Good Habits for Students-The Complete Guide for Students to Thrive in School

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This post is all about good habits for students!

These are all the good habits for students that they can develop while at uni.

Habits are defined as things that we always do or customs that we have and develop throughout our lives making constant and intensive use of them.

A study habit is a recurring practice of people, mainly students, in which study methodologies, study times, study subjects, etc. can be evidenced and presented.

Study habits are developed in order to improve academic performance, memorization, responsibility, self-management and autonomy of the student, creating awareness about correct educational practices in this.

Study habits are self-developed and acquired, for which reason a study habit that my partner has developed, I cannot have at the same level of development.

This happens because each one of us has techniques and ways by which it becomes easier for us to acquire information and/or memorize it, thus promoting individuality and the construction of personality in the student.

Study habits are the best and most powerful predictor of academic success, much more than the level of intelligence or memory, since habits are behaviors that we acquire by repetition and that, over time, become automated and allow us to face to daily tasks more effectively.

So, if you´ve been trying to do better at school then this article is for you, read it carefully and start changing your habits now!

Table of contents:

• 10 Good Habits in Class

• 10 Good Habits at Home

• 10 Tips to Develop Good Habits

• 10 Healthy Habits for Students

• Bad Habits of College Students

• How to create or acquire a Study Habit

 

 

10 Good Habits in Class

1.Clarify any doubt on that same day

Even the brightest students initially struggle with certain concepts.

Clarify any questions you have the same day if you don’t understand a particular concept that your teacher covered in class.

You’ll stay current on the subject if you maintain this positive habit.

Clarifying any doubts about the subject studied in class is essential since it will still be fresh in your head.

Because if you wait a few days to clarify any doubts, you may no longer remember well what it was that you did not understand or you might just simply give up on the topic.

 

2. No electronic devices

Mobile phones, such as computers, tablets or video games, are daily stimuli in our lives to which the brain pays attention, consciously or unconsciously, whenever they are within our reach.

Its mere accessibility can cause diversion of attention and lower performance in the study.

Taking this into account, the solution seems clear, right? The devices when studying, better away.

Mobile devices are a great distraction when it comes to being in the classroom because for many studying is boring and, if following the flight of a fly can be entertaining depending on the topic or subject, a mobile is a pocket Disney.

An alert that indicates that a WhatsApp has arrived, a “like” on Instagram, the notice of a new update from your favorite YouTuber… each notification is a “Hello, I’m here. You are getting bored and I have something more fun to offer you. “

 

3. Arriving on time

By meeting the goal of arriving early to class, and making it a habit, which, although not very noticeable at first, over time generates a very attractive pattern, will undoubtedly distinguish you from others.

And in time you will notice a good attitude in others towards you; because this will generate an unconscious trust in your person and will make you seem reliable to be responsible for a project.

Arriving on time is also essential for your learning, since you will be more focused on the topic taught and you will not miss anything that could be important for your understanding.

To be a successful student you must be organized with your time and always have in mind that punctuality is the soul of courtesy.

Never forget that the golden rules are: If you are 5 minutes early, you are on time. If you’re on time, it’s already late. If you’re late, you’re gone.

Related: 40 Best Books About Learning and Studying

 

4. Stay organized: Agenda

Being organized is critical to academic success, so develop good study habits.

Every day, devote 5 to 10 minutes to organizing your notes and assignments.

When it comes time to study for your next test or exam, you won’t have to scour the internet for the resources you require.

Being organized saves us time and effort.

We waste a lot of time, for example, looking for the papers of each subject instead of having everything organized inside a carpet.

We can also do badly in class by not writing down all the jobs and tasks we have for the week in an agenda, since we can forget them. 

Being organized helps us to be calm and stress-free.

Many times, the mess in which we live is a reflection of the mess that is inside our heads and vice versa.

And also, so much mess inside our heads and having so many things from school to do can affect us and cause us anxiety.

 

 

5. Take regular notes

Another successful student’s habit is to always take notes while studying.

