharge.

24. Simplify your life and make as few decisions every day as possible.

Studies have shown that making decisions is tiring. Making too many decisions each day can lead to “decision fatigue”.

This is why, for example, some highly productive people – like former US President Barack Obama and Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg – limit their clothing choices to one or two basic outfits.

This reduces the number of choices they have to make each day.

A good strategy is to pre-decide things that would otherwise require daily decision-making.

For example, you can pre-decide what you will wear each day by having two alternating outfits. You can also pre-decide what you will eat for lunch each day by creating a fixed menu for each day of the week.

You can even pre-decide your workouts for the week. For instance, I work out the following body parts according to this weekly schedule:

  • Monday: Glutes + chest
  • Wednesday: Legs + arms
  • Saturday: Back + shoulders

By following this routine, I don’t waste time and energy thinking about which body part I should work out each time I exercise.

As you pre-decide as many things as possible, you’ll simplify your life. This will leave you with more energy and willpower to focus on becoming more disciplined.

25. Be a technology minimalist.

Technology

We live in a cluttered world, which explains why minimalism is a movement that’s gaining momentum.

Some minimalists go as far as to reduce their possessions to a list of just 100 items.

You don’t need to be that extreme, but I recommend that you at least start by removing the digital clutter in your life.

For example, you can:

  • Decide to use only one social media app (or none at all)
  • Delete all apps on your phone that you haven’t used in the past month
  • Stop checking email on your phone completely
  • Remove as many of your computer desktop icons and folders as possible
  • Unsubscribe from email newsletters that you don’t read

Clutter makes it difficult to think clearly, which impedes your progress toward becoming a more self-disciplined student.

Conclusion

I’m confident that the tips in this article will help you to become more disciplined.

Of course, you don’t need to implement all the tips at once.

Just take three or four of these tips and put them into practice. When you see some positive results, come back to the article and implement a few more tips.

Remember to set small goals at the start. As you make progress, you’ll have the confidence to take on bigger goals.

I encourage you to get started today – it’s a journey of personal growth as a student that you won’t regret taking!

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The Complete List of 23 Best Memory Techniques for Studying

Updated on January 6, 2026 By 86 Comments

Best memory techniques for students

To do well in school, you need to know how to use your memory well.

Top students use a variety of memory techniques and tools to memorise information and recall it quickly during exams.

Of course, memory isn’t a substitute for understanding.

You’ll need to understand the topics you’re studying, if not you won’t be able to perform well.

But there are many techniques that will help you to memorise more of what you study.

Here are 23 of the best memory techniques for students.

(Download the free PDF below to learn 3 bonus techniques.)

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Enter your email below to download a PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the techniques found here, plus 3 exclusive bonus techniques that you’ll only find in the PDF.

Memory techniques for studying

As you prepare for your next exam, try out a few of the following memory techniques for students.

I’m confident that you’ll find them useful!

1. Use images

The human brain processes images faster than words.

In fact, 90% of the information that our brains process is visual. We also process visual information 60,000 times faster than words.

So it’s no surprise that we remember images better than words.

That’s why turning words or equations into images is an effective memorisation technique.

Take a fact that you want to remember and convert it into an image. But not just any image – try to make the image funny or exaggerated.

The more ridiculous the image, the easier it will be to remember.

For example, to remember that cations are positively charged ions and anions are negatively charged ions, you could…

  • Imagine a cat, and think about the fact that cats have paws. “Paws” reminds you of “positive”, so cations are positively charged.
  • “Anion” kind of sounds like “onion”, and onions can make you cry. Crying is generally considered to be a negative event, so anions are negatively charged.

Here’s another example.

Let’s say that you want to remember that Neil Armstrong was the first human to step on the moon.

You could imagine a man walking on the moon with a nail (“nail” sounds like “Neil”) in his muscular arm (to remind you of the word “Armstrong”).

Images are powerful as a memory technique, because they’ll enable you to retain more information while spending less time studying overall.

2. “Match” information with sounds or letters

Sounds or letters

Sometimes words sound the same or have similar spelling.

And some words are just difficult to spell.

For example, here’s how you can use sounds or letters to remember these facts:

  • “Grey” is used in England, whereas “gray” is used in America
  • “Necessary” has one “c” and two “s’s”, just as a shirt has one collar and two sleeves
  • Stalagmites (a type of rock formation) grow from the ground, while stalactites grow from the ceiling

3. Use acronyms and mnemonics

Acronyms and mnemonics are also useful memory techniques for students.

An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the first letter of a series of words.

For example, PEMDAS is an acronym for remembering the order of operations in math:

  • Parenthesis
  • Exponents
  • Multiplication
  • Division
  • Addition
  • Subtraction

A mnemonic is a short phrase used to remember a rule or a principle, such as “i” before “e” except after “c”.

This mnemonic reminds students that the letter “i” usually comes before “e” when spelling various words – as in “lie,” “belief” and “pie”.

The exception is when “i” comes after “c” – as in “receive” and “ceiling”.

Here’s another example.

My Very Excited Mother Just Served Us Noodles is a mnemonic you can use to remember the order of the eight planets in our solar system:

  • Mercury
  • Venus
  • Earth
  • Mars
  • Jupiter
  • Saturn
  • Uranus
  • Neptune

In addition, “May I have a pillow?” is a mnemonic you can use to memorise the value of pi: 3.1416 (“may” has 3 letters, “I” has 1 letter, and so on).

It also helps that the first two letters of “pillow” form the word “pi”.

4. Create a story

StoryAnother effective memory technique is to build a story around the facts that you’re trying to memorise.

Let’s say that you’re trying to learn the formula for gravitational potential energy (P.E. = mgh).

You could make up a story where you’re having a PE (physical education) class, when suddenly you see your mother (m), grandmother (g) and a horse (h) standing together.

Or maybe you’re trying to memorise the formula E = mc2 .

You could imagine an elephant (E) walking towards a monkey (m) that’s holding a square-shaped cracker (c2).

5. Connect the information to something that you already know well

Research shows that it’s easier to learn something new if you can link it to something you already understand.

For instance, if you’re learning about electricity, you could compare electricity to water using this analogy:

  • Charge = water in a water tank
  • Current = flow of water
  • Voltage = water pressure

This isn’t a perfect analogy, but it will help you to learn concepts related to electricity faster.

Here’s one more example.

Let’s say that you’re learning about Ancient Rome, and you already know a lot about Ancient Greece. You could connect the two areas of knowledge by noting that:

  • Both the Greeks and Romans relied on agriculture as an important part of their economies.
  • The Greeks were eventually governed through democracy, while the Romans were governed through a mixture of democracy, monarchy and oligarchy.
  • The Greeks colonised, while the Romans conquered.
  • The Greeks spoke Greek, while the Romans spoke Latin.

By forming these connections, you’ll retain more of the information you learn about Ancient Rome.

6. Study in different locations

Study in different locations

Many people will tell you to do all of your studying in one place.

The idea is that this will enable you to study more effectively, because you associate learning with that one place.

But research shows that this isn’t always the case.

In a classic experiment, psychologists gave college students a list of 40 words to memorise.

The students memorised the list in two different rooms. One room was windowless and cluttered, while the other room was modern and had a nice view.

These students did far better when they were tested, as compared to other students who studied the same list of words twice, in the same room.

These results have also been observed in other similar experiments.

So why would it aid in memorisation to study the same material in different locations?

Studying the same material in different settings forces the brain to make multiple associations with the material. In other words, the different settings create more “mental scaffolding” that you can “hang” the new material on.

To take advantage of this effect, try changing your studying environment. Do some of your studying at home, some in school, and some at the library.

But remember that for this technique to work, you need to be studying the same material in different locations.

7. Go to sleep after learning something challenging

You probably know that not getting enough sleep will negatively affect your memory. If you’re wondering what things top students do differently, getting enough sleep is certainly one of them.

But did you know that going to sleep shortly after a study session will improve your recall of the material you just studied?

Research shows that students who went to sleep within a few hours of a learning session were better able to remember what they just learned.

So if you need to learn something that’s especially challenging, do it a few hours before you go to sleep.

8. Go for a walk before trying to memorise information

Walk

Exercise is good for both your body and your brain.

In a study conducted by James T. Haynes IV, participants who walked on a treadmill for 15 minutes before the learning period were better able to remember two lists of 15 words.

To take advantage of this memory technique, go for a short walk before listening to a recording of a lecture, studying flashcards, or memorising definitions or equations.

9. Say the information out loud

This technique is based on research conducted at the University of Waterloo.

The research shows that we are more likely to remember information that we have read aloud to ourselves, compared to information that we have only read silently.

This phenomenon is based on what researchers call the “production effect”.

The explanation for this effect is that words read aloud are more distinctive to our brain than words uttered silently. This distinctiveness aids the process of encoding the information in our memory.

So when you want to memorise a certain piece of information, read it out loud.

10. Understand the information fully before you try to memorise it

One common mistake students make is trying to memorise information without understanding it.

This type of rote learning doesn’t work.

It’s difficult to memorise content when you use rote learning. This is because when you don’t understand a topic, you won’t have any mental “pegs” on which to hang the new information.

This goes back to the idea of “mental scaffolding”, a concept that I mentioned earlier.

Let’s look at an example.

The trigger for World War One was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a 19-year old named Gavrilo Princip.

You could try to memorise this fact on its own, but it would be hard to do so.

Imagine if you also learned these related facts:

  • Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia
  • Bosnia was a part of the Austro-Hungarian empire
  • Serbia wanted to take control of Bosnia
  • Gavrilo Princip was a Serbian nationalist
  • Austria invaded Serbia because it felt threatened by Serbian nationalism
  • Serbia had a treaty with Russia
  • Austria had a treaty with Germany
  • Russia mobilised its forces to support Serbia, and Germany mobilised its forces to support Austria

These additional facts put the original fact in context. As such, it gives you “pegs” on which to hang the original fact.

Here’s another example.

Let’s say you want to learn Pythagoras’ theorem: in a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

If that’s all you learn, it will be difficult to memorise the theorem.

But what if you also learn that – using this theorem – you can find the length of the third side of any right-angled triangle, if you know the lengths of the other two sides?

You’ll then understand why the theorem is useful, which means you’ll find it easier to memorise.

11. Teach other people about what you’ve learned

Teach

Research shows that when people learn material and then teach it to others, their comprehension increases significantly.

So an effective memory technique is to teach others about what you’re learning.

Doing so will increase your comprehension and retention of the material.

Plus, it’s always good to help others and teach them the material if they don’t understand it!

You’ll start to realise that knowledge is meant to be shared and not hoarded, which will increase your motivation to study.

12. Use colours

Colours capture our attention. What’s more, they work as a kind of mental shorthand.

Colours give context to the material you’re studying, and help you to process it more efficiently.

As mentioned earlier, the brain processes visual input – such as colours – 60,000 times faster than text.

This means that when you colour-code information, it allows your brain to pre-process the information before you actually study it.

Here are some tips for using colours to help you to learn better:

  • Colour-code after you’ve taken notes, not while you’re taking notes. (This is because colour-coding while taking notes will interrupt the flow of your study session, and you may also end up overdoing it.)
  • Use highlighters, multi-coloured pens and multi-coloured sticky notes.

Use a consistent colour code across all your subjects and topics.

For example, you might decide to use a system like this:

  • Blue = key fact
  • Green = key explanation
  • Red = key example

Or you might use colour codes for sub-topics like this:

  • Blue = main causes of World War 2
  • Green = main events of World War 2
  • Yellow = main consequences of World War 2

A word of caution: When using colours as a study aid, don’t go overboard. If too much of your study material is coloured or highlighted, you’ll become confused.

13. Write out the information you want to memorise

Write out information

Studies have shown that within two days of hearing or reading new information, we forget 60% of it.

But if we write out the information, our recall increases significantly.

The act of doing this forces us to evaluate and categorise the new information. This process helps to consolidate the new information in our memory.

Of course, it isn’t possible to write out all the information contained in your textbooks – that would take way too much time.

So write out only the key information, equations, definitions, etc. that you need to memorise.

14. Draw tables and diagrams

Many of the memory techniques for students discussed in this article help to create more “mental scaffolding”. This enables you to store new information in your brain more easily.

