study tipsStudying a degree or diploma is an excellent way to improve your employment prospects. If you have a tertiary education behind your name, it moves you further up the pile of job candidates. A degree is your passport to success in life. Studying improves your mental capacity and cognitive ability.

However, many students that enroll in university fail to complete their degree. More than 30-per cent of students will drop out during their first year. The most frequently cited reason for this behavior was an inability to study correctly.

Here are 5-tips you can use to improve your study time and make the most of your time at university or college.

1. Stay Organized

Effective studying requires order and structure. You need to plan your study time and ensure that you stick to your study schedule. When you receive your semester plan, add all of the important dates to your calendar. Include your due dates for assignments and tests.

A study timetable and a study plan to improve your chances of success. All that you need to do is ensure that you stick to your commitment and don’t negate on your responsibilities.

2. Arrange Study Groups

Studying by yourself can be a lonely and frustrating experience. It’s highly likely that you will encounter material in your course that you fail to comprehend. Many students that reach this point in their studies commit to much time to understanding the subject and fall behind. Another common theme is to quit on their efforts to understand the material and move onto another section instead.

A study group will help you overcome these challenging parts of your curriculum. A study group can assist you with homework help answers present themselves to you, and push you through tough course material.

3. Take a Break

Your concentration and comprehension will improve if you learn to take regular study breaks. Research shows that the optimal focus period for studying is 25-minutes. Trying to push past this point results in a drop in cognitive function. Therefore, you will have to study for longer to learn the same material.

Taking breaks refreshes the mind and revitalizes your focus. Sit down and commit to shutting out all distractions for a 25-minute period. Set the alarm on your phone and then get to work. When the alarm sounds, stop everything you’re doing and take a break. Brew a cup of tea and stretch out your limbs.

Return to work after a 5-minute break. You will find that this strategy enables you to study for a more extended over-all period. You will also notice that you have better retention of the subject matter you study.

4. Practice on Past Papers

Those who fail to study the past are doomed to repeat it. This old saying is true, especially in university. Most exams are merely rehashes of past papers from previous years’ tests. Ironically, research shows that students who only study previous exam papers receive better results than those that review the entire course material.

Arrange all the past exam papers from the previous 5-years, and you will begin to notice patterns in the questions. Focus your study time on handling those familiar themes, and you will dramatically improve your exam performance and improve your grades.

5. Exam Day Tips

When exam day rolls around, you need to have all of your preparation taken care of beforehand. Exam day is too late for any studying; you should have already taken care of the hard work needed to pass. Cramming the night before a big exam is a haphazard strategy. Cramming reduces your brain’s ability to comprehend the material.

It’s common for students to make statements such as; “I can only study when I cram before the exam.” This attitude is an excuse. The chances are that they would receive a much better grade if they took the time to plan their studies.

Instead of cramming, make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Sleep restores the neural pathways in the brain, clearing them of toxins that interrupt neural and cognitive function. On the day of the exam, make sure you wake up and stretch. Follow this with a good breakfast consisting of protein and fat. Eating carbs for breakfast mops up your blood sugar and leads to an energy crash during the exam.