7 Study Hacks I Swear By

The new academic year is starting everywhere. Or it may have, and it's back to school for you. Either way, being a student never gets easier. Here are some ways I like to make my experience as a student better. These are techniques and habits I have developed over the past few years. I hope they can help you find some ease in studying.

1. Find your learning style

2. Make your habits sustainable

3. Get a head start on your subjects

4. ELI5

5. Teach someone else what you know

6. Ask questions

7. Know-it-alls may not know it all

1. Find your learning style

My way of learning from a textbook is to first read a paragraph, write what I’ve understood in a simple way and then to read the paragraph again to make sure I haven’t missed any important points. It’s even better if you can explain keywords without actually using them, because that will show you how much you’ve understood the concept.

2. Make your habits sustainable

A sustainable habit is one you can keep up with. In our busy lives, it’s easy to lose motivation to do something if there are too many variables attached to it. For example, some people like colourful and aesthetically pleasing notes, but, if you aren’t used to using different colors while making notes, it will become tedious and you will be less motivated to do it. If working with a variety of colors is your way of understanding concepts better, continue that. But if you find it slowing you down, switch to plain texts. You can write your notes with a single pen and when you’re reviewing your notes before the actual test, you can glam it up with color. That way you’ll retain the info and will have to most pleasing notes.

3. Get a head start on your subjects

If you can find a version of your textbook online, download it and start studying the subject in advance. I started Grade 11 in a school in Dubai where the syllabus was a bit advanced. And when I moved to Toronto, I was taught a lot of concepts I’d already covered in Dubai. I can’t say that this changed my grade to an instant 100%, but it did jump significantly.

It could have been the change in the environment, but it was also because I had already learnt a huge part of the course. That was advantageous because now I knew what my weaknesses were, and I didn’t have to wait any longer to clarify my doubts or queries.

So, studying in advance will help your understand your strengths and weaknesses and you’ll be a lot more prepared before entering your class.

4. ELI5: explain like I’m 5

The concept of ELI5 is to explain a concept the way you would to an imaginary 5-year-old kid. Some topics aren’t really easy to dumb down to a 5-year old’s capacity, but you can always simplify a topic to explain to a beginner. You can find a subreddit committed to this concept. You can even ask your questions here to get simplified answers.

5. Teach someone else what you know

Learning from a textbook is okay but what is the point of memorizing big words if you can’t simplify it enough to explain it to a friend who doesn’t take the same class as you. If my friend, who has taken an Accounts class, with no background in Chemistry, asks me what 'Latent Heat of Vaporization' is, because she heard one of her classmates talking about it, I should be able to say that it’s the amount of energy needed to change water from liquid state to vapour state.

This is not me memorizing a long scientific definition like “Latent heat is the additional heat required to change the state of a substance from solid to liquid at its melting point, or from liquid to gas at its boiling point, after the temperature of the substance has reached either of these points.” This is me having understood the concept enough to explain it in simpler words, because simpler words are always easier to remember and if you know you want to pursue a career related to this subject, you won’t get too far by memorizing everything.

So, teach concepts that are coming up in your next test or in a chapter you have been struggling with. Let your 'student' know that they can even ask simple, relevant questions to help you deepen your understanding of the topics on hands.

6. Ask questions

Ask your teachers all the relevant questions that pop in your head in the class. If your teacher doesn’t like to answer questions while they are explaining something, write them down to avoid forgetting them. You never know, clarifying your doubts today might help you get a better grade tomorrow. If you run out of time in class, always ask your teacher if they have any free time during the day to help you out. Teachers usually encourage students to ask questions because that proves they are paying attention and that they know what they don’t know.

7. Know-it-alls may not know it all.

I’m not talking about the 'too cool for school' people, because that is your choice and I respect your decision. I’m talking about people who become overconfident with themselves and start believing that they know everything. Don’t let this belief get in the way of you learning more. If you have a doubt, keep your 'know it all' face to side and ask the question. No question is too dumb if your staying on topic or your query is directed to right person. It is not advisable to disrupt your math class to ask chemistry question. Don’t be that person.

These are some hacks that have helped me throughout high school and I hope they help you too. If you have an amazing study hack, don't hesitate to contact me at rueshi25@gmail.com . -Aarushi