Another way to add more mental scaffolding is to present the new information in the form of tables, diagrams, and mind maps.

For example, you could draw a simple diagram to explain the carbon cycle.

Or you could draw a Venn diagram to compare the characteristics of birds and bats.

Or you could draw a mind map to illustrate the causes of the Second World War.

By using tables, diagrams, and mind maps, you’ll remember the concepts faster as compared to if you just tried to memorise chunks of text.

15. Whenever possible, use hard-to-read fonts

Fonts

Princeton University and Indiana University researchers discovered an interesting effect. Test subjects had better recall when the information was presented to them in hard-to-read fonts.

One explanation for this is that hard-to-read fonts (like Comic Sans MS) make us think about what we’re reading more deeply. This is in comparison to easy-to-read fonts (like Arial).

But the researchers noted that there are limits to this effect.

As fonts become exceedingly difficult to read, the benefits for information recall begin to diminish.

16. Memorise lists with the rhyming peg-word system

You can use this technique to memorise a list of items.

In the rhyming peg-word system, each number is linked to a noun that rhymes with it.

For example:

  1. = Bun
  2. = Shoe
  3. = Tree
  4. = Door
  5. = Hive
  6. = Sticks
  7. = Heaven
  8. = Gate
  9. = Wine
  10. = Pen

Once you’ve memorised these associations, you can then link the noun to an item in a list that you want to memorise.

For example, let’s say that you want to memorise three elements in the periodic table: hydrogen, oxygen and carbon.

Create an image in your mind that links each of the items with the noun from the list above:

  1. Hydrogen: Imagine a bun tied to a balloon that’s filled with hydrogen.
  2. Oxygen: Imagine an oxygen tank falling on someone’s shoe.
  3. Carbon: Imagine a tree soaking up carbon from the ground and the air.

17. Apply the method of loci (memory palace)

Legend has it that the Greek poet Simonides invented the method of loci, also known as the “memory palace”.

Simonides was attending a dinner banquet when the building suddenly collapsed. He was the only survivor.

The bodies were crushed beyond recognition. But Simonides was able to identify the bodies by remembering where each person had been sitting.

He later realised that this technique – of associating information with places (or loci) – could be used to memorise all kinds of information.

Here’s how to use the technique.

Let’s say you have a list of 10 grocery items that you want to memorise:

  • Bananas
  • Milk
  • Cooking oil
  • Fish
  • Broccoli
  • Peanuts
  • Apples
  • Curry powder
  • Eggs
  • Coffee beans

Visualise yourself opening the front door of your house and realising that the doorknob is actually a banana.

Then imagine that as you open the door, a flood of milk comes pouring out of the house.

You walk down the hall into the kitchen and find that the kitchen table is covered in cooking oil.

Then you see a large fish in the kitchen sink.

Next, you look out the window and see broccoli growing in your garden.

And so on.

You can use the method of loci to remember items, points that you want to cover in a presentation, or tasks that you need to complete.

18. Practise active recall

Active recall

Active recall is a memory technique that takes advantage of what is known as the “testing effect”.

This is the tendency for your memory to improve when you devote some of your learning to retrieving the information in an active way.

Active recall is vastly different from passive recall.

In passive recall, you learn the material in a passive way, e.g. reading notes, listening to an audio recording of a lecture, watching a video about a science concept.

In contrast, in active recall you practise retrieving the information.

You can do this by answering questions about the material or taking quizzes and tests. You can also try the Feynman technique.

Passive recall is a necessary part of learning, but I recommend that the majority of your learning consist of active recall.

19. Make flashcards

Flashcards are a popular study tool.

If you’re already using flashcards, are you using them in the right way?

Here’s a technique for getting the most out of flashcards.

  1. On the front of the card, write the term, concept, word or name of the equation that you want to learn.
  2. On the back of the card, at the top left corner, write the explanation, definition or full equation. As far as possible, use your own words.
  3. At the top right corner, write the category or topic that the term belongs to. If it’s a vocabulary word, you could write the type of word it is, e.g. noun, verb, adjective. If it’s a concept or an event in history, write the topic or upper-level category that it belongs to.
  4. At the bottom left corner, write a sentence or example that contains the term.
  5. At the bottom right corner, draw a picture, diagram or graph that represents the term.

Not all the steps listed above will be applicable in every single situation.

But it’s a good practice to apply as many of the steps as you can, because this will aid your learning.

Here’s an example.

Let’s say that you want to learn about π, the mathematical constant.

  1. On the front of the card, write “π”.
  2. On the back of the card, at the top left corner, write “π = 3.1416″.
  3. At the top right corner, write “mathematical constant”.
  4. At the bottom left corner, write “circumference of a circle = 2πr = πd”.
  5. At the bottom right corner, draw a diagram of a circle and indicate the radius, diameter and circumference of the circle.

When you’re studying, keep a stack of blank flashcards next to you.

Every time you come across a term or concept that you want to memorise, write it down on the front of the flashcard.

Later, when you’re done reading the set of notes, take each of these flashcards and complete the steps outlined above (i.e. steps 2 to 5).

Study your flashcards at regular intervals. Read what’s written on the front of the flashcard, and then see if you can recall what’s written on the back of the flashcard.

By doing this, you’d be applying the principle of active recall, which we discussed in the previous tip.

20. Use chunking to make the information more memorable

Chunking is a memory technique where you break down a topic into sub-topics, or a list of items into smaller groups of items.

Chunking makes the information easier to memorise.

Here’s a simple example.

Let’s say you have a shopping list that contains the following items:

  • Corn
  • Broccoli
  • Cooking oil
  • Cucumber
  • Ketchup
  • Watermelon
  • Flour
  • Rice
  • Coconut milk

You could chunk this list down into four sub-lists based on colour:

Yellow items

  • Corn
  • Cooking oil

Red items

  • Red capsicum
  • Ketchup

White items

  • Flour
  • Rice
  • Coconut milk

Green items

  • Cucumber
  • Broccoli

It will be much easier for you to remember the items on your shopping list because they’re organised according to colour.

Here’s an example that’s more applicable to students.

You might be trying to memorise the names of the presidents of the United States.

You could chunk the list down by dividing it into five sub-lists, comprising presidents from different periods of US history:

  • American Revolution to the end of the Civil War
  • End of the Civil War to the start of WWI
  • Start of WWI to the end of WWII
  • Cold War era
  • Post-Cold War era

In these two examples, the principle is the same. You make the information easier to memorise by categorising it into different groups.

This approach provides the neural scaffolding that will enable you to recall the information later on.

21. Use as many of your senses as possible

5 senses

Have you ever encountered a smell or heard a song that took you back a couple of years to another place?

If so, you’ll understand that your senses play a key role in how we encode memories.

The idea that sensory stimuli like touch, sight, and sound can aid in learning is the basis of the renowned Montessori Method.

The more senses you engage in the learning process, the better you’ll remember the information.

For example, you could use pictures and graphics to summarise key concepts.

You could also play calming classical music during your study sessions, because this has been shown to improve learning.

In addition, you could try out various forms of hands-on learning – such as building models – to enhance your memory too.

22. Review the information using spaced repetition

In the spaced repetition system, students review the same information at increasing intervals over time.

Studies have shown that spaced repetition causes more information to be encoded into long-term memory, as compared to “cramming”.

To implement this tip, try studying the same material over short sessions, separated by intervals that get longer over time.

For example, you could do the first review within a day of learning the new information, then the next review could be three days later, then one week later, then three weeks later, etc.

This might sound tedious, but it will save you many, many hours in the long run!

23. “Mix up” topics through interleaving

Interleaving

Interleaving is a technique that involves learning different related skills or types of knowledge over the course of an hour or longer.

The opposite of interleaving is called “blocking”.

This is where students master one skill or area of knowledge before progressing to the next.

For example, someone who is learning how to play basketball using the blocking approach might focus only on dribbling.

Only after he has mastered dribbling will he move on to learn how to perform a chest pass. And only after he has mastered the chest pass will he move on to learn how to perform a bounce pass.

In blocking, you’d learn Skill A before Skill B, and Skill B before Skill C.

But in interleaving, you’d learn different skills or types of knowledge concurrently – or almost concurrently.

For example, in interleaving, the same basketball player might perform 15 minutes of dribbling drills, followed by 15 minutes of chest pass drills, followed by 15 minutes of bounce pass drills.

This cycle might be repeated 2 to 3 times over the course of a training session.

For many years, educators believed that blocking was the best way to study. But recent research has shown that interleaving produces far better outcomes.

In one study, interleaving resulted in a 25% to 76% improvement in learning.

To take advantage of this memorisation technique, try to mix up your study topics within a given subject over the course of a study session.

For example, if you’re learning geometry, don’t just practise questions related to circle geometry. Do some questions on circles, then some questions on triangles, then some questions on quadrilaterals.

By doing a mixture of somewhat related questions, your overall understanding and recall will improve.

Which memory techniques will you try first?

I know… in this article I’ve discussed a lot of memory techniques for students to use.

There are definitely too many for you to use all of them at once!

I encourage you to go through the list once more and pick out 2 to 3 techniques that you feel would be most beneficial for you.

Once you’ve used those 2 to 3 techniques consistently for several weeks, go back to the list and choose another 2 to 3 to put into practice.

Over time, I’m confident that you’ll see a huge improvement in your ability to recall information – and I’m sure you’ll start to get better grades too!

(Try some of these test-taking strategies to help you maintain your composure during exams.)

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How to Focus When Studying: 20 Uncommonly Effective Tips

Updated on January 6, 2026 By 131 Comments

Focus when studying

Do you find it hard to focus when you’re studying?

There are so many distractions these days: text messages, videos, email and social media.

Not to mention your own wandering mind.

Over the years, I’ve taught many thousands of students how to study more effectively.

One of the best ways to improve your grades is to learn how to focus better while you study.

I’ve come up with this list of 20 tips and techniques to help you concentrate while studying.

(To get 5 additional tips, download the free PDF below.)

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How to focus on studying

You can learn how to focus better by trying some of these techniques during your next study session.

When you find one that works, make it a part of your routine every time you study.

1. Use your phone camera or webcam to record yourself studying

This tip may sound strange, but it works.

Set up your webcam or your phone camera to record a video of yourself studying.

The idea is to create accountability.

Instead of having a friend check on your progress, you have a camera watching everything you do.

Knowing that you are being watched will remind you of your objective.

Just when you’re about to get distracted, you’ll remember that everything you’re doing is being recorded.

It’s a useful reminder to yourself that you’ve made a commitment to study.

2. Use Focusmate

If you want to take it to the next level, use Focusmate instead.

With Focusmate, you make a pre-commitment to study for a 50-minute period at least one day in advance.

You then get paired with a real-life accountability partner.

You must turn on your webcam during the 50-minute session. This means that you and your study partner can see and hear each other during the study session.

If you leave your desk without giving an explanation, your study partner can report you, and vice versa.

Similarly, if you don’t turn up to your study session or if you are late, your study partner can report you.

Non-compliance results in the system marking you down. If your score falls below a certain level, the system will eventually lock you out.

But if you keep your commitments and complete your study session, the system will reward you with points.

3. If you don’t feel like starting work, take 1 minute to prepare yourself mentally

Timer

Sometimes you may not even feel like getting to work.

When this happens, take a minute to prepare yourself mentally.

Set a timer for a minute and tell yourself that you’ll start work when the timer goes off.

By doing this, you’ll be much more likely to get to work at the end of the minute.

This is called an “implementation intention”.

Any time you signal to yourself an intention to do something, it makes it easier to begin that task.

In this case, the implementation intention is to set a timer for a minute before starting a study session, if you feel like procrastinating.

So, if you find it hard to motivate yourself to start studying, take a minute and prepare yourself mentally.

By doing this, you will eliminate the resistance you were experiencing.

4. Before your first study session of the day, create a plan for the day

Make the plan as detailed as possible.

There’s a good reason for this. You must be clear about what you’re going to achieve during each study session.

For example, “study science” is not a sufficiently detailed study plan.

Here’s an example of a plan with enough detail: “Read pages 25 to 32 of the science textbook and create a summary diagram.”

When you break a task down into detailed components, you will have a better idea as to whether it’s achievable within the specified study period.

Another advantage of creating a detailed plan is that it becomes easier to assess your progress.