Taking regular notes improves your memory power and allows you to easily review topics. 

When students focus and practice a note-taking system that can keep them organized, they are developing a lifelong skill that can help them efficiently process and transcribe data and facts, which is relevant to a variety of professions.

Taking notes forces you to maintain attention and concentration in the classroom, to think about what the teacher says and to write, selecting and structuring the contents of the subject.

The effort to synthesize the information and give it its own shape is a tool for studying that facilitates the subsequent assimilation of the subject.

 

6. Sitting in the front row

A student who sits in the front of the classroom is more engaged.

You will make more eye contact with the professor and may be called upon more frequently.

It can be intimidating to answer questions in front of the class, but it is a great way to learn.

The average length of a class is an hour to an hour and a half.

In the grand scheme of things, this is not a very long time to remain focused on something that will contribute to the development of our future.

The class will seem twice as long if you drift off during this time.

It’s simple to get sidetracked and hide from the professor when you’re seated in the back of the room.

If laptops are permitted in the classroom, it’s very simple to start Internet browsing and lose all concentration.

It is usually simpler to maintain concentration on the material you are learning if you are in the front of the room.

If you pay attention in class, there’s a good chance you’ll even be able to reduce the amount of time you spend studying outside of class.

Take it slow if moving to the front row all at once seems intimidating.

Discover how simple it is to achieve greater success by starting to advance a few rows each week!

 

7. Establish communication with your professors

Talk to your professors as soon as possible and as frequently as possible.

Learning how to ask questions, request assistance, and interact with superiors politely will benefit you throughout your life and not just your academic performance.

Your education will be enriched by developing relationships with your professors, and you’ll be able to start a mentoring group on campus. 

You’ll be more likely to ask for assistance or participate in class if you establish a strong rapport with your teacher because you will be aware of the expectations.

Likewise, your instructor will be able to help you more effectively if they are aware of your strengths.

They might even encourage you to pursue additional academic or professional goals in fields where you excel but might lack confidence.

In the end, building relationships with your professors will improve and deepen your college coursework.

This is one of the best habits you can have as a college student for the future

 

8. Take every extra opportunity to study

Try to accommodate any after-class study sessions or opportunities for extra credit that a professor or teaching assistant might offer.

This not only increases your safety net in case you make a mistake again, but it also demonstrates your initiative as a learner.

This is a great habit for students wanting to excel at their courses, since it will not only show more interest in the class but really understand all the material better.

After class, spend some time reviewing your notes.

Although it won’t take much time, the sooner you complete this task, the better.

You can fill in the blanks and determine what you might need help with by reviewing right away following class, while the information is still fresh.

 

Related: 30 Effective Study Motivation Tips

9. Set short- term study goals

Setting short-term goals before each study session is a good study habit to keep up.

It’s pretty useless to read through your notes aimlessly in the hope that you’ll remember everything.

Get into the habit of writing down your objectives for the upcoming hour of study before each session.

For instance, if you are studying physics, your objective might be to have all the formulas you require memorized for a particular topic.

After every study session, go over your work by saying aloud everything you learned.

You know you need to spend more time on those specific areas if there is anything you can’t recall.

 

10. Never study hungry or sleepy

In order for our brain to function properly, it is important that we provide it with all the necessary nutrients.

Thus, you will have a greater capacity for concentration and you will be able to retain information more easily.

Therefore, it is important that you avoid studying when you are hungry, or postpone lunch hours to study longer.

Physiological needs influence the individual’s ability to concentrate.

Because of this, you should always prioritize your diet and make sure you’re full before you start learning.

In the same way, you should never study sleepy.

Drowsiness shuts down the brain’s ability to focus and absorb new knowledge.

Because of this, maintaining a healthy sleep routine contributes significantly to developing good study habits.

 

 

10 Good Habits at Home

1. Prepare your study area

Your work area must be arranged according to your preferred method of studying, so the first step is to remove all your dirty clothes from the desk and transfer them to the bed (or better yet, to the laundry basket).

