Study Tips for High School Students (Who Want to Go to College)

You’ve probably heard this before, but it definitely bears repeating: The study habits you develop today will set the tone for your entire academic career, so whether you’re a Freshman or a Senior, you need to learn strong study skills – the kind that will carry you through college.

It’s important to realize that learning good study skills does not mean simply “studying longer.” You can actually end up draining yourself mentally and emotionally if you do nothing but study, and that can become counterproductive. Your mind, just like your body, needs rest breaks and the occasional reward.

With that in mind, here’s a plan that actually works:

1. Make a Schedule

Getting started is often the hardest part about studying – especially if you’re dealing with a subject that isn’t your favorite or you’re approaching something difficult. It’s far too easy to allow yourself to get distracted by friends, hobbies, books or even other schoolwork that’s not really that pressing.

Start blocking off a chunk of time in your schedule every day. When that time comes, put aside all outside interests, turn off your phone so that you aren’t interrupted and get down to work – no matter how you feel about it right at that moment.

2. Stop Trying to Multitask

Guess what? Humans vastly overestimate their multitasking abilities – because the human brain doesn’t really work that way. When you have more than one thing in front of you at a time, you end up switching your attention back and forth between them in rapid succession.

In other words, you become your own worst enemy by constantly breaking your own concentration. These “self-interruptions” can actually make it harder to learn something and increase your study time, not lessen it.

It’s okay to turn some low music on in the background if that helps you get into the flow of your work, but only keep one set of notes and the textbooks for one class in front of you at any given time and try to eliminate all other distractions.

3. Use a Buddy System

Effective studying doesn’t necessarily have to be a lonely pursuit. If you have friends who are also working on their study skills, form a study group.

Study groups can be particularly useful when students share a class and need to break down difficult information as they learn. They can share notes and guide each other through rough spots. However, study groups can also simply offer accountability: It can be easier to skip a study session when you’re only breaking a promise to yourself than it is to break a promise to your study partners.

4. Learn to Take Breaks

There’s a ton of research out there that all says the same thing: Overwork is counterproductive. You will feel better and focus better on your studies (which also means you’ll be a more effective student) if you don’t let “brain drain” settle in.

Don’t schedule marathon three-hour study sessions without including at least a short break every hour where you walk around, get a snack or just meditate a little. Those little “brain breaks” will actually give the information you’re trying to learn a chance to gel and you may find that a subject makes more sense once you’ve stepped away for a minute and come back.

Final Thoughts

Good study skills have a lot to do with academic success, but that’s not their only purpose: They also create the foundation that will help you avoid last-minute scrambles to cram for a test and unnecessary frustration and stress on your part. That will ultimately make for a much better high school (and college) experience.