If you’re halfway through your study period and you’ve already completed half of what you planned to achieve, you’ll know you’re on track.

A key part of studying effectively is setting specific tasks to work on during each study session.

5. Write down exactly why you want to study hard

Another way to stay focused when studying is to be clear about why you want to study hard in the first place.

Write down the reasons you want to study hard.

Keep the list handy so you can remind yourself of these reasons when you find yourself losing concentration.

For example, you might write down:

  • “I want to become a more knowledgeable person.”
  • “I want to become a more self-driven person.”
  • “I want to cultivate the habit of always doing my best.”
  • “I want to make the most of my educational opportunities and learn as much as I can.”

Try to focus on process-oriented reasons rather than outcome-oriented reasons.

Why?

Because outcomes are often beyond your control, whereas the process is always within your control.

For example, the outcome of getting A’s for all your subjects is, in some ways, beyond your control. But studying for a total of at least 2 hours every day is a process that is within your control.

Here’s another reason to focus on the process rather than on the outcome.

The outcome could be something that may only come to pass in the distant future.

On the other hand, the process is something you engage in every day.

It’s far more effective to measure the achievement of the process than the achievement of the outcome.

6. Keep track of all the tasks you’ve completed

Keep track of tasks

Keep a record of all the tasks you complete each day.

This is important for two reasons.

Firstly, it allows you to monitor whether you are meeting the objectives set in your study plan.

If you are not meeting your objectives, you may have underestimated the time required for the tasks.

But if you are completing your tasks with time to spare, you may be able to set your targets higher.

Secondly, it’s important for your morale to see that you are making progress.

Studying is an activity where progress isn’t always easy to measure. But when you keep track of the tasks you have completed, you’ll be clearer about the progress you are making.

This will remind you that you have been productive, which will keep you motivated.

7. Put only the materials you need for your current task on your desk

The brain is able to process information more effectively in an uncluttered environment. This is what researchers have discovered.

As such, it’s a good idea to place on your desk only the items that you need to complete the task at hand. For example, this might consist of the assignment, a pen, a pencil, an eraser, and a calculator.

Make a list of what items you’ll need during your study session. Make sure you have only those items on your desk.

If your study area is disorganised, take a couple of minutes to tidy it up before you start work.

Having things neat and tidy has a calming effect on your mind and will help you to concentrate.

8. Get your brain ready by doing deep breathing exercises before each study session

Deep breathing exercises increase the ability of your mind to focus.

Researchers at Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience have studied the effect of breathing exercises on the body’s production of noradrenaline.

Noradrenaline functions as a neurotransmitter, which affects your concentration.

By regulating your breathing, you can optimise your levels of noradrenaline.

The researchers concluded that “there is a strong connection between breath-centred practices and a steadiness of mind”.

Here is a simple breathing exercise that will bring calm and focus to your mind before you study:

  • Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for 4 seconds.
  • When you feel that your lungs are full of air, hold your breath for 2 seconds.
  • Then slowly exhale through your nose for 4 seconds.

Do this exercise three times in succession before the start of every study session.

Try it out now to see how relaxed it makes you feel!

9. Don’t study in bed

Do not study in bed

Don’t try to do anything productive while lying or sitting in bed.

It’s important that the place where you study is not the same as the place where you sleep.

You won’t be able to study effectively in a place that you associate with relaxing or sleeping. In fact, this is my first suggestion when students ask me how to avoid sleepiness while studying.

Also, if you study in bed you will either be lying down or sitting cross-legged.

Neither of these positions is conducive for maximal focus. These positions may even result in neckaches and backaches.

What’s more, you may end up taking unintended naps!

So do your work at a proper study desk, every single time – this is a good habit that every student should cultivate!

10. Adjust the temperature of your studying environment

Make sure the temperature where you are studying is optimal.

Researchers at Cornell University found some interesting results when office temperatures were raised from 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F).

Typing errors fell by 44% and output increased by about 150%.

Most research shows that the temperature most conducive for working and studying is in the range of 22°C to 25°C (72°F to 77°F).

So if it’s possible for you to adjust the temperature of your studying environment, keep it within this range.

11. Write down exactly what you’re working on at the moment

Every time you begin a study session, write down the task that you’ll be working on.

Do this on a rough sheet of paper and leave it on your study desk. This way, it will serve as a constant reminder about what you should be doing at the moment.

Just as you need a detailed plan for the day (Tip #4), you also need a detailed plan for each study session.

For example, if you write down “Do math assignment” for the current study session, it’s not specific enough.

“Do math assignment, questions 1 to 3” is more specific, so you’re more likely to stay on task.

12. Tell your family your study schedule for the day

Schedule

Post your study schedule on your bedroom door or on the fridge door in the kitchen.

This way, your family will know when they shouldn’t disturb you.

There’s another benefit to doing this. It also gives you a greater sense of accountability.

By making a pre-commitment to your family about when you’ll be studying, you’ll be more likely to stick to your study schedule.

All in all, this is a simple tip that will enable you to concentrate when you’re studying.

13. Put all of your digital devices in another room

This might seem like common sense, but I’m surprised how many of my teenage coaching clients were not doing this before I started working with them.

The old adage “out of sight, out of mind” applies here.

Leave your tablet and phone in another room and put them on silent mode.

Minimising temptations is one of the keys to being productive.

In addition, even if you feel tempted to check your phone, you probably won’t do it because the effort required to walk to the other room is too great.

14. Use these two apps to eliminate digital distractions

The first app I recommend is Forest.

With this app, your study session “becomes” a tree.

At the beginning of the session, you plant the tree and it starts to grow. But if you close the app, the tree dies – and nobody wants their precious tree to die!

By using the app, you’ll have a more productive study session.

Of course, having your phone next to you while you study could be a distraction (as mentioned in the previous tip).

This means that you’ll need to be careful not to use your phone for anything else.

The second app you can use to remove digital distractions is Freedom.

You can schedule this app to block other apps such as YouTube, games, and social media to keep you on track.

15. Listen to classical music while studying

Classical music

Listening to classical music is another way to help you focus when studying.

Dr. Masha Godkin, professor at Northcentral University, has researched the effects of music on our brains.

She found that classical music can take you from the beta brainwave state to the deeper alpha state, and even further to the theta state.

According to Dr. Godkin, the ability of music to stimulate both sides of the brain is why music helps you focus and also improves your memory.

Classical music with a fast tempo, such as Beethoven’s Für Elise, is effective in helping students to concentrate and remember more information.

16. If you don’t like classical music, listen to music/sounds from these two websites

If you don’t like classical music, try using Coffitivity instead.

Coffitivity simulates the sounds you would hear in a cafe to boost your creativity and brain function.

It’s designed based on research at the University of Chicago. This research shows that we think better and are more creative when there is a moderate level of background noise.

Alternatively, try listening to Brain.fm.

Brain.fm offers music engineered to help you achieve and sustain deep focus.

Personally, I use Brain.fm almost every day, and I’ve found it to be useful. By listening to Brain.fm, I’m able to stay focused for about 50% longer than before!

17. Use earphones or headphones while studying

If you intend to use Tips #15 or #16, then you’ll probably want to use earphones or headphones.

But even if you don’t want to listen to any type of music, using earphones or headphones is still a good way to improve your concentration while you study.

Why?

Because they insulate you from the outside world.

Using earphones or headphones is a signal to others that you are occupied.

This reduces the likelihood that others will interrupt your study session.

Wearing earphones or headphones will also remind yourself that you are in the middle of a study session.

18. Count how many study sessions you complete each day

Count study sessions

There’s a saying that “what gets measured, gets done”. This principle applies to study sessions too.

Keep track of how many study sessions you complete each day.

This way, you’ll become more intentional about getting to work.

Let’s say that you typically study in blocks of 30 minutes.

Before you begin your first study session of the day, you might decide that your goal for the day is to do at least 3 sessions of 30 minutes each.

As the day goes by, count how many sessions you’ve completed.

By keeping score in this way, you’ll focus on the process of doing the work. As a result, you’ll get more work done!

19. When you feel as if you’re about to get distracted, write it down

It’s inevitable: From time to time, you’ll get distracted during your study sessions. So you need a strategy for dealing with these distractions.

Here’s a technique that works well.

Let’s say that you’re reading your science notes when you get the urge to check your text messages.

Instead of giving in to the temptation, write down on a rough sheet of paper: “Check text messages.”

Once you’ve done that, you’ll find that it’s easier to go back to studying.

During your next break, you can go ahead and do what you’ve listed on that rough sheet of paper. In this case, you can check your text messages.

Why is this technique effective?

Because instead of simply trying to resist the urge, you get to “take action” by writing down the distraction. In doing so, you’re acknowledging the urge without giving in to it.

This leaves you free to go back to what you were doing before – studying.

20. Set an end time for when you’ll stop studying each day

Set end time for studying

This might not be the advice you were expecting.

After all, shouldn’t you be trying to study for as many hours as you can every day?

No, because the idea is to study smart, not just hard.

Of course, you need to work hard. But it’s also essential to lead a balanced life.

So set a strict deadline, such as 9:30 pm, and make sure that you don’t do any work after that time. The best time of the day to study is specific to every student, but it’s important that you decide when you’ll stop studying each day.

This will give you time to wind down before going to bed. This means that you’ll be able to get those 8 hours of sleep that you need to optimise your academic performance.

There’s another advantage to setting a specific end time for when you’ll stop studying each day.

Clearly defined limits help you to concentrate on what you’re doing right now.

You won’t get distracted as often, because you know that you won’t stay up late to catch up on the time you’ve wasted because of procrastination.

The result?

You’ll learn more in less time, and you’ll get good grades too.

Conclusion

Staying focused while studying is something that all students struggle with.

But there are many things you can do to help you concentrate and get into a flow state when studying.

As described in this article, there are plenty of ways to harness the power of your mind and make it work with you, not against you.

So take at least several study tips from this article and work them into your routine, starting today.

If you do this, you’ll find that your study sessions will become more productive and enjoyable!

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Growth Mindset for Students: 10 Phrases Every Student Should Use

Updated on January 6, 2026 By 25 Comments

Successful and resilient studentsDoes a growth mindset for students matter?

It definitely does.

The words and phrases you use as you talk to yourself shape the way you feel.

Your self-talk can make you feel discouraged, or it can lift you up.

As a student, it’s important to pay attention to the words you use as you talk to yourself and others about your frustrations and challenges.

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Fixed mindset versus growth mindset

The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. – Professor Carol Dweck, mindset researcher

Your thoughts are powerful.

So, what are you telling yourself? What stories about yourself are running on repeat?

Much of our understanding of the power of mindset comes from Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck.

In her research, Dweck discovered that our mindset can determine whether we become the person we want to be, and whether we achieve the goals we most desire.

Dweck outlined two mindsets:

Fixed mindset

Students with a fixed mindset believe their abilities and intelligence are fixed traits; you either have a specific talent or trait, or you don’t.

When you believe your qualities are carved in stone, you feel an urgency to continually prove that you’re worthy of success.

Students with a fixed mindset might say things like “I just can’t do sports” or “I just don’t get math”.

They’re likely to see a bad grade as a failure rather than as an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

Growth mindset

Students who have a growth mindset believe they can develop their talents and improve over time.

Maybe they’re not a “natural” at everything, but these students know that if they work hard enough, they can and will get better.

When students have a growth mindset, they also have a passion for learning. They know that it’s not the outcome but the journey of becoming a better student and person that matters.

When you cultivate a growth mindset, you build confidence. You don’t fear criticism or rejection, and you learn from your mistakes to continually maximise your potential.

You know that your effort is what’s important. Everything else — your intelligence, abilities, talents, and relationships — you can work to develop.

10 phrases that students with a growth mindset use

Idea

So, you’re ready to adopt a growth mindset.

What should you say to yourself to embrace this mindset?

Here are 10 phrases you can use to become a more successful and resilient student.

Give these phrases a try, then observe how your thoughts and behaviour begin to change.

1. “I get to” (don’t say “I have to”)

Instead of saying “I have to”, say “I get to”.

The words “I have to” create a feeling of annoyance. The task at hand will become a burden that you can’t escape from.

But if you say “I get to”, you’ll create a feeling of opportunity and gratitude. The task will seem like a privilege instead of a chore.