If you find it easy to learn new things while you are in contact with nature, perhaps the best thing for you is to be in a park or in a quiet forest.

But if you need absolute silence, the best thing would be a library or conditioning your room to prevent noise from the street or from the neighbors from interrupting you.

 

2. Organize your study time

The proper distribution of time in each activity is important when you dedicate yourself to studying.

This advice is often given constantly, but not everyone establishes an adequate schedule of the time they need for daily activities such as study hours.

A practical way to start this organization of your time is to evaluate the available hours you have left in the day after doing your routine activities.

Of that time, establish a minimum (it can be two hours) to study in a fixed and constant way.

Remember that studying in an orderly way will prevent you from feeling stress, since you will obtain positive results more quickly and of course increase your productivity.

 

3. What do you find harder? Dedicate more time to it

One of the most common mistakes that university (and school) students often make is that they leave the most difficult subjects for last.

There is a certain “fear” of facing the subjects that cost them the most and that is why they postpone them time and time again.

You have to do the opposite!

We all have areas in which we are weaker, and the only way to overcome ourselves is to face them (this also applies to situations in your personal life).

If from the beginning you dedicate more time to that theme that is difficult for you and that you do not like so much, with time you will master it and you will feel the peace of mind that it is no longer a threat to you.

 

4. Study first, then reward yourself

This is a great study habit that practically no one applies.

What’s more, students generally do the opposite.

Many wait to have the “perfect situation” to start studying, this means: Have eaten before, have played their favorite console games, have done everything they had pending; and only then begin to feel “comfortable” to start studying.

The truth is that you should do the opposite.

As we said before, set easy goals. The best thing you can do is say: “I’m going to study for 30 minutes and I’m going to focus 100% on my studies, when I’m done, I can play on my console.” Or: “When I finish studying, I’m going to reward myself by eating a pizza, but I can only eat it if I complete the study.”

Incentives are very useful study strategies if you know how to apply them.

5. Take breaks

Studying for hours can be exhausting, and after a period of time without breaks our brain can get fatigued, which is why it is ideal to take breaks as you study.

It is advisable to take at least 10 minutes of rest for every 50 minutes of study.

After the break, you will see how you are ready again to continue learning. 

It is advisable to do a little exercise, stretching or meditation, even a short nap.

Some points you should pay attention to are:

 

• Stay away from the computer and social media.
• The idea of ​​a break is not just stopping work, but also doing something different. In other words, get away from your screen, yes, even the small screen of your cell phone.
• It’s easy to get lost in the world of social media, where a 5-minute break can quickly turn into an hour.
• Move your body, try to get some exercise, it will not only help you rest but it will improve your mood, reduce your anxiety and strengthen your body.
• Direct your attention to something other than what you are studying, taking a break is about using a different area of ​​the brain.
• Fuel your body and mind, eating nutritious snacks and staying hydrated can help you stay more focused and provide you with the energy you need for a successful study session.

 

6. Eliminate time thieves

Distractions are the great enemy of study habits. To eliminate them, it is necessary to know and count them.

Which ones occur? When do they happen? How much time do they steal from me? These responses can be fixed with a quick journal.

 

Once identified, the solution is simple. If they are external distractions, it will be enough to limit them.

 

For example:

 

• Remove the vibration from the mobile, leave it upside down or outside the study area.
• Asking our family and friends not to disturb us while we are studying (for example, while the bedroom door is closed).
• Turn off the computer (and, if I turn it on to search for information, turn it off again when I’m done, so it’s hard to get distracted).
• If the distractions are internal (that is, my thoughts or feelings do not let me study) it can also be improved:

 

• If I get hungry or thirsty, I haven’t planned my schedule enough. In good planning there is time to eat or at least, time for the unforeseen.

 

• If my thoughts don’t leave me alone, I can modify the messages I give myself: “That’s not important now, now it’s time to study”, “I’ll think about that later, now I’d like to study”, etc.

