Top 10 Studying Habits For Overachievers in Canada

Developing great study habits is the key to success in high school and college or university. However, most overachieving teens find that their focus during high school is on extra-curriculars, sports and their social lives. Their good grades come easily, and so they don’t consider the need for developing good study habits. Learning how to study comes in the university years, after a string of bad exam marks.

How can high achievers create good habits in high school to be prepared for the demanding workload in university? Go above and beyond with our best tips for making the most of your study sessions.

Customising Your Study Environment

Before you even crack open a book, you’ve got to consider your study space. In order to concentrate, you need a quiet, well-lit, and comfortable place to maximise your focus. 

The coffee shop down the street might not be the ideal spot. Loud conversations, the whirr of the coffee grinder, and the constant stream of people coming and going may not be as restful as you imagined. Consider finding a space that’s really quiet, like a study room at the campus library, or find a time during the week when you can be alone at home.

Remember that studiers come in all types. Some people like a bit of noise and bustle around them, and others like total calm. If you’re not sure which type you are, experiment with whether you can focus better in a quiet environment or if you find some background noise helpful. If you like to study with headphones, you might find it more helpful to listen to familiar, relaxing songs. A playlist of new, high-energy beats can distract your attention. 

You might also need different things on different days — and that’s okay, too! If you’re studying at home, let the other people in your household know you need some quiet time. Set yourself up with a glass of water and a light snack, and be sure you have all the supplies you need. These can include your notes, scrap paper and a pen or pencil, plus highlighters and post-it notes. The more you have to interrupt your studying to find things you’re missing, the harder it will be to get back on track. 

Effective Time Management

One of the major learning curves for new college or university students is time management. Unlike the set schedule of high school, your classes may be scattered at different times, and even at different campuses. It can be easy to let the day slip away if you don’t plan time slots for hitting the books. 

One of the best ways to manage your time is to build regular study sessions into each day. These don’t have to be long —  for many students, two or three half-hour sessions per day can be more productive than a whole evening dedicated to work. Put them in your calendar and do your best to stick to them. Try to pick the time of day when you feel most alert to make the most of your time. Most of all, be an investigator: Which slots are easy to stick to, and which ones do you find yourself skipping? Don’t be too harsh on yourself — just rearrange your study slots and try again. The best schedule is one that you can stick to, not the one that crams as much activity in your days as possible.

Once you have your schedule, plan out which activities you’ll do during the sessions each week. It can be easy to skip a study session if you’re not sure what to do. But if you spend some time each week planning your to-do list, you’ll be ready to get down to work at each session.

Finally, our top tip is: Don’t cram if you don’t have to. While emergencies do arise, you’ll do better on your tests and exams if you prepare well in advance. Information learned quickly is lost quickly, and most of what you learn in your courses will build upon what came before. Don’t set yourself up for failure with bad study habits. 

Offset: Need to learn the best study tips, like, right now? Check out our blog: How to Study Effectively for Exams in a Short Time: Proven Strategies for Success

Active Learning Techniques

Active learning is any activity where you are not a passive recipient of knowledge. When you’re sitting in class listening to a lecture, or reading a textbook, this is considered passive learning. When you’re discussing what you’ve learned with others, journaling about your work, or working through problem solving questions, then you’re engaging in active learning. This boosts your memory and your ability to understand new concepts quickly. 

Some of the best ways to incorporate active learning techniques into your study time include: 

• Summarising: Explain the material in your own words. You can say it aloud, or write it down in your notebook. 
• Questioning: Formulate and write down questions as you read. See if you can find the answers, or write out the answers after you have finished your reading. 
• Teaching others: Whether you’re in a regular group study session or just discussing with other students after class, if you can teach the subject, that means you really understand it.

The Role of Self-Efficacy 

As you build your study skills, don’t forget to build the right mindset and attitude to go with them. In Study Habits and Procrastination: The Role of Academic Self-Efficacy, the researchers found that study skills and habits are only effective when you have confidence in your ability to stay motivated, exert positive control over your behaviour to build good study habits, and influence your social environment. When you have weak self-efficacy, you may avoid challenging tasks, or think that they’re beyond your abilities. This can make you lose confidence, which in turn will make it much harder to build good study habits and stick to your new routine. Instead, you should focus on resilience. Remember that setbacks and disappointments (like a bad test score, for example) are only temporary, and you can do better. The subject matter you find challenging today can be mastered, and will be easy to you once you’ve progressed to more difficult classes.

The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a popular tool for boosting focus and efficiency. Developed by entrepreneur Francesco Cirillo, many students and professionals find this method incredibly helpful. Equipped with a tomato-shaped kitchen timer (hence the name!), Cirillo experimented with periods of focus interspersed with short breaks. He found the optimal balance between his attention span wavering and length of a refreshing break was 25 minutes of work, with five minutes of rest. After four cycles, he would take a longer break. You can experiment with customising your blocks of time, too, and find what works best for you. 