For example, don’t say to your parents that you have to take part in the school play. Instead, try saying: “I get to participate in the play and see if acting is something I enjoy.”

Notice the difference? Now, it’s not a burden; it’s an opportunity.

Here’s another example.

Instead of thinking to yourself, “I have to go to school”, try saying to yourself, “I get to go to school”.

You’ll instantly feel happier! You’ll also feel more motivated to go to school and to study.

You’ll also remember that millions of children and teenagers around the world want to go to school, but don’t have the opportunity to.

2. “I’ll figure it out” (don’t say “I can’t do it”)

There are very few things in life that you simply cannot do. You may need some help, or you may need more information.

Almost always, there’s a solution.

But when you say “I can’t do it”, it stops you from finding the solution.

So say “I’ll figure it out” instead, and you’ll see how this growth mindset for students makes you more successful and resilient!

3. “I learned something” (don’t say “I made a mistake”)

Learn

Mistakes are valuable lessons in disguise.

The more open you are to making mistakes, the faster you’ll learn.

But to do that, you have to start seeing mistakes as opportunities to learn.

Here’s a real-life example of someone with this attitude.

Thomas Edison famously made 10,000 failed attempts at inventing the light bulb before he succeeded.

When a reporter asked him how it felt to fail 10,000 times, Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 10,000 times. I didn’t even fail one time. I succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work.”

Mistakes are a vital part of the learning process. So, when you make a mistake, say to yourself: “I learned something.”

4. “I’m working on this” (don’t say “I’m bad at this”)

When you say “I’m bad at this”, you send a message to your brain that this is just the way you are. You’re telling yourself that it’s a permanent trait that you can’t change.

But this isn’t true.

The more you practise anything, the better you’ll get.

Look at anyone who’s good at a particular skill. For example, a ballerina, a guitarist, or an award-winning writer.

Those people are outstanding at what they do because they’ve put in thousands of hours of practice — they understand the importance of developing a growth mindset.

When you tell yourself “I’m working on it”, you’re reminding yourself that learning is a process that takes effort.

You’re also reminding yourself that if you keep at it, you’re sure to make progress.

5. “This will take some time” (don’t say “I’m not smart enough”)

As a student, you’ll come across something you don’t understand every day.

It might be a math equation, or it might be a word you don’t know the meaning of.

When you don’t understand something, it’s natural to think: “This is too hard — I’m not smart enough.”

Instead, try saying to yourself: “This is complicated — it will take some time to understand it.”

Let’s face it … some subjects are complicated and require you to study smarter.

But that doesn’t mean you’ll never master a certain topic. It just means that you need more time.

Keep persevering and the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place. Over time, you’ll become a better and more resilient student.

6. “I don’t” (don’t say “I can’t”)

Write out information

A big part of being a successful student is learning to say no to temptations.

The first thing is to accept that temptations will arise.

The temptation to watch videos instead of studying. Or the temptation to stay up late, when you know you should go to bed.

What’s important is how you deal with such temptations.

Research has shown that the way we talk to ourselves plays a big role in how we deal with temptations.

For example, you might say to yourself: “I can’t watch TV because I haven’t finished my homework.”

This kind of self-talk tends to increase the level of temptation because it focuses your attention on something you can’t do (watch TV).

Instead, try saying to yourself: “I don’t watch TV until I’ve finished my homework.”

Do you notice the difference?

Instead of feeling restricted, the second statement makes you feel powerful and in control. The temptation has suddenly shrunk in size.

Why?

Because now you have the power, not the temptation. So start developing the habit of saying “I don’t” instead of “I can’t”!

7. “I will” (don’t say “I should”)

Instead of saying that you should do something, try saying that you will do it. This is a hallmark of a growth mindset for students.

One problem with saying “I should” is that it can easily turn into wishful thinking. You aren’t making a commitment to take positive action.

That’s why it’s better to replace “should” statements with “will” statements.

  • Instead of saying “I should exercise more often”, try saying “I will exercise more often”.
  • Instead of saying “I should manage my time better”, try saying “I will manage my time better”.
  • Instead of saying “I should pay attention in class”, try saying “I will pay attention in class”.

“Will” statements empower you to make a change. On the other hand, “should” statements trap you in a state of inaction.

8. “How can I keep improving?” (don’t say “I’m already good at this”)

Planning

When you think about your performance in different subjects or activities, you might be tempted to say, “I’m already good at this.”

But it’s better to say to yourself, “How can I keep improving?”

Let’s say you’re one of the best writers in your class. If you tell yourself that you’re already a good writer, so you don’t need to practise more, then you won’t maximise your potential.

But if you focus on improving, then you’ll become an even better writer.

The process is what counts, and there’s always room for improvement.

It’s by understanding this principle that world-class performers become the best in their field.

9. “I’ll find out” (don’t say “I don’t know”)

When you don’t know the answer to something, instead of saying “I don’t know”, try saying “I’ll find out”.

With the Internet, there’s never been another time in human history when it’s been so easy to gain access to knowledge. (Take this article on the importance of a growth mindset for students as an example!)

If you adopt this “I’ll find out” mindset, you’ll enlarge the horizons of your knowledge.

But if you say “I don’t know”, you’ll close the door to expanding your mind.

10. “This is a challenging opportunity” (don’t say “This is a problem”)

In your life as a student, you’ll face problems that seem insurmountable.

Imagine that you’ve prepared a speech to give to your class. At the last minute, you realise that you’ve lost your notes.

You’ll be delivering the speech in three minutes.

What will you do?

Instead of seeing the situation as a problem, look at it as a challenging opportunity.

Because you don’t have your notes, you’ll speak more spontaneously. You’ll also make more eye contact with your audience.

Your teacher might even congratulate you on giving a fantastic speech! And it’s all because you turned a problem into a challenging opportunity.

Language is powerful

Here’s a table that sums up the key points of this article on the value of a growth mindset for students:

Comparison table

Student life is full of challenges.

The words you use when you talk about these challenges affect the way you deal with them.

Language is powerful because it shapes the way we think. In our self-talk, we all have a tendency to use words that limit our ability to deal with challenges.

The next time you face a challenge, change the words you use to talk about it. Use the positive phrases listed in this article and observe the difference it makes.

You’ll gain a sense of power and develop a success mindset, one phrase at a time. You’ll become a better student who’s more resilient too.

I encourage you to get started today!

(If you haven’t already done so, make sure to download your free quick action guide below.)

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22 Study Habits That Guarantee Good Grades

Updated on January 6, 2026 By 18 Comments

Study habits

Were you hoping to get an A for your last test or exam, but your study habits got in the way?

Maybe you got a B, or maybe you did worse than that.

It’s annoying, isn’t it…

You put in all those hours of studying. You even gave up time with your friends.

So what if I could show you a way to work smarter and not harder, so you get good grades and have time for the things you enjoy and find meaningful?

Even better, what if I could guarantee it?

Well, I can.

All you have to do is adopt these 22 study habits.

(Throughout my career as a student I got straight A’s, so I can promise you that these study habits work.)

Want to get the grades you’ve always wanted while also leading a balanced life?

Then let’s get started.

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The best study habits

Add these effective study habits to your routine to start getting good grades with a lot less stress.

Habit #1: Create a weekly schedule

When you schedule time for a particular task like studying, you’re saying to yourself, “I’m going to focus on studying at this time, on this date, and it’s going to take this number of hours.”

Once it’s down in writing, it becomes a reality and you’re more likely to stick to it.

This might sound weird, but it’s true.

Do this in your calendar, in a spreadsheet, or download a template – whatever works best for you.

First, think about your fixed commitments like school, sports practice, family time, religious activities and so on.

Now, decide which times around these fixed commitments are the best for you to do your work and revision each week.

Don’t worry about exactly what work you’ll be doing, or what assignments are due. Just focus on blocking out the times.

Your weekly study schedule might look something like this (the blue slots are the times you’ve blocked out to do work):

Weekly schedule

Give yourself a study-free day (or at least half a day) once a week.

Everyone needs a break, so you’re more likely to come back to the work refreshed if you give yourself permission to take some time off.

Habit #2: Create a pre-studying checklist

Have you ever heard your mother say you should never go to the supermarket without a shopping list?

You’ll wander up and down the aisles, wasting time. You’ll make poor choices about what to buy and end up with all the wrong things for dinner.

By using a shopping list, your mind will be focused. You’ll only put items in your shopping trolley that you need, checking them off as you go.

It’s no different from a checklist used by a pilot before he takes off, or a mechanic as he services a car.

Checklists are essential as you learn how to develop good study habits. They ensure that you cover all the necessary steps to achieve an outcome.

Here are some of the things that might be on your pre-studying checklist:

  • Set up workspace
  • Make sure your phone is in another room or turned off
  • Let family members know not to disturb you until the end of the study session
  • Gather together all the notes and reference books needed
  • Get a glass of water
  • Set timer

Keep your checklist handy, and tick everything off at the start of every study session.

Habit #3: Create a study plan

The purpose of a study plan is similar to that of a checklist. It keeps you on track.

When you go camping, you might have a checklist that covers all the equipment you need to pack into the car.

But you also need a road map to show you how to get to the campsite. It allows you to plan your route, and keeps you focused on your destination.

So, at the start of each study session, create a study plan.

For example, today you might need to complete a math assignment and write up the summary notes of chapter 4 of your history textbook.

Write down the key tasks, together with a list of steps you’ll need to take along the way.

To complete your math assignment, you might write:

  • Read notes from math class
  • Read chapter in the textbook on algebraic calculations
  • Do questions 1 to 3

Your study plan will help you concentrate on what you need to get done today, without being distracted by the things that can wait until tomorrow.

Habit #4: Study offline as much as possible

Study offline

When you study, you want to be focused, which means limiting all those annoying interruptions that happen when you’re online.

Switch off your Internet connection and give your brain the peace and quiet it needs to concentrate.

And while you’re at it, try not to use a laptop to take notes.

This may sound like strange advice, but research has shown that taking notes by hand is a much smarter way of learning.

When you write notes by hand, your brain absorbs the meaning of what you’re writing. But when you use a laptop, you’re not processing what you’re learning as deeply.

Habit #5: Take three deep breaths before each study session

What’s the one thing that comes to you so naturally, you don’t even think about it?

Breathing.

We each take about 20,000 breaths a day, so you’d think we’d be pretty good at it. But did you know that there are better ways to breathe than others?

And guess who breathes the best? Babies.

As babies, we all take deep, relaxing breaths. These breaths push the oxygen around our bodies and into our brains, helping us to concentrate better.

But as we get older, we take shorter, faster breaths. As a result, we have trouble staying alert.

There are plenty of ways to breathe more deeply, but here’s one method you can try before you start each study session:

  • Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose for four seconds
  • Exhale through your mouth for four seconds
  • Repeat three times

Tip: Try this just before you go to bed as well. It will help you sleep better.

Habit #6: Learn how to motivate yourself

Do you find that sometimes it’s almost impossible to start studying? In fact, your body feels like a heavy stone as you drag yourself towards your workspace.

Don’t worry. Everyone feels like that from time to time.

You just need to know how to motivate yourself to study, and to do that we’re going to create another list.

This time, write down all the reasons why you want to study hard, such as:

  • I want to do my best
  • I want to become more disciplined
  • I want to prepare well for the future
  • I want to develop perseverance
  • I want to learn as much as I can

Put your list somewhere you can see it. The next time you feel like watching TV instead of studying, go through your list.

You’ll be fired up and ready to get back to your studies in no time!

Habit #7: Take notes during class

Taking notes in class is an important study tip to implement.

Why?

Think about the number of classes you go to every day at school and the mountain of information that gets thrown at you.

You’d never be able to remember everything you learned without taking notes.

Taking notes also helps you to absorb and retain information much better than just listening.

And lastly, think of your class notes as the backbone of your focused study time. They sum up what you’ve learned, and they make your study time more efficient.

(Here are some proven tips on how to take notes effectively.)

Habit #8: Review what you learned in school that day

Review what you learned

Reviewing new information you learned in class is one of the most effective study habits you can develop.

Before the end of each day, read the notes you took or re-read the chapter that your teacher taught in class.

