How To Be Clever: Top Habits of Academically-Successful Students
As we navigate our lives, we are thrust at a young age into academic study, beginning with the basics and core concepts, before soon expanding to more varied topics with a mix of skill sets. This can be daunting for just about anyone if they aren’t prepared, meaning that many can fall through the cracks and not achieve their full academic potential.
However, this isn’t an unsolvable problem, nor is it an uncommon situation to be in, and it can be assumed that all of us at one time or another have been overwhelmed by the difficulty or amount of work on our plates. Just by making a few changes to our overall way of thinking and approach to studying, anyone can become an academically successful person.
This can work if you’re still in school, in your place of work, or even if you just want to become an avid learner. Here are some proven strategies for training your brain to achieve academic success.
Through asking these questions, it enables people to gain an invaluable insight into the topic they’re studying, and information that would have otherwise been hidden. This translates to self-study as well; asking Google your questions can yield excellent results which can further your understanding.
Communication between your present and future self is also key - when making notes be clear and concise, making sure all language and wording is correct and understandable, not to mention legible; no one wants to have scribbles as their point of reference.
The best advice to combat this is, where possible, study subjects and topics that interest you; if you do so, the work you do won’t seem like work at all, and you’ll often find yourself going above and beyond to learn more about the subject than required, all because you truly appreciate the opportunity to learn.
No one knows everything. We are all on a path to discovery every day, so when you hand in a paper and it gets a poor grade, it’s important to remain strong - instead of wallowing or getting frustrated, seek advice and feedback; reaching out to teachers or peers on what could have been done differently opens you up to other perspectives, which is key to a more holistic understanding of what you are studying.
The other way to stay mentally strong is through healthy studying habits. These include regular breaks during your study sessions, a healthy and balanced diet and getting the necessary amount of sleep to begin the next day fresh and revitalised.
This approach promotes a more organised study path and boosts your motivation; where the goal is clear from the offset and throughout, the workload becomes more manageable because you’re fully invested in the project, because you know your purpose.
Depending on the context, you may require a laptop, textbooks, exercise books or even a study partner - it’s best to ensure everything is in place before you begin.
Also, consider the atmosphere of the area – somewhere quiet and with adequate lighting, and away from common distractions like TV, phones, games and other distractions such as family members having loud conversations.
It's important to remember that different studying methods, such as using flashcards, may not work for everyone, so try and ensure you have a solid understanding of your ideal methods.
There are many websites that offer free tests which help you find out what kind of learner you are just from asking a few short questions – it’s well worth a couple of minutes of your time, especially as it could be the difference between failing or passing a test!
However, this isn’t an unsolvable problem, nor is it an uncommon situation to be in, and it can be assumed that all of us at one time or another have been overwhelmed by the difficulty or amount of work on our plates. Just by making a few changes to our overall way of thinking and approach to studying, anyone can become an academically successful person.
This can work if you’re still in school, in your place of work, or even if you just want to become an avid learner. Here are some proven strategies for training your brain to achieve academic success.
Tip 1 - Ask More Questions
When it comes to being academically successful, communication plays a fundamental role. One particular part of this is asking questions. In school, it’s so common for a teacher to address the class asking ‘do you understand’ or ‘are there any questions?’Through asking these questions, it enables people to gain an invaluable insight into the topic they’re studying, and information that would have otherwise been hidden. This translates to self-study as well; asking Google your questions can yield excellent results which can further your understanding.
Communication between your present and future self is also key - when making notes be clear and concise, making sure all language and wording is correct and understandable, not to mention legible; no one wants to have scribbles as their point of reference.
Tip 2 - Study what you love
I’m sure many people can relate to having classes that are an absolute chore, but also, in contrast, classes that are the highlight of their week. Whilst the latter would be enjoyable and make studying easier, the former would often be a drag and information would rarely stay in your head. The simple reason for this is that if you aren’t interested, it’s much more difficult to learn the information.The best advice to combat this is, where possible, study subjects and topics that interest you; if you do so, the work you do won’t seem like work at all, and you’ll often find yourself going above and beyond to learn more about the subject than required, all because you truly appreciate the opportunity to learn.
Tip 3 - Mental Toughness
There’s no getting around the fact that no matter how informed, organised or interested in the topic you are, studying can be tough. However, by accepting that sometimes you will mess up, you can effectively train yourself to be mentally tougher, which will in turn make you better at studying.No one knows everything. We are all on a path to discovery every day, so when you hand in a paper and it gets a poor grade, it’s important to remain strong - instead of wallowing or getting frustrated, seek advice and feedback; reaching out to teachers or peers on what could have been done differently opens you up to other perspectives, which is key to a more holistic understanding of what you are studying.
The other way to stay mentally strong is through healthy studying habits. These include regular breaks during your study sessions, a healthy and balanced diet and getting the necessary amount of sleep to begin the next day fresh and revitalised.
Tip 4 - Eyes on the prize
What can often let people down when studying is not their ability or aptitude for learning, it can often be an aimless approach to learning that lets them down and leads to failure. One step to combat this is to adopt a goal-orientated approach - this can be through laying out what areas must be covered and when in some sort of timetable, rewarding yourself for a certain amount of progress made.This approach promotes a more organised study path and boosts your motivation; where the goal is clear from the offset and throughout, the workload becomes more manageable because you’re fully invested in the project, because you know your purpose.
Tip 5 - Find your optimal workspace
Where you study can be critical to its success. Having a loud, distracting or cluttered environment can lead to its undoing. So, what you need to consider is what your favoured working conditions are, and what you need to have within your study space.Depending on the context, you may require a laptop, textbooks, exercise books or even a study partner - it’s best to ensure everything is in place before you begin.
Also, consider the atmosphere of the area – somewhere quiet and with adequate lighting, and away from common distractions like TV, phones, games and other distractions such as family members having loud conversations.
Tip 6 - Understand What Learner Type you are
The activities you do during your study sessions need to be optimised to suit you – for example, a visual learner will not benefit from listening to podcasts or lectures, whereas kinaesthetic learners would benefit from neither, opting for a more hands on approach.It's important to remember that different studying methods, such as using flashcards, may not work for everyone, so try and ensure you have a solid understanding of your ideal methods.
There are many websites that offer free tests which help you find out what kind of learner you are just from asking a few short questions – it’s well worth a couple of minutes of your time, especially as it could be the difference between failing or passing a test!
©MindVARK. All rights reserved.