Also consider task batching. This means breaking up your work into a smaller series of steps, and grouping similar tasks together. Task batching will increase your focus, and help you to be more productive during your slots of studying time.

Offset: Looking for more great study tips? Check out our article How to Get All 90s in High School: Strategies for Academic Success.

Group Study and Peer Learning

Studying with a group can have huge benefits for your learning. Not only can your peers help you with tough material and explain concepts in new ways that you may understand better, but they can also provide the accountability that is ideal for students who struggle to stick to a routine. You can get study tips from your peers that you hadn’t considered before, and feel supported knowing that others are going through the same challenges as you are. Studying as a group also boosts your active learning, and therefore your retention of the material.

There are ways to get the group study experience even if you don’t know any of your fellow classmates. Most colleges and universities have an academic resource centre that offers coaching, workshops, peer tutoring, and other services to help you succeed. Even if you’re an A-student, these services are worth it to help you stay on top with your grades, and make the transition from high school to post-secondary successfully. 

Health, Wellness, and Study Balance

While you’re focusing on improving your grades, don’t neglect your mental and physical wellness. To be an A-student, you need to pay proper attention to your health, nutrition, and sleep. These all play a role in enhancing your cognitive function, and in helping you to enjoy your time as a student. College and university is a stressful time, but it doesn’t have to be all work and no play. 

As you build your weekly schedule, don’t forget to plan time for socialising, cooking healthy meals, and getting plenty of sleep. Ask yourself what you can do to improve your mental health during the week. In addition to connecting with others, many students have a meditation or gratitude practice. Remember why you’re doing this hard work, and what it means for you. Connect to the fact that education is a privilege and you are preparing to pursue a career you hope to enjoy. As you plan for restful breaks (scrolling on your phone doesn’t count!) try to introduce a variety of activities into your week, and try new things you might enjoy. Explore local parks and outdoor spaces, try new sports, or plan to attend the meeting of a club or society on your campus. 

Self-Assessment and Feedback

Now that you’ve got a balanced schedule and a regular routine, you want to be sure that your time spent studying is improving your knowledge and your grades. In addition to the resources in your textbook and class materials, look for practice questions and additional study resources online. Websites like Coursera, Khan Academy, Udemy and Photomath are designed to be engaging, and make time spent on your phone more productive. If you’re studying liberal arts, look for podcasts on your subject — whether it’s philosophy, English literature, or social sciences. You’ll find enthusiastic hosts, many of whom have advanced degrees in your major, and have engaging ways of explaining key concepts. Many podcasters also include lists of additional reading or other materials on their websites, and encourage listeners to reach out with their questions. 

But don’t only rely on what you can find online. Ask your professor or TA for resources. They will be happy to help you and can offer additional homework questions, as well as explaining any concepts you find tricky. If you see them regularly, you can also seek their feedback on your performance and understanding of the course material. Showing them that you’re serious about improving your grades by visiting office hours will motivate them to spend the time needed to help you.

You can also get useful feedback from a qualified tutor. Working with an online tutor can help you maintain a high GPA and feel like you’re mastering the material in your classes. Even an hour per week can be enough to boost your grades significantly, and keep you motivated in your classes. Remember that tutors aren’t just for learning the subject matter of your courses. They can coach you on your study skills, prioritisation, and learning how to better manage your workload. 

Adapting Study Habits for Virtual Learning

Now that more and more students are shifting their learning to online courses, it’s important to address how to stay engaged with online lessons. 

One of the best ways to ensure you’re studying effectively is to take your learning offline. You already get a lot of screen time during your classes. Avoid studying online, too, as you already know how many internet-based distractions can derail your attention. Print out your worksheets or readings. Studies have shown that reading on paper boosts memory and comprehension vs. reading on a screen. If you have to read on a screen, write down a summary of what you’ve learned in your notebook when you’re finished to boost your active learning. Also consider using apps like Focus To-Do and Forest to prevent you from getting distracted while you work on your computer. 

Conclusion

As you develop your study habits, remember that the best routine for studying is the one you can stick to. Don’t be afraid to adjust your schedule with each new semester, and look for patterns of good and poor performance. Also don’t be too proud to ask for help — even if you’re an overachiever, you can always benefit from office hours with your professor or TA, or a visit to your campus student resource centre or writing centre. The top students are willing to try new things and experiment with what works for them. Whether it’s studying in a group or spending time hunting down study guides online, your unique learning style can be adapted to help you improve your grades and feel good about the time you spend furthering your knowledge.

If you’d like more info on how to develop a good study routine, check out our Student Success Toolkits.