It won’t take long to do, and it will help you retain what you learned. It will also make the process of moving the information from short-term to long-term memory smoother.

Habit #9: Read your notes before you start doing your homework

This is similar to the last study habit we talked about.

The first thing you should do in your study session is to re-read the notes you took in class before you start the homework assignment for that topic.

Don’t forget to include this task in your study plan (see Habit #3).

It will refresh your memory, so you’ll be well prepared to tackle the assignment and you’ll finish your homework faster.

Habit #10: Get at least eight hours of sleep every night

We all know that a good night’s sleep makes us more alert and energised the next day.

But did you know that it also improves your memory and makes you a better student?

You probably think there’s no way a top student could get enough sleep, but you’re wrong. In fact, getting eight hours of sleep before an exam is more effective than staying up late, trying to cram all the information in.

The best way to make sure you get eight hours of good quality sleep is to go to bed at the same time each night. (Set an alarm to remind you, if necessary.)

Read a chapter of a book, but don’t read it on your phone or tablet. This is because the light from such screens makes it difficult for the brain to wind down and inhibits melatonin production.

In addition, turn off phones and other electronic devices that may disturb you during the night.

Habit #11: Create an environment that helps you study

Trying to work in a noisy room, or one with poor lighting, is going to make your study time less effective.

To develop good study habits, take a few minutes to ensure your workspace is conducive to studying.

Here are a few things to think about:

  • Do you have the necessary supplies and stationery within reach?
  • Is the lighting adequate?
  • Make sure your desk is tidy and uncluttered (do this before and after each study session)
  • Is the room at the right temperature?
  • Is your work chair comfortable?
  • Is the room quiet? (Use earplugs if necessary)
  • Is your phone switched off?
  • Delete any apps on your phone that you might be tempted to open when you should be studying
  • Are there any other distractions in the room that might disturb you, like a magazine or the TV? Switch them off or remove them altogether.

Habit #12: Time your study sessions and breaks

Time your study sessions

Do you find it hard to concentrate for more than 45 minutes at a time? That’s perfectly normal.

In fact, I’d recommend that you take a 5-minute break from studying every 30 to 40 minutes.

Don’t fall into the study habit of stretching out your break so it ends up being longer than your study time, though.

When you start a study session, set a timer for 30 to 40 minutes and then take a break. Likewise, set the timer for the end of the break so you know when to get back to work.

Habit #13: When you take a study break, step away from your desk

To develop good study habits, don’t forget to take breaks and use them wisely.

Step away from your desk and do something completely different to give your brain a break, as well as your body. Go for a short walk around the block or get a snack from the kitchen.

I encourage you not to watch a video, turn on the TV or check your social media news feed.

This is because these activities won’t give your brain a proper break.

Habit #14: Make use of the breaks you have during the school day

Do you have a long break in the middle of the school day or after lunch?

Is there something useful you could be doing with this time?

Maybe you could review the notes you took that morning or start preparing your study plan for later in the day.

Another great use of your free time is to seek out a fellow student and talk about what you’ve just learned. This is especially so if you need some clarification, or if you have doubts about something.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s an excellent way to learn faster and better.

Habit #15: Stay on top of your homework

This may sound like an obvious habit to cultivate as a student, but I’m often surprised by the number of students who let their homework pile up.

If it gets out of hand, just the thought of doing your homework can become overwhelming and stressful.

Before you know it, you’ll find yourself working so hard to catch up, you’ll have no time to study for important tests and exams, which are stressful enough on their own.

One of the most effective study habits to practise is to start your homework on the day it’s assigned.

At the very least, take a look at the questions while the information you learned is still fresh in your mind.

That way, if you have to come back to it later, you’ll have a rough framework as a starting point, making it much easier to complete.

Habit #16: Ask your teachers for help at least once a week

Ask teachers for help

Your teachers are there to help you succeed. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them.

Asking for help is a crucial study habit to cultivate.

Include asking for help in your weekly schedule (see Habit #1) and keep a list of any questions you think of during the week.

Bring the list of questions with you, and don’t let them pile up.

If you let the questions pile up, you may start to feel overwhelmed, and you may become reluctant to seek help.

Habit #17: Use a planner to keep track of assignments and deadlines

If you’re not organised when it comes to things related to school, you’ll waste precious time doing last-minute work you forgot about.

Or you may stay up late to finish an assignment you should have started a week earlier.

Use a planner to keep track of important dates, tasks and deadlines. You can either use a physical diary or an online one like Google Calendar.

The important thing is to keep your planner up to date, so you don’t have to rely on your memory or wait for your teachers to remind you.

Planning and studying effectively will improve your test-taking skills and performance.

Don’t just include the date of a test, for example, when you use your planner. Include a reminder to start revising for the test well in advance.

And review your planner at least once a week. Every Monday, go through all the upcoming deadlines, and prioritise the tasks and projects you’ll need to keep on top of for the week.

Habit #18: Test yourself periodically

Don’t wait for regular tests and exams to come around before you start studying. Set mini-tests for yourself every few weeks.

You may have reviewed your class notes once, but it doesn’t mean the information has been absorbed or effectively memorised for a future exam.

Here’s how to test yourself…

When you review your class notes, highlight some of the key things you’ve learned.

For example, in history it might be the date of an important event. Write down some test questions on a separate sheet of paper as you go, such as “When did the war start?” or “What caused the civil war?”

The next day, pull out the test questions and see how many answers you can remember.

It takes some effort to succeed at a test you give yourself, but that effort will be rewarded when it comes to exam time.

Habit #19: Check your work before you consider it done

When you finish an assignment, don’t consider it done until you’ve double-checked your work for careless mistakes.

Here’s what you should be looking out for:

  • Spelling mistakes
  • Grammar mistakes
  • Poor presentation
  • Have I responded to the question?
  • Have I left out key facts?
  • Have I got the equations correct?

Habit #20: Keep a “worry” list

Keep a "worry" list

It’s common for students to worry about not doing well, but it’s a distracting pastime.

When you worry about something, it can hinder your ability to focus on learning and improving.

That’s why you need to keep a “worry” list.

Strange as it may sound, research has shown that writing down a list of your fears about school can actually improve your grades.

When you write down a list of your worries, it’s as though you’re unloading your anxieties and freeing up your brain to concentrate on learning.

So whenever a worry pops into your mind, write it down and move on.

Habit #21: Use online resources (if your teacher isn’t available)

Your teacher should be the first person you go to with a question or concern about the class material – unless you can easily find the answer on the Internet.

But if your teachers aren’t available when you need something clarified (which often happens in the middle of study time), there are some great online resources you can use.

Here are some of them:

Habit #22: If you struggle with procrastination, use the Pomodoro Technique

Procrastination or a lack of focus is a big problem during study time.

We’ve already talked about the need to take regular breaks (see Habit #13), but there’s another method you might find useful.

It’s called the Pomodoro Technique.

The idea is that you’ll stay on top of your work if you break your study periods up into focused but manageable bursts of 25 minutes.

This is instead of trying to concentrate for two hours or more at a go, which takes a lot of energy and willpower.

The objective is to train your brain to focus on a task that needs to be completed and postpone all distractions until later.

Here’s how it works:

  • Set a timer for 25 minutes
  • Concentrate 100% on studying until the timer rings
  • Take a five-minute break – and remember to step away from your desk
  • Repeat until the end of your study session

Here are some apps you can try:

  • Focus Booster – This is available for desktop and mobile devices. You can download the starter version for free.
  • Pomofocus – This one is free and doesn’t need downloading. Just open it up and start the timer.

Check out this article for even more apps you can use.

Start practising your new study habits

Well done! You’ve read about the 22 study habits that are guaranteed to improve your grades.

(On top of that, here are 8 bad study habits you’ll want to avoid.)

Reading about these habits is a great start. But nothing’s going to change if you just click away from this article.

If you’re wondering how to get good grades, you need to take action – every day, every week, and every month. Start tomorrow with just one new study habit. Make it part of your daily routine.

After a week, pick another one and put it into practice.

Before you know it, you’re going to turn those disappointing B’s and C’s into straight A’s. I guarantee it!

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How to Motivate Your Teenager to Do Better in School: 10 Tips Guaranteed to Work

Updated on January 6, 2026 By 32 Comments

Motivate your children to do well in school

Do you have trouble motivating your children to study?

It’s a common problem that I see in my coaching work with pre-teens and teens.

I notice that many parents approach this problem in the wrong way.

In this article, I’m going to explain 10 principles for motivating children to do well in school.

(Don’t forget to download your free e-book below.)

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How NOT to motivate your teenager to do better in school

The first five items on the list below might be things you’ve done in the past, but there’s no reason to get down on yourself about them.

They’re simply common parenting habits that are born from good intentions, but ultimately are not effective motivational tools.

You can start today to become a better listener, less controlling, and more accepting. Let’s take a look at what to avoid going forward.

1. Don’t annoy your children

One of the keys to motivating your children to work hard is not to annoy them.

This may seem odd at first, as we’re used to parents getting annoyed with children, not vice versa.

Mother and sonBut relationships are a two-way street, and parents can also annoy children.

If your children are continually upset with you over things you say or do, they will find it hard to listen to you.

You may have some great wisdom to offer them, but your children won’t be receptive to your advice.

Parents often engage in power struggles with their children. For some of us, these are habits we learned from our own childhoods.

But power struggles with your children consume a lot of energy. And that’s energy that could be spent on something more constructive.

Another habit to avoid is making comments that suggest your child isn’t good enough.

This may be something you’re not aware that you do.

It may be very subtle. For example, take the statement: “You’re improving, but I know you can do better.”

On the surface, it sounds like encouragement. But you’re actually telling your child that he or she isn’t good enough.

Or take a statement that begins: “When I was your age…” These kinds of statements usually involve a comparison that leaves your children feeling bad. So avoid making these types of comments.

Another trap that parents fall into is comparing their children with someone else’s. Parents often hope that these comparisons will inspire their children to do better.

Unfortunately, these comments have the opposite effect.

“I hear that John got A’s in all his subjects the last term” may seem like an innocent remark. But it’s a comparison that leaves your child feeling worse about himself or herself.

This is not the way to motivate your children.

Sometimes, parents try to motivate their children by giving them lectures. But lectures tend to make children feel powerless and resentful.

Instead of lecturing your children, discuss the issue with them and ask them what they think. This is much more effective than lecturing them.

Why?

Because it gets them involved, and makes them part of the solution.

2. Don’t use rewards, punishments, or threats

win prizes signAs a parent, it’s tempting to use rewards, punishments or threats to motivate your children to behave in a certain way.

Research has shown this approach doesn’t work in the long term.

There are three reasons in particular that rewards and punishments are to be avoided.

Firstly, rewards and punishments are bad for your relationship with your children.

They teach your children that they’re loved for what they do and not for who they are. Children who grow up unsure that they’re loved for who they are tend to make poor life choices later on.

Secondly, rewards and punishments may get short-term results, but they ignore the underlying issue: Why is your child not motivated?

It’s much better to address the root cause than to use a band-aid approach of rewards and punishments.

Thirdly, rewards and punishments put your children’s focus entirely on outcomes. Your children’s level of motivation is based on the promise of the reward or the threat of the punishment.

Rewards, punishments and threats don’t teach your children how to develop intrinsic motivation. They don’t cultivate in your children a love of learning.

As mentioned earlier in this article, it’s better to focus on the process and not the outcome. This way, your children will develop self-discipline and a sense of responsibility.

So what should you do instead of using rewards and punishments?

Discuss with your children the joy (and benefits) of learning and studying.

Explain to them that most rewarding careers require an investment of time and effort.

But it’s also important to explain to your children that the process itself is rewarding, even though it will involve sacrifices.

Discuss with your children what their hopes and aspirations are.

Help them to dream big and dare to fail – and model for them how you’re doing the same in your own life.

This approach produces the kind of intrinsic motivation and self-discipline that will last a lifetime.

3. Don’t try to control all of their actions

mother and puppet toyIf you want to motivate your children, they need to feel as if they’re in control of their lives.

Being motivated comes from knowing that you can shape your future through the actions you take today.

But if children feel as if their parents are in complete (or almost complete) control, they will have little motivation.

Some parents hover over their children like a helicopter. They micromanage every last detail of their children’s lives.

