Studying longer doesn’t automatically mean studying better.
When students spend long hours hitting the books, staying up late, cramming, creating notes, and stressing, yet don’t get great grades, it’s not the hours logged that’s usually the problem. It’s the techniques being used to study.
When it comes to test time, the best approach to reduce frustration and wasted time is to refine how you study, not when you study, or for how long.
What the Research Says
Test time is often stress time, as students consider the time they will need to spend reviewing materials and preparing for an exam.
But it’s actually a myth that more time studying equals better results.
In fact, the research shows the opposite to be true: how a student studies matters far more than how long they study.
Two students can spend the same amount of time preparing for a test and not be equally prepared. The difference isn’t intelligence or motivation. It’s study skills.
Help your child succeed—see the ultimate study guide here.
Recognizing the Signs
When students are buckling down to study and putting the time in, but not getting the results they are looking for, it can be very frustrating.
Here are some signs that may indicate the study skills might need refining:
- Long hours spent doing homework
- Not being able to remember details about what they are studying
- Frequent reviews of material to retain information
- Increased test-day stress
- Frustration, lack of motivation, and feeling overwhelmed
The solution isn’t more time spent studying, it’s better study techniques! In fact, when students keep on studying rather than trying something different, it can lead to school burnout.
Refining Study Techniques: Five Tips to Try
1. Active Learning Strategies
Reviewing notes by rereading them may seem like the right way to review, but in reality, it’s a passive and ineffective approach to learning.
Instead of simply rereading, students can make study time active by:
- Making notes or flashcards as they read
- Reciting what they read out loud using their own words (paraphrasing)
- Teaching the material to somebody else
- Moving around while studying
- Creating a short quiz to do the next morning (spaced retrieval)
When students leave a bit of time between study sessions and return to their review a short time later, like the next morning, it helps the material to “stick.”
2. Shorter Study Sessions
To cover a lot of material before a test, it is better to break it down into smaller chunks that can be reviewed over a period of days rather than reviewing everything all at once.
Trying to review a large amount of material all at once can lead to less retention and burnout.
Instead, students should try:
- Covering a section or topic at a time
- Using a timer to stay on track
- Taking frequent breaks
This approach can lead to much more focused, practical study sessions.
3. Get Organized
Many students find studying stressful, not because they have poor study skills, but because they lack an organized approach.
Before students sit down to study, it’s essential to organize the materials and themselves to maximize their study time.
- Make a list of all the material and topics that will be covered on the test and use it as a study guide.
- Prioritize the materials or sections that need the most reviewing
- Gather all the required materials before studying to avoid wasting time on busywork
Bonus tip: set up a study studio
4. Manage Time Effectively
Half of the stress from exam time comes from poor time management. Students stress about not having enough time to get everything done, but the reality is, they have enough time; they need to use it better.
Planning how and when to study is the next important step. When students look at their schedule and identify the days and times they have available, it helps:
- Minimize procrastination
- Reduce the need for last-minute cramming
- Boost their studying confidence
5. Maximize Executive Function Skills
Executive function skills are a set of mental abilities that play a key role in everyday life, including memory, attention, and planning. Executive function skills play a large role in helping make students’ study time more effective by:
- Paying attention while learning and studying
- Avoiding distractions
- Remembering instructions and directions
- Managing stress
Supporting executive function skills can help students improve their study sessions.
The Best Time to Build Better Study Skills? Right Now.
With half of the school year already passed, there’s no time to waste! Students looking to refine their study skills are in the perfect position right now to make impressive progress before the end of the year.
By making adjustments to the process by which they approach studying now, students can:
- Better manage their time
- Reduce their school stress
- Make significant improvements to their grades.
Get Started with GradePower Learning
While study skills are key in school, many students are never taught how to study effectively. Study Skills are simply not part of any school curriculum.
While schools don’t teach study skills, GradePower Learning does!
Study skills are built right into every child’s personalized program.
Learn more about our study skills programs and enroll at a location near you today!
