This is directed towards anyone who has gone to school.. so everyone!

I'm back in College after a 6 year break, I'm still trying to get back into a good routine and develop decent habits!!

Now, I wasn't always the best student in High School, I was way too busy with soccer and my grades were average.

I'm trying to figure out and learn new ways to study. Next week I have 3 essay exams based on information that I need to know, what is your recommendations? What do you do, or what have you done to study?

I appreciate the help

Never study for more than 45 minutes at a given time. Then give yourself a break for about 20 minutes before starting back up. This gives your brain time to absorb all of the info you just read.

Also avoid caffeine. That will cause you to not be able to focus properly.

Whenever I study I find it helpful to rewrite the notes. That way the notes are reinforced even more. I also find it helpful if I turn on some quiet instrumental music, I think it helps me focus more and not be thinking about how freaking quiet it is.

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Also avoid caffeine. That will cause you to not be able to focus properly.

Exactly. It might work for some people but it does more harm then good for most. Caffinated drinks dehydrate you and if you do not suppliment the loss of water in your body with another source you will feel nauseous.

Having said that I am guilty of chugging down tea on a daily basis without supplimenting it with another source of water.

Your school should have an academic support center that provides free help to students that need help studying. It's pretty much free tutoring paid for with your tuition.

Also, do not be afraid to go to your professors for help during their office hours.

Also, if you are reviewing slides that your professors have uploaded to the internet, make sure that you take notes on the slide material as you read it. Note taking is the best method for learning and remembering the material.


I'm also going through my midterm exams this week, so I know the feeling.

All of these things are great ideas. Apples are a good source of food/vitmains to eat for studying. They wake you up more than a cup of coffee will, and have plenty of nutrients too! Protein is great for giving your brain memory-power. I routinely study while eating cashews or some high-protein snack.

I find that what worked best for me was to study in quiet areas, with NO stimulation from music/tv/etc. Eat healthy snacks while you study to keep your brain going - that's the key to remembering stuff is your brain. Sugar and caffeine help out for brief periods but you'll crash and burn later. Proteins and B vitamins will help with memory and attention, carbs and B vitamins will give you energy.

Re-writing notes is helpful and making sure you have enough time to go over everything a few times is important.

Ultimately it's what works for you. I do better when I cram, I tend to get distracted less, but most people I know do better when they study over longer periods of time.

For Essays it's always good to write them in advance and let them sit for a day or so. Then go back to edit when your mind is fresh and isn't biased to how you wrote it the first time. If you edit your papers immediately after writing them, you'll miss mistakes because it all sounds right.

I appreciate all the amazing help so far

thank you!

I find that any music I'm into helps me concentrate, though the general trend is that it's something like classical or instrumental music. Maybe I'm just odd

I've always found this useful:





In all seriousness, I personally could never study at home. There were always too many distractions, so I would go to a local library or restaurant/coffee shop.

at some point you will hear about a study that proves that you should take your exams in the same environment that you study in. While this is probably true, the mistake many college kids make is to extrapolate. Being drunk while you study does not make it a good idea to be drunk when you take the exam. Fact, being drunk is not a study aid.

I speak from experience. College was some of the best 5.5 years of my life. But note it took 5.5 years. At no time was I a part time student... I will let you do the math.