The result is that the children never develop a sense that they’re responsible for their education and their lives.

By empowering your children, they’ll develop a sense of autonomy and responsibility.

Talk to your children regularly about expectations and consequences.

As a parent, I’m sure you have expectations of your children. For example, you may expect them to keep their room tidy – and there may be consequences for not doing that.

Learning to be responsible in one area (keeping their room tidy) encourages them to be responsible in other areas of life, such as studying.

With this approach, you still need to be involved in your children’s lives. The difference is that instead of hovering and micromanaging, you create boundaries around your involvement.

For example, you can make it clear to your children that you’re available to answer homework-related questions every weeknight between 8 pm and 9 pm.

This way, your children will develop the ability to motivate themselves. They’ll know that they alone are responsible for making sure their homework gets done.

In contrast, consider children whose parents nag them every day to do their homework. Those children won’t develop the ability to motivate themselves.

4. Don’t obsess over the results; emphasise the process instead

The writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “Life is a journey, not a destination.”

This principle applies to study skills and tips as much as it does to life in general.

When motivating your children to do well in school, focus on the process and not the results.

If your children are too focused on results, there’s a danger that when they don’t achieve the results they want, they’ll give up.

What’s more, when we focus only on results, the process becomes a “necessary evil”.

The process becomes something we go through grudgingly because we want a certain result.

But this approach doesn’t encourage a love of learning.

teenage guitaristWe live in an age when learning is a skill that we need to practise throughout our lives. The world is changing faster than ever before. As such, we all need to be continually learning.

And that’s why it’s important to focus on the process, not the results.

Cultivate in your children a love of learning for its own sake, not just as a means to achieve a goal. At the end of the day, achieving goals is a by-product of the systems and processes that we follow.

For example, as a concert pianist, you may have a goal to play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat major without making a single mistake.

The system or process that makes it possible to reach that goal is how often you practise, how you break down and learn difficult cadenzas, and how you incorporate feedback from your music teacher.

When teaching children how to study and how to motivate themselves, it’s vital that you focus on the process and not the outcome.

5. Don’t reduce your child to a problem that needs to be solved

Pre-teens and teens are going through a lot of changes, both physically and mentally.

It’s also a time when they may start displaying problematic behaviours, such as aggression, mood swings, being argumentative, and defying established rules.

As a parent, it’s natural for these kinds of behaviours to become the centre of your attention – they’re problems that you want to solve.

But it’s actually better not to focus on these behaviours.

Instead, try to understand your children’s perspective:

  • How do they feel about the situation?
  • What opinions do they have?

To understand your children better, you’ll need to practise active listening.

Active listening occurs when we give our full attention to what someone is saying.

This means that you aren’t multitasking while your children are talking to you. It means that you aren’t checking your phone or writing a list of things to do.

getting scolded by parentsActive listening means not interrupting your children while they’re talking. It means not judging them or moralising about something they did. It means not offering unsolicited advice.

You can show your children that you’re giving them your full attention by saying things like “go on” and “tell me more”.

Now and again, summarise your understanding of what your children have been saying.

For example, you could say: “It sounds as if there’s a ‘cool’ group of kids in your class, and that you’re feeling excluded by them.”

This indicates to your child that you’re actively listening. It’s also a way of checking that you understand what he or she is saying.

Some parents think that if only they could make their children understand some fundamental principle, the whole problem would disappear.

But often what pre-teens and teens need most is not to understand; they need to feel understood.

When they don’t feel understood, they become defiant.

On the other hand, when they feel understood, it creates a space where they feel safe. And that, in turn, creates an environment where they’re open to looking at the problem in a new light.

How to motivate your teenager to do better in school

Now it’s time to focus on positive behaviour that helps your child feel understood, supported, and encouraged.

Use these strategies to strengthen your connection with your child and teach him or her crucial organisational and planning skills. These healthy habits will help your child in school and beyond.

6. Develop routines and structure

ScheduleRoutines and structure play a crucial role in developing motivation in your children.

Having established routines in family life eliminates a majority of conflicts.

Take homework, for example.

Let’s say you have an established routine that your children do their homework every weeknight between 7 pm and 9 pm.

There won’t be conflicts related to homework, because it’s simply “the way we do things in this family”.

But in a family without routines, ensuring that your children do their homework becomes a daily battle.

Of course, even established routines sometimes need to be reinforced or modified.

For example, now and again you may need to say something like: “When you’ve completed your homework, you can go to Melissa’s house.”

To create a homework routine, it’s a good idea to set up a small part of the house as a study area.

Having a study area that’s free of distractions will help your children develop a homework routine.

It may also help your children if you also devote that period of time to doing your own “homework”. This could be paying bills online, taking an online course, or reading a book to learn about a new topic.

7. Equip your children with planning and organisational skills

As parents, we (hopefully) have planning and organisational skills that we’ve developed over the years.

But we often take these skills for granted, and forget that our children don’t yet have those skills.

Pre-teens and teens can feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and stressed because of the demands they face at school. In response, many of them give up and turn to videos and games as a form of escape.

Some pre-teens and teens might even say they hate school.

But if they have planning and organisational skills, their attitude toward school and academics will be different.

One organisational skill you can teach your children is to break down big tasks into smaller tasks.

Some people call this “chunking down”. This technique makes any task more manageable and doable.

Another skill you can teach your children is list-making. Lists are at the heart of all organisational skills, so this is a great place to start.

You could teach your children how to use a list to pack their bag for a school camp or a school outing.

Planning is another organisational skill that will reduce your children’s stress related to school and exams.

Planning involves placing lists of tasks to be completed within a certain timeframe. This way, your children will learn to complete tasks one by one instead of leaving them until it’s so late that they feel overwhelmed.

For example, if your children have exams coming up, you could teach them how to:

  • Break down their revision material into a series of tasks
  • Use a calendar to plan how they’re going to complete those tasks within a set timeframe

8. Create a family culture where it’s OK to make mistakes

Mistakes are OKWe learn more from our failures than we do from our successes.

Thomas Edison made an extraordinary number of unsuccessful attempts at inventing the electric light bulb.

When a reporter asked him how it felt to fail 1,000 times, Edison replied: “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

Unfortunately, we live in an age that places enormous emphasis on instant success.

Failure isn’t tolerated. Parents correct their children’s homework to improve their grades. They argue with teachers who try to point out areas where their children need to improve.

Yet making mistakes is an essential part of learning.

We must learn from our mistakes and correct them, much like a ship that frequently adjusts its course to stay on the correct bearing.

If you want to motivate your children to study hard and do well in school, one of the best things you can do is create a family culture where it’s OK to make mistakes.

One way to do this is to share with your children your own mistakes and what you learned from them.

For example, maybe you went to university to study one field and ended up switching to a different field when you started work. By sharing that experience with your children, you’re showing them that they don’t have to get it “right” the first time.

If you want to teach your children to love learning, one thing you should avoid at all costs is focusing too much on their failures.

Instead of criticising them for their failures, help them to identify what they’ve learned from their mistakes.

A study by Stanford University has shown that children who are praised for their effort work harder and give up less easily.

On the other hand, children who are afraid of failure are more likely to become discouraged when they make mistakes. Instead of learning from their mistakes and moving on, they’re likely to give up altogether.

9. Show an interest in all aspects of your children’s lives

Parent and teenOne of the keys to motivating your children to do well in school is to show an interest in all aspects of their lives, not just their academics.

If your only concern is how your children are doing in school, they may begin to feel as if they’re being treated as a project instead of as a person.

This can lead to them feeling resentful. And resentment will result in resistance to anything related to studying.

Treat your child as a whole person, not as a project or problem.

Listen to your children when they talk about their interests. Encourage them to get involved in non-school activities, like dance or drama or athletics.

How pre-teens and teens spend their time is crucial to their overall development.

An approach that focuses entirely on studying won’t help your children to develop in a balanced way.

Learning a musical instrument, playing a team sport, and taking an online course on entrepreneurship are all activities that will help your children to develop holistically.

These non-academic activities will give your children a much-needed break from their studies, and will help them to do better as they pursue their long-term academic goals.

10. Help your children to find a mentor

According to research by North Carolina State University, children who have mentors are more likely to become successful.

A mentor is an adult who acts as a role model for your children.

One of the benefits of your children having a mentor is that they will understand a perspective on life from someone who isn’t their parent.

The mentor’s values and attitudes may be similar to yours. It’s much easier to teach values to your children when they’re also modelled by someone outside the family.

One reason for this is that children inevitably become accustomed to their parents’ viewpoints and begin to tune their parents out.

mentorHaving a mentor is a chance for your children to re-engage with those values, from a fresh perspective.

A mentor can be particularly helpful when there’s an ongoing conflict between parents and children.

In this kind of situation, your children can benefit from having a neutral third party they can turn to. The mentor may help your children to see the issues from a new perspective.

So where can you find a mentor for your children?

A mentor could be:

  • A sports coach, art teacher or music teacher
  • A neighbour or family friend
  • One of your co-workers
  • Someone who runs a coaching/mentoring programme (I’m not ashamed to say that I fall into this category of people, because it’s extremely rewarding work)

Conclusion

These ten principles will help you to build in your child a deeper motivation to work hard.

Some of these principles, like establishing routines and structure, may take a while to implement. But other tips and principles you can put into practice right away.

For example, you can start practising active listening today.

I’m confident you’ll start seeing positive results.

(Here’s a link where you can explore more tips on how to motivate a teenager.)

Wishing you all the best on this challenging but meaningful journey!

(If you haven’t already done so, make sure to download your free e-book below.)

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The Ultimate List of 101 Study Tips for Students

Updated on April 19, 2023 By 49 Comments

Study tips for students

Have you ever wished you could get inside the minds of straight-A students and learn their best study tips?

If so, keep reading.

In this article, I’m going to share with you the study tips that will enable you to succeed academically.

This list of 101 study tips for students is divided into the following categories:

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in!

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Enter your email below to download a step-by-step planning worksheet as a PDF. The planning worksheet will enable you to implement the tips in this article and get better grades!

Tips to improve studying attitude and mindset

Study tips are only effective when you’re in the right frame of mind to use them. Develop the right attitude and mindset for studying to stay motivated and reach your goals.

1. Don’t say “I have to”, and instead say “I get to”

The words you use when you talk to yourself are important. They shape your attitude.

Saying to yourself: “Today, I have to work on this assignment” will produce feelings of stress and frustration.

Instead, try saying to yourself: “Today, I get to work on this assignment.” Saying this will remind you that education is a privilege.

This simple change in attitude will give you more motivation and focus to get the task done.

2. Take full responsibility for your own learning

When you take responsibility for your learning, you’ll become more proactive.

One way to bring about a change in this area is to ask yourself: “If I’m not responsible for my learning, then who is?”

Asking yourself this question will help you to realise that no one else is responsible for your learning – not your teachers, and not your parents.

3. Do more than what others are willing to do

In academics – as in any other area of human endeavour – the students who excel are the ones who are prepared to go the extra mile.

Instead of doing the bare minimum to meet the requirements, do more than what others are willing to do.

This might mean doing two or three more questions than the ones that your teacher assigned.

It might mean looking up additional resources, or it might mean proofreading your essay one final time.

4. Don’t focus on grades too much

As a student, it’s easy to become fixated on grades.

But remember that grades are just a form of feedback; they aren’t an end in themselves.

Don’t allow a focus on grades to cause you to forget that it’s the process of learning that counts in the long run.

5. View challenges positively

Challenges

When you’re learning something new, you’re likely to feel overwhelmed.

When anxiety and stress settle in, students can develop a fear of learning that prevents them from focusing and prioritizing, ultimately hindering their performance.

This is why you must develop what Dr Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset”.

This means that instead of telling yourself that something is “too hard”, you tell yourself that it’s an opportunity to “grow” your brain.

After all, the more challenges you take on, the more you’ll learn.

6. Write down 3 to 5 reasons why you want to do well academically

One key to succeeding as a student is to be clear about why you want to succeed.

As Jim Rohn once said: “If you have enough reasons, you can do the most incredible things.”

Write down 3 to 5 reasons why you want to perform well in school, and read the list daily.

7. Volunteer and serve others regularly

This will remind you that education never occurs in a vacuum. Education is always about learning from others or passing on that knowledge to others.

