How To Be A Better Student | Essential Tips & Tricks for More Effective Studying

Have you ever had a hard time learning in class? Thought about how to be a better student? When you are attending school the lessons can become repetitive. It can be hard to truly concentrate or apply yourself to studying. You want to understand your main purpose while studying and what outcome you want towards the end.

The initial process may be hard for you, but continue to look at the benefits of being a better student. Our team wants to support you and ensure the steps you’ll need to succeed. 

Learn How To Be A Better Student

Do you find it difficult to embrace the classroom environment? Sometimes it can be discouraging when studying feels like not enough to excel in school. The best way to shift this around is with your attitude

Each student can turn their habits around through their mindset. A proactive and strong routine can gradually lead you to the strength you need. 

Love what you’re studying

When you’re sitting in a classroom with a boring subject it can be hard to fully listen to the teacher. If you like what you’re learning it can help you pay more attention. You want to choose courses that genuinely interest you and that you can enjoy.

Think about courses that you’ve been curious about and go from there. You’ll have a wide range of options to choose the topic that you can be passionate about. 

Make a To-Do-List

School can be overwhelming with responsibilities coming at all different directions. You want to organize yourself by making a to-do list. You want to begin by prioritizing what task is the most urgent. For instance, if you have AP tests coming up you want to start by gathering the materials you need to start your process.

First, you can get the Best AP Biology prep book or Top AP lang review book. After you can start to make a list of how many hours you’ll study during the week. Keep track of your progress to serve as a reminder. For lower level exams, like GED,  you need the same approach as well as the best GED prep book to help you get the degree.

Be positive and have self-esteem

Student in front of the board

It’s not always to be positive during school settings. Sometimes, depending on your circumstances you have to build patience. You may not always get the grade or feedback you want on a test.

Try to embrace your weaknesses by seeing what part of your self esteem you want to confront more confidently. Continue to strengthen your self esteem through problem solving. Take it little by little and aim for short-term and long-term goals to assist you in a positive way. 

Pick good friends in school

At the beginning it may seem fun to have a group of friends that you can have a good time with. However, continue to be intentional with the people you surround yourselves with.

This can be the ultimate push to enjoy your studies. Surround yourself with people who have a positive, academic influence and understand their responsibilities. This way you can have a group of friends to laugh with and also promote accountability

Don’t mind time, focus on the discussion


Try not to look at your watch during classes. This habit can distract you from giving your undivided attention to your professor. To be a good student you want to improve your listening skills.

Although, your instructor may not always catch you looking at the time it’ll help you a lot more in the long run if you’re focusing on the discussion.
This can save you time in the future when you’re studying because you can recall what the instructor was saying. 

Set your goals

When you enter a school campus the hardest thing can be to find your own set of goals. However, you can write a list of what you want out of school and aspire to achieve them, be it college or ECELE and DELE exam prep for Spanish as a second language or even a simple cooking course you are taking.

Maximize your attention by being certain of what goals you are planning to set. These goals will set a foundation to keep you going and continuously motivated. 

Do advance reading

Sometimes, listening isn’t always enough for you to fully understand the material. Choose a subject that you’re having a hard time with and complete some readings.

This will give you a more comprehensive review of what you will discuss in class. When you engage in class your brain will already be conditioned to remember what you read. 

Be punctual and always show up

Teachers are usually keeping track of attendance so make sure you aim to show up on time. This will show that you want to learn and you’re prepared to listen to their lesson.

Try not to miss lessons, unless you have a valid reason. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to catch up and it may be hard to close the gap between the lessons you missed out on. 

Participate in activities


Being at school is beyond just a classroom setting. Put yourself out there and try to be more involved at school through extracurricular activities. This can help you become a lot more well-rounded as a student.

Also participating in activities will enable you to gain social skills which is just as important as academic skills.
You can do hobbies such as sports or cultural clubs to even find a community. 

Visit a library and read

Going into a room full of books can seem daunting at first, but you can start slowly. You can go to study or read. It’s best to visit and spend your time being productive. When you need to plan out an exam like the LSAT or MCAT you want the Best MCAT prep books.

Spend your time planning out projects or having a strong study session. A library is a great place to start because you’ll be surrounded by people who are motivated to take studying seriously. 

Be inspired

Attending school without any sense of inspiration can feel draining and monotonous. Continue to not only keep in mind but act on the topics that make you feel inspired.

Maybe you dreamed of going to grad school and completing your masters. You want to start by getting the materials like the best GMAT prep books or GRE prep books (which can be found here). After that you want to continue to inspire yourself on the things you strive to further accomplish. 

Sit in front

The benefits of sitting in the front can be that you are directly able to listen to what the instructor is saying. In this case, it won’t be as easy to zone out or feel distracted.

When you sit in the back you can feel tempted to go on your phone or loose track of the discussion. It can be hard at first to sit in the front, but make it a priority to embrace the rewards that come with it. 

Listen attentively and take down notes


Listening attentively can be one of the most difficult tasks to do in class.
However, every time you catch yourself feeling lost or uninterested try to do something proactive as jot down notes or questions you can ask after.

Taking notes is also really helpful because it can increase your memory of the material.
You want to be proactive in the way that you’re in class. 

Raise questions

When you have a confusing statement, try to slowly build confidence to raise your hand and ask. There is no such thing as the wrong questions. Aim for specific questions to clarify the topic you’re learning.

If you have a hard time raising questions go after class and ask your teacher one-on-one. When you ask questions this can show that you’re listening and paying close attention. 

Have self-discipline

Keep yourself on track by submitting your assignments on time and studying beforehand. This will increase your discipline on how to approach things as a student. Continue to have a positive attitude by approaching school with strong discipline.

Get rid of the distractions that are weighing you down and try not to procrastinate. Set time to study and review the material on a consistent basis. Don’t just aim to meet each deadline, try to finish it before. 

Take good care of your health

When you have strong health you can have a reliable base of performance.
Whether you are in the classroom, engaging in a discussion or completing an assignment when you prioritize your health you can do this well.

You want to make sure you are aiming to be physically, emotionally, and mentally strong.
Continue to manage your stressors by exercising or setting aside time to reflect on your thoughts. 

Know how to manage your time

As a student you wear a lot of different caps. You are socializing in a new environment and you also want to be a good student. Take into account what truly matters for you.

By balancing your time you can confront things and use it wisely. Start by scheduling your deadlines and test dates. By doing so you’ll be able to enforce positive ways to combat your priorities and leave time to also have time for yourself. 

Study your previous lessons

After a long lecture, it could be hard to continue to study. However, when you study in increments you don’t need to cram all at once for a midterm. You can begin your reviews by going over your notes for at least 30 minutes.

Even though you’ll be going over it for a short amount of time you’ll gain more traction to memorize it easier when you take a big test. When you study your previous lessons you are studying smarter, not harder. 

Never procrastinate

When you rush your studying process you can forget a lot of what you wanted to remember on the actual test day. Try to give yourself ample time for your brain to truly process the material.

Give yourself a week to study and space out the days. This will allow you to get a higher score and also work on the areas that you need help on. 

Leonard Haggin
 

I created this site to help students like you learn from the experiences my team had learned during our extensive academic careers. I am now studying Law at Stanford, but I also make time to write articles here in order to help all you fellow students advance in your academic careers and beyond. I hope our efforts on Study Prep Lounge will arm you with the knowledge you need to overcome whatever trial or test you find in front of you.

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