1. devote time and attention to acquiring knowledge on (an academic subject), especially by means of books.
2. look at closely in order to observe or read.
3. short for students dying.

Have a goal for each time you study.

1. Get your supplies! Studying often can get very tiring and stressful very quickly. The way I try to make it “fun” is by buying cute school/office supplies that make me think I have my life together.

Materials:

• Notebooks
• Folders/binders
• Index cards
• Small white board and markers
• Writing utensil (I’m obsessed with Gel pens)
• Textbooks
• Sticky notes
• Legal pad
• Laptop
• Your planner/life schedule

I like to match the colors of my notebooks to my folders for each class, just because it’s more fun that way for me. Also, Gel pens will change your life. I recommend getting the Pilot G2 7mm or 10 mm, Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel pens, or the Sharpie no bleed Gel pens. #NotAnAd I tend do overdo things; obviously you don’t have to care about which pens you write with, but for me, Gel pens make my studying experience 10x better, so I just had to get that out there. I’m weird, I know.

2. Prioritize and plan to study. If you are taking a three-hour course, plan to study for the class at least 6 hours a week. Really try and stick to your schedule because it’s very hard to catch back up when you’re behind.

4. Efficient studying begins in the classroom – Adapt to your teacher’s style of teaching. It is always the students’ job to fill in the gaps where their professor may lack. It doesn’t sound fair, but the world moves on with or without you, so keep up!

If your professor is monotonous, it’s very crucial to figure out a way to make the subject itself fun to learn. It’ll be hard, but if you lose interest in what you are learning, that can be the start of a slippery slope for the upcoming weeks for that class. Some professors may just talk at you with no slides. If they do, ask if you can record their lecture, via a voice memo. If you can’t, this is one of the classes where reading the textbook material ahead of time becomes crucial. Also, write the the most important things that stand out to you during class.

Some people will say that you should read ahead regardless of the course you’re taking or the professor that you have, and of course, you should, but it’s not always feasible because we all have lives, and we’re really just trying to stay on top of our game as much as we can.

Most of the time, teachers will lecture on their powerpoint slides and post their slides online as a powerpoint or as a pdf. If he/she posts it as a powerpoint, download the powerpoint before class, and take notes during class on the bottom of whatever your professor says that is not on the slides. If he/she posts it as a pdf, use your legal pad to write down what he/she says that is not on the slides.

5. Compile everything in your notebook. I read the textbook, while I read my professor’s notes and the notes I took either on my legal pad or the powerpoint slides, and I take notes on all of those things combined in my notebook. It’s sort of my “master notes” if that makes sense.

6. Index cards rule! Write down definitions, formulas, molecular structures of amino acids, etc. This is a great tool that people tend to overlook or think useless.

7. REPETITION IS KEY. Go over your notes. Read them out loud. Teach your dog, friend, mom, a teddy bear what you learned. Write a specific concept or definition that you don’t understand over and over again on either your legal pad or white board.

8. Keep yourself engaged. Reward yourself with a piece of chocolate every time you study through however many pages you think is sufficient enough to reward yourself. Eat fruit when you’re studying. My favorite fruit to eat when I study is GRAPES. 10/10 would recommend.

9. Take breaks. I usually study 2-3 hours at a time, and when I do, I take 5-minute long breaks every thirty minutes. I stretch or go to the bathroom. Get your blood flowing!

10. Make sure you’re breathing well when you’re studying. You may not realize this, but a lot of times the best thing you can do to stay awake and improve your retention capabilities is to get sufficient amount of oxygen to your brain.

11. Apply what you learn to your life. You may think that you’re never going to use any of the things you learn in the classroom in real life, and while most of the time that’s true, the concepts with everything you learn can apply. For example, Charles’ Law states that the volume of a fixed mass of gas is directly proportional to the temperature. I am probably never going to need to calculate how much volume changes in a balloon when the temperature increases or decreases. However, I do recognize that in the beginning of winter or mid-fall, drivers get their tires pumped because the temperature drops. When the temperature drops, the gas particles in a tire move slower and are not hitting the walls of the tire as much as they would in the summer when it’s hot, thus causing the tire to deflate.

12. Get rid of distractions. Personally, I cannot focus when I am directly listening to music. My ideal environment of studying is somewhere quiet and free of noise.

Put your phone away! You can check your social media and messages on your breaks.

13. Try not to study on a bed. You’ll fall asleep. I know from personal experience. Study upright in a chair and have your things on a desk/table in front of you.

14. SLEEP! All-nighters do not work. You need slow-wave (deep sleep) for your hippocampus to transform your short-term memories into long-term memories. Reread over your notes before bed.

There are other ways to study. My way may not work for some of you, and for the rest of you, it might. Nevertheless, I hope you found at least one thing maiuseful that you are able to apply in your life!

Education is the passport of the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.

Malcolm X