By volunteering and serving others, you’ll start to see that your life isn’t mainly about you. It’s about using your skills and knowledge to make the world a better place.

In turn, this will give you the willpower to persevere in the midst of obstacles.

8. Regain your focus by asking these two questions…

The first question is: “What’s important now?”

The second question is: “What’s important next?”

A lack of focus is often the result of trying to do too many things at the same time.

When you find yourself unable to focus, these two questions will bring you back to the present.

9. Use systems and routines

Focus on developing systems and routines, instead of continually thinking about what you want to accomplish.

Students who perform well attribute their success not to lofty goals, but to their daily systems and processes.

The problem with focusing too much on goals is that this doesn’t enable you to connect your goals with the effort required.

Success involves committing to a discipline and a routine, even when the going gets tough.

10. Develop gratitude

Every day, write down at least one thing you’re thankful for.

It’s been shown that students who develop a sense of gratitude are able to harness positive thinking to improve their grades and quality of life.

You can develop your “gratitude muscle” by writing down one thing each day that you’re thankful for.

11. Be a “professional” student

Professional student

When you’re in school, it’s easy to think that you’re just a student. It seems like you don’t have a job or profession yet – that’s why you’re still in school.

But you do have a job: being a “professional” student.

As a professional student, you should take it just as seriously as the job you’ll have when you’ve completed your formal education.

Professional students are responsible, focused and hardworking!

12. Be clear about your purpose

If you lack motivation, think about the purposes of education that are bigger than yourself.

Remember that the purpose of education is less about you and more about the contribution you can make to society.

With a strong sense of purpose, you’ll be more committed.

This is one of the most crucial study tips for students that will always be relevant.

13. Don’t blame others

Resist the urge to blame your teachers, parents, etc.

If things go wrong, remind yourself that your academics are your responsibility, not anyone else’s.

Studying methods and techniques

Different learning methods can improve your understanding and help you retain more information. Try these tips for studying to engage different parts of your brain and make studying more fun.

14. Vocalise to memorise

When trying to memorise key information or equations, say it out loud.

This study found that saying information out loud helps to move it to your long-term memory.

15. Create summary notes

Create summary notes of each chapter or topic you’re learning.

Condensing each chapter into a handful of key points will make it easier for you to consolidate your learning.

16. Take a study break every 30 to 45 minutes

Research shows that even brief diversions can dramatically increase your ability to focus.

Even if it’s a break of just a few minutes, your concentration will improve.

17. Use the Pomodoro Technique

Pomodoro technique for students

If you can’t focus for 30 to 45 minutes straight, try the Pomodoro Technique instead.

(“Pomodoro” is the Italian word for “tomato”.)

The Pomodoro Technique is a way of studying in short bursts. Study in blocks of 25 minutes, with a 5-minute break in between blocks.

Once you’ve completed four blocks of 25 minutes, take a break of 15 to 30 minutes.

18. Test yourself often

Another useful study tip is to test yourself at regular intervals on what you’ve been learning.

This not only enables you to consolidate the new information, but it also ensures that you’re mastering the material.

19. Break tasks down

Break down overwhelming tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.

By doing this, you’ll feel more motivated to do your work and to study. You’ll also be less likely to feel discouraged or anxious.

Overall, you’ll become a far more productive student.

20. Keep a “done” list

As you complete the tasks on your list, check them off as “done”.

Keep this list for future reference.

Keeping a “done” list will give you a sense of accomplishment. As such, you’ll feel more productive, which will lead to you getting more done in the long run.

21. Give yourself a reward

Give yourself a reward – even a small one works – for each task you complete.

This serves as a reminder that you’re making progress. This will enable you to sustain your focus over the weeks and months.

22. Keep a list of the doubts and questions you have

Keep a running list of any doubts or questions that arise during your study sessions.

By noting them down, you won’t feel as if you have to remember them. This will free up your mind and allow you to concentrate better on the material you’re studying.

Once you have a chance, clarify your doubts with your teacher.

If your teacher isn’t available, then look for a suitable online resource instead.

23. Set tiny goals

If you find yourself procrastinating, set tiny goals.

The objective is to get started, which is always the hardest part of getting the work done.

For example, your goal for the next 15 minutes might be to read and summarise one page of a textbook (instead of the whole chapter).

In terms of the study tips for students that I recommend, this is an exceptionally practical one.

24. Make the material interesting by asking the right questions

Make the material interesting by asking questions such as:

  • Who developed this theory?
  • How did he or she develop this theory?
  • What challenges did he or she face?
  • What are the applications of this theory?

25. To improve your writing, use the Hemingway App

The Hemingway App checks your writing for overly complex sentences, as well as other common writing errors.

I use the app every time I write articles, and it has enabled me to correct many of my bad writing habits.

26. Never memorise information without first understanding it

Understand information

The human brain is designed to process information, not to store information like it’s a hard drive.

This is why meaningful learning is far more effective than rote learning.

Meaningful learning happens when you understand the information and make sense of it.

If you don’t understand the material after reading through it several times, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance.

27. Take practice tests under test conditions

This will help to ensure that you understand what you’re learning.

By taking the tests under test conditions, it will also prepare you for the exam stress that you’ll face.

28. Explain the concept to someone else

An excellent way to master a complex topic is to explain it to someone else.

Through the act of explaining the topic to another person, you’ll get a better understanding of the topic.

If you can’t explain the concept in a simple way, it means that you probably haven’t mastered the concept yet.

29. Read the syllabus carefully

The syllabus is the scope of a subject or an outline of the topics covered in a particular course.

Don’t assume that you know the syllabus based on what material your teacher has been covering.

Read the syllabus for yourself so that you know exactly what topics will be tested.

This will make it easier for you to be well prepared for every test and exam.

30. Become familiar with the structure of the test or exam

While you won’t know the exact questions that will appear in a test or exam, your teacher should be able to tell you about the structure of the test or exam.

Having this information will allow you to be more specific in the way you prepare. In turn, this will enable you to get better grades.

31. Use free online resources

If you have trouble understanding the material, use free online resources like Khan Academy to learn the information.

32. Participate in class

Actively participating in class will help you to engage with the subject matter.

This will deepen your interest in the topic and allow you to learn the concepts more effectively.

33. Cultivate the habit of reading for leisure

Reading

Develop the habit of reading as a pastime.

Try reading both fiction and non-fiction books. I recommend reading biographies in particular as they tend to be inspirational.

By cultivating this habit, you’ll associate reading with something that’s enjoyable, rather than as something that you’re forced to do.

As such, you’ll be a happier and better student.

34. Set “focused attention” goals

If you think your teacher is especially boring, set “focused attention” goals.

Focus for 5 minutes, then take a 3-minute break. Repeat this until the class ends.

The following week, focus for 7 minutes at a go before taking a 3-minute break. As the weeks go by, increase the “focus” periods gradually.

This may not seem ideal, but it’s better than not paying attention at all.

Over time, you’ll be able to focus for longer stretches, even if your teacher is boring.

35. Before writing an essay or paper, create an outline first

Having an outline will make it possible for you to write better essays in less time.

The outline doesn’t have to be that detailed; just list the bullet points that summarise what you want to write about.

36. Write down every single resource you could use to prepare for a test or exam

By doing this, you’ll ensure that you don’t overlook any vital resources that will facilitate your preparation for the test or exam.

37. After you finish studying a set of notes, write down the date when you studied it

This will allow you to keep track of when you studied a particular topic.

As such, you’ll know when you ought to do a more thorough review of the topic, and when a more cursory review will suffice.

38. Make your notes visually appealing

Notes

For example, you could use different colours for different sub-topics, use headings and sub-headings, or add diagrams to illustrate key points.

In addition, you could create mind maps to represent the connections between different concepts and ideas.

When your notes are visually appealing, it will make your study sessions more interesting and satisfying.

39. To improve your writing, ask your teachers if you can submit additional essays

Most teachers will agree to this request.

By submitting additional essays, you’ll have more practice and more opportunities for feedback.

As a result, you’ll become a better writer.

40. Use a stopwatch

Use a stopwatch to time your study sessions and breaks.

This will enable you to stay on task and ensure that a 10-minute break doesn’t turn into a 2-hour break.

41. Complete unpleasant tasks first

This accomplishes two things.

Firstly, it gets you in the mindset where you’re not hiding from your challenges. Instead, you’re facing them head-on.

Secondly, having dealt with the unpleasant tasks first, they’ll no longer be hanging over your head. This means that you’ll maintain your levels of productivity.

42. When taking notes, write down only the key points

When taking notes during class, never try to write down everything the teacher says – you won’t be able to.

Instead, write down keywords or key points. By summarising the concepts in your own words, you’ll deepen your understanding of the topic.

43. Increase your reading speed

Increase your reading speed by using an online tool like Spreeder.

Learning to read faster allows you to take control of information overload, save time, and become a more effective student.

This isn’t just a study tip that I recommend to students; it’s a life skill.

44. Take notes by hand instead of on your computer

Research shows that taking notes on a computer results in shallower processing and understanding of the material as compared to taking notes by hand.

45. If you don’t feel like getting to work, set a timer for just 3 minutes

Timer

By doing this, you’re setting a goal to work for just 3 minutes.

Setting such a low target will push you to get started.

In this way, you’ll be less likely to procrastinate on school-related tasks.

You’ll probably find that you’ll keep going beyond those 3 minutes.

46. Use your finger or pen as a guide whenever you’re reading

This video shows you how to do this.

Combining a physical action with the act of reading will enable you to concentrate for longer.

You’ll daydream less, thus improving your studying efficiency.

When good study habits become part of your daily routine, success happens naturally. Commit to cultivating these habits, while you also pay attention to the poor study habits you want to avoid or change.

47. Check through your homework at least once before you submit it

By doing this, you’ll almost always find at least one or two mistakes that would otherwise have gone uncorrected.

48. Submit 100% of your homework on time

Make this a personal commitment, because it’s your responsibility as a student.

You’ll be surprised at how quickly it becomes a studying-related habit that you’re unwilling to break.

49. To form new healthy study habits, make use of technology

Develop new study habits using apps like Habitica and HabitBull.

These apps help you to keep track of the new habits you’re trying to develop.

They also turn the habit formation process into an enjoyable one.

50. Before starting on a homework assignment, read through your notes

Don’t assume that you’ve already mastered the topic, even before doing the homework assignment.

The act of reading your notes will jog your memory and make doing the homework a more meaningful learning process.

51. Review any new information learned on the same day

Review information

Review and consolidate any new information on the same day that you learned it.

This will ensure that you understand the information and will make it easier for you to move the new information to your long-term memory.

In the long run, you won’t need to spend so much time studying to master the material.

52. Take notes during every class

Research shows that we forget about 40% of new information learned over the subsequent 24 hours.

Taking notes helps you to retain more information, and also helps you to concentrate during class.

53. Do plenty of practice tests and exams

Do practice tests and exams at regular intervals.

This will allow you to gauge whether or not you’re mastering the topics and concepts.

Another form of practice that can be fun is the Feynman technique. Try this out with a classmate or a friend.

54. Don’t cram for tests or exams

Cramming is what happens when you leave your studying to the last minute.

Not surprisingly, 90% of students report that learning is more effective when it’s spaced out, as opposed to cramming.

So be consistent and don’t cram!

55. Prepare for every class

Do the recommended readings before each class.

If you know what your teacher will be covering in the upcoming class, skim the relevant textbook chapter to get an idea of what the class will be about.

56. Pay attention in class, even if you already understand the material

If you already know the concepts well, treat the class as a review session.

You’ll consolidate your learning and retain the information for longer.

57. Decide specifically when you’ll start studying for every test and exam

Mark the date on your calendar, because this will make it much more likely that you’ll start studying on that day.

Don’t just make a vague commitment that you’ll start studying “early” – we all know that doesn’t work.

58. Complete all of your homework the day it is assigned, as far as possible

Doing homework

Do your best to keep this commitment.

Use the fun things you want to do as a reward for completing your homework – you’ll enjoy them more for having first completed your assignments.

What’s more, the undone homework assignments won’t pile up and cause you unnecessary stress.

59. After every test and exam, analyse how you can improve in the future

After you’ve received your graded test or exam, look through it carefully.

