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How to Study Efficiently: Tips From A 4.0 Student

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Maddie Bellon
Orooj Syed
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNT chapter.

 

1.White noise This is my most valuable tip. I am a firm believer that the right white noise can change your life. It seems to shut out both outside noise and distracting thoughts. Did you know there are different colors of noise? Figure out your perfect shade of noise using a site like myNoise.  For me, though, Celestial White Noise is always the way to go. I’m not sure why, but it’s the best tool to facilitate focus. You can play the ten-hour video on YouTube or stream it on Spotify. 2.Create a playlist that helps you concentrate The specifics of study music are different for everyone. It could be classical music, the Top 40, or songs from your childhood. For me, songs I know well but are soft and or sad work best. It’s also important to make sure you can access the playlist wherever you are. For me, that means making a YouTube playlist. Make it searchable by giving it a unique name and making the playlist public. You can find mine here.

3. Eliminate distractions I hate studying on my laptop. There are so many distractions and it takes more self-control than I have to avoid them. The best way for me to buckle down and study is to go anywhere that isn’t home. The library or a computer lab is perfect because I can log into the apps I need and avoid any sneaky notifications that might send me down a rabbit hole.

4. Write everything down When I’m brainstorming for an assignment or essay, I keep a blank sheet of paper next to me. On it, I write out any ideas I have about the assignment as they come to me. This way, when I’m halfway through an essay, I don’t have to struggle to remember the weird thought I had an hour ago that might fill out the paper. I find that physically writing things down, rather than typing them up, allows me to draw pictures or connect ideas together in a concise and quick way that is harder to do on a computer. 5. Plan ahead Before any study session, I write down everything I need to do, sometimes spanning a mess of topics. My lists can include studying for tests, sewing up torn clothes, buying scantrons, or what I need at the store. This is an easy way to find productive ways to use your time when you get tired of a certain topic. By writing EVERYTHING down, you run a smaller risk of forgetting an important task or managing your time poorly.

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Maddie is in her third year of existential woe at the University of North Texas. When she's not in the library, you will probably catch her painting, listening to cute acoustic music, dismantling the patriarchy, or trying to practice good self care. On a good day, she's doing all of them at once.
Orooj Syed is a senior at the University of North Texas, majoring in Biology and minoring in Criminal Justice. Between balancing her academics and extracurricular activities, she enjoys finding new places to travel and new foods to eat. Writing has always been one of her greatest passions and, next to sleeping, she considers it a form of free therapy.