Tips for Studying at a College Level

Studying can get really boring after spending hours in one location. One of my favorite things to do is to spend one hour in one location, and after that, switch up your location along with the class that you’re studying for. This will also allow you to take a small and much-needed brain break while you’re walking from place to place. Bonus points if you switch up the buildings that you’re studying in every hour as well.

This is a sneaky trick that I learned from my professor during my first semester at college. If you can, do some of your studying in the classroom where you typically learn that material. This way, your brain will respond to familiar environmental cues and (hopefully) help you remember more content for your exam.

Some of the most success I’ve had while studying is by using active recall strategies. For example, I go into a room with a whiteboard and brain-dump everything that I remember from a certain lecture or unit. Then, I go through my notes or PowerPoint from class and annotate my original brain dump with all of the information that I missed or got wrong.

It’s important to have an ally in every class you attend. You can text them for advice if you miss a class, check in on deadlines, and most importantly, study together! Sometimes, saying something verbally is the best way to reinforce the material. You can also have your partner quiz you on content as well.

This is a super under-appreciated resource! Your professor was once in your shoes and needed to learn similar content in a college environment. Ask them for the tips and tricks they used to study within their area of interest. Professors have office hours for a reason and are usually very willing to help out. Additionally, different disciplines might have different methods of studying that are most helpful. This is just another reason why you should get curated advice from your professors!