Ask yourself questions such as:

  • Which topics do I know well?
  • Which topics do I not know so well?
  • What avoidable mistakes did I make?
  • How can I ensure that I don’t make these mistakes in the future?
  • What do I need to do differently to better prepare for the next test or exam?

60. Don’t rely on your memory

Nobody’s memory is perfect, so write things down.

I encourage you to write down every single thing that you want to remember, e.g. homework assignments, deadlines, events, ideas, key concepts.

Don’t leave it to chance.

Of the study tips for students mentioned in this article, this is one of the simplest but most powerful ones.

61. Never skip classes

Don’t skip classes, even if you think the class is “useless”.

Missing classes can quickly turn into a bad habit. And besides, it’s not worth it.

When you consider the amount of time you’ll spend catching up on what you missed, you might as well have attended the class in the first place.

62. Proofread every essay you write

A few spelling errors will ruin even the most brilliant essay.

And don’t rely too much on a spell-checker.

Your essay may contain words that are spelled correctly but are nevertheless errors, such as “there” instead of “their”, or “form” instead of “from”.

63. Do filing at least once a week

Binders

Organisation is a crucial part of becoming a successful student.

Not being able to find key information when you need it will make you waste precious time.

As such, I recommend that you file your notes, assignments, etc. at least once a week.

Make an appointment with yourself to do your filing on the same day each week, so you’ll be more likely to do it.

64. Don’t study or do work on your bed

It’s essential that the place where you study isn’t the same place where you sleep.

Your bed might be the most comfortable place to be in, but you’ll feel sleepy while studying. You may even end up taking a nap when you didn’t intend to!

65. Pre-commit to the habits that you want to develop

Pre-commitment is the act of making it impossible for you to allow a lack of willpower to get in the way of positive behavioural change.

For example, you could ask your parents to take away your phone or tablet every evening at 6pm. This would ensure that you’ll be more focused when you study in the evening.

Another example would be booking a study room at the library so that you and your friends can study together. This way, you won’t forego the study session.

List the positive habits you want to develop as a student, and think about ways to pre-commit to them.

66. Make full use of your travel time

On the train ride home, for example, you can review what you learned earlier that day in school.

Or you could make use of the bus ride home to plan what tasks you intend to complete by the end of the day.

By making the most of your travel time, you’ll have more time to do the things you enjoy.

67. Sit at the front of the class whenever possible

Research has shown that when students are randomly assigned to different seats in a classroom, the ones who sit at the front get better grades.

Sitting at the front of the class makes it easier for you to stay focused, and makes it less likely that you’ll fall asleep in class.

Study tips to enhance focus

Don’t let distractions and a lack of focus get in your way. These are the best study tips to create a distraction-free environment.

68. Create an area that is conducive to studying

Before you begin a study session, make sure that you have easy access to everything you need, e.g. textbooks, writing paper, stationery.

Adjust the lighting so that it’s comfortable for reading.

Also, make sure the temperature is right. Research shows that the temperature most conducive to studying is roughly 22.0°C (71.6°F).

69. When you feel like you’re about to get distracted, write down the distraction

For example, if you’re in the middle of a study session and you suddenly feel like watching a YouTube video, write down “YouTube” on a sheet of paper.

This is a way of saying to your brain: “I’ll come back to that later.”

It will give you a sense of release from the distraction and leave you free to focus on the present task.

During your next break, you can indulge in that distraction.

70. Get rid of all distractions before you start studying

Focus

Put your phone and tablet on “silent”.

Even better, put them in another room.

I recommend that you use a tool like Freedom to prevent you from accessing distracting apps and websites during study sessions.

If you’re a distracted student, you won’t be an effective student.

So take this tip seriously!

71. If you start worrying while studying, write down your worries

If you find yourself worrying excessively before a test or exam, write down your worries on a piece of paper.

Research by the University of Chicago has shown that this exercise allows students to relieve their anxieties.

This, in turn, leads to students getting better grades.

72. Never study while watching TV, videos, etc.

Don’t attempt to study with TV or videos playing in the background.

Don’t scroll through your social media feed while trying to get some work done, either.

In other words, don’t multitask.

To have a fruitful study session, you need to remove all external stimuli that take your focus away from the task at hand.

73. Tell your family and friends when you’ll be studying

When your family members and friends know when you’ll be studying, they won’t interrupt or distract you.

74. If you’re too busy, make a list of your commitments

Review this list and eliminate those commitments that are less important.

Remind yourself that it’s impossible to do everything in life; you need to focus.

By prioritising, you’ll carve out more time to study and to do other meaningful things.

Prioritisation is a key time management principle for students to apply!

75. Use earplugs to block out noise

If noise from your surroundings – such as traffic, people talking, or dogs barking – is distracting you, use earplugs to create your own “quiet zone”.

76. Listen to classical music while studying

Classical music

If you don’t like to study in silence, play classical music in the background.

Research indicates that listening to classical music while studying can help you to retain information.

Here are 10 recommended pieces by composers such as Mozart, Brahms, and Bach.

77. Listen to white noise while studying

This is an alternative, in case you’re not a fan of classical music.

Research from the University of Chicago has shown that we think better and are more creative when there’s a moderate level of background noise.

Coffitivity and Hipstersound are two tools you can check out for suitable white noise to listen to while doing work.

Tips to get the best academic support

A strong support system will help you stay on track. Plus, having the right people around you will help you study more effectively.

78. Study with motivated friends

There are powerful benefits related to studying in a group.

One benefit is that it makes you accountable to a group of friends who expect you to show up to study sessions.

Another benefit is that you can share notes. When you do this, you’ll be able to see how other students take notes, which will enable you to improve your own note-taking skills.

79. Don’t be afraid or too proud to ask for help

If you need assistance, ask for it.

A study by Saint Louis University researchers found that students who ask for help are more likely to get A’s.

This isn’t a surprising finding. What is surprising is that the study also found that fewer than 1 in 5 students ask their instructors for help.

80. Ask your teachers for additional feedback

Ask your teachers for additional feedback, especially when all the feedback you’ve received is what letter grade you got.

This is especially so for essays.

The more feedback you get, the easier it will be for you to focus on improving specific areas of knowledge.

Most teachers will be more than happy to provide you with additional feedback.

81. Work with an academic coach

If you’re wondering how to deal with bad grades or with a lack of motivation, get guidance from an academic coach.

An educational coach can help you to pinpoint the root causes of problems and suggest solutions.

I work with pre-teens and teens 1-to-1 through this coaching programme (it’s about life coaching and much more). In this programme, I equip them to become motivated, disciplined, responsible and resilient.

Study tips for optimal memory and brain function

You’re in the best position to learn when your brain is healthy, rested, and calm. Use these strategies to optimise your brain function and memory, and you’ll learn faster.

82. Do deep breathing exercises

Do deep breathing exercises for just a few minutes every day to improve your brain function and focus.

Researchers found that focused deep breathing raises levels of noradrenaline (also called norepinephrine). Noradrenaline is a neurotransmitter that increases your alertness.

83. Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night

Sleep

This research highlights the vital role that sleep plays in processing information.

The study found that during “slow wave” sleep, the brain replays information learned while awake.

This results in the consolidation of information and memories, and moves them into long-term storage.

Losing sleep means losing time for this consolidation process to occur. So if you want to study effectively, get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.

There are so many study tips for students in this article, but I encourage you to put this one into practice as a priority.

84. Exercise regularly

Research by Harvard Medical School shows that exercise improves learning by encouraging nerve cells to bind to one another. This is the cellular basis for learning new information.

Do your best to get at least 15 to 30 minutes of exercise daily.

85. Drink plenty of water

Research has shown that water consumption improves cognitive performance and information processing in both children and adults.

86. Use mnemonics to improve your memory

A mnemonic is a memory system that links certain words to specific information, like an anchor.

For instance, you could use the phrase “Super Man Helps Every One” to remember the order of the Great Lakes from west to east (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario).

Create your own mnemonics to memorise “sequential” information you encounter across your various subjects.

87. Use images and sounds to improve your memory

Use the visualisation and association technique to link vivid mental images with concepts or facts that you want to remember.

This is far more effective than just trying to memorise the information without using a specific memory technique.

88. Develop healthy eating habits

Healthy eating

Research from the University of Melbourne shows that high fat and high sugar diets have a negative impact on learning, memory, and information processing.

This means that a diet that’s good for your body is good for your brain.

If you want to do well in school, you must go the extra mile in terms of taking care of your physical health too.

89. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids

Research shows that test anxiety can be improved by eating foods high in omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.

These foods include salmon, flaxseed and walnuts.

90. Don’t rely on energy drinks or caffeine to stay awake

If you’re tired, the only real remedy is a good night’s sleep.

Over time, energy drinks won’t give you the boost that you’re hoping for.

Like coffee, they’ll disrupt your sleep cycle, which will only make the situation worse.

91. Train your brain

Use an online tool like BrainHQ, which will give your brain a workout in areas such as attention, memory, navigation, and intelligence.

Tips to improve studying routines and structure

As a student, you need to stay organised and manage your time well. These study tips will enable you to create structure and routine in your life, so you’ll never have to cram the night before an exam.

92. Use technology to organise your student life

For example, MyStudyLife is an app that keeps track of your tasks, in addition to your schedule and timetable.

Such apps make it far easier for students to stay organised.

93. Keep a time log

Time log

Keep a time log so that you can see how much time you’re spending on different tasks. You’ll be surprised at the results!

Keep the log for at least three days, writing down every single thing you do each day.

By reviewing your time log, you’ll be able to minimise or eliminate low-value activities.

This will allow you to spend more time doing high-value work, while still having the same amount of free time.

94. Create a daily plan for each day

Create a daily plan for each day, so that you’ll know your priorities in terms of which tasks you’ll work on.

Without a plan, the days’ distractions will quickly take over. A plan reminds you what it is you want to achieve and how you’re going to achieve it.

95. Create a weekly schedule

Creating a weekly schedule gives you the structure needed to be a productive student.

Set aside time in your schedule for the things that are most important to you, e.g. family time, religious activities, school activities.

When you’ve created a weekly schedule, you’ll rely more on your schedule to get things done, instead of waiting to feel “motivated”.

96. Block out time for studying

On your calendar, block out the periods that you intend to spend studying.

Colour-code the blocks of time to indicate different subjects or studying-related activities.

This is a representation of your commitment to be a focused and effective student.

97. Use a calendar or planner and keep it with you at all times

In this way, you’ll be able to update your calendar or planner when changes come up – which is bound to happen.

With an updated schedule, you’ll be a more organised and productive student.

98. Do a weekly review

At the end of each week, review how your week went.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

  • How many of your scheduled tasks did you complete?
  • Were there any obstacles that prevented you from focusing?
  • How will you ensure that next week will be a fruitful one?

Reviewing your progress each week allows you to fine-tune your study schedule.

99. Set boundaries for social activities

To perform well in school, you must balance your academics with your social life.

Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have a social life at all. I’m a firm believer that it’s important to lead a balanced life.

But not all your friends will have the same level of commitment to their academics that you do.

So you need to be clear about your own guidelines, as you’ll encounter peer pressure to do what your friends are doing.

For instance, you might decide that you won’t go out with your friends more than once a week. You might also set boundaries related to who you choose to hang out with.

100. Develop a plan for every upcoming test and exam

Set a date for when you’ll start studying for the test or exam.

Make a list of the topics and sub-topics that you need to cover. Set aside time each week to study, and write down what you’ll do to prepare for the test or exam.

101. At the end of each day, take a few minutes to reflect

Thinking and reflecting

Ask yourself questions such as:

  • What went well?
  • What didn’t go so well?
  • Did you make the right decisions related to your friendships, academics, family, etc.?
  • What adjustments do you need to make going forward?
  • What new habits do you need to form?
  • What bad habits do you need to eliminate?

Conclusion

At over 5,000 words, this is a very long article filled with study tips for students.

Great job making it to the end of the article!

Rest assured that there’s no need to implement every single study tip right away. That would be too overwhelming.

(To develop a structured plan to put the tips into practice, download the free planning worksheet below.)

I hope this article has given you a sense of clarity, focus and purpose as you strive to be the best student you can be.

Wishing you all the best on this challenging and rewarding journey!

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