 

• If it’s my emotions (like anger or anxiety) that prevent me from concentrating, either it’s not the best time to study, or I don’t control them enough.

 

Related: 30 Best Blogs for Teenagers – The Ultimate 2023 Guide

7. Achieve goals through micro routines

Jordan Peterson, a well-known professor at the University of Toronto, created this valuable concept.

This technique entails making goals and writing them down because writing helps us organize and categorize our thoughts.

Once we have written down our objectives, we can more easily carry them out by breaking them down into smaller tasks called micro routines.

The brain rewards the achievement of these micro routines by releasing dopamine as a result of its connection to the primary objective.

In other words, thanks to this, feedback is generated that gradually pushes us to success, which is why it is important that the micro routines are not impossible to comply with since failure in them can produce a negative effect.

 

8. Follow what you are passionate about

The most successful students like what they learn and enjoy doing it.

Thanks to that passion, every day they learn more and more.

Therefore, another common habit among the best students is that they follow and are interested in current affairs and what the experts think.

For example, if you are studying economics, you must be up to date with what is happening in the economic world today.

Of course, it is important to point out that each student is different and not all of them strictly follow the same study habits.

The best way to become an outstanding student is to try different techniques and find out which ones work best for you.

 

9. The habit of summarizing 

The habit of summarizing the knowledge of each chapter and each section is scattered and isolated.

To form a knowledge system, there must be a summary after the class.

Summarize what you have learned and capture the key points and keys to master.

Compare and understand confusing concepts.

Every time you learn a topic, you should connect the knowledge points scattered in each chapter into a line, supplement with faces, and form a network so that the learned knowledge is systematized, regularized, and structured, so that you can use it to make associations.

 

10. Exercise

When performing physical exercise, the manufacture of new neurons is started in the brain areas dedicated to learning and memory.

On the other hand, sports activity allows us to secrete dopamine and norepinephrine, brain neurotransmitters.

This is very important since, in recent studies, it has been discovered that when dopamine and norepinephrine are released in the brain, the information studied is better consolidated in memory.

Exercising stimulates memory by regularly making people identify visual stimuli faster and concentrate more than those who are passive or inactive.

Commitment and responsibility are concepts that are valued by young students, since practicing a sport makes them more organized, prone to taking care of their bodies and not falling into bad habits.

 

 

10 Tips to Develop Good Habits

1. More is not better

Long study days do not guarantee learning, the Kaizen method suggests distributing short sessions of time, but repeated throughout the week, in such a way that they allow generating habitual study frequencies for the person; It is also suggested to distribute specific objectives for each session in such a way that it is easy to assess the progress and motivation per session.

 

2. Study with friends

The second of the tips to improve study habits is to establish a time to study with a group of friends.

This will help us feel motivated while studying, since we will be in the company of others, not to mention that it will be much more fun than studying alone.

It is also very likely that they will remind you of the date on which you have met, so it is difficult for you to forget.

It will also help you feel more love towards studying since it will become something fun and not just something you´re forced to do.

 

3. Use Post- its

The next tip to improve study habits is an old way of reminding yourself that you have something to do.

I eat?

Through sticky notes or post-its.

The idea is to leave them all over the bedroom, bathroom or notebook.

Put brightly colored post-its in places where you know you can’t help but look at them without feeling guilty.

Having a schedule and study habits is the most important part of succeeding as a college student.

You just have to find the one that best suits your needs.

Once you have everything planned, you will notice the improvement both in your study habits and in your personal life.

4. Sounds

Depending on your tastes and personality, you may concentrate better away from noise, while your classmates may refer to listening to music, whatever your preference, try to use it when you prepare to study.

This technique will allow you to concentrate and meet the objectives faster, as well as stimulate your creativity and ingenuity.

 

5. Pomodoro Technique

If procrastination is one of your biggest enemies and you can’t find a way to focus on what you need to do, maybe it’s because you haven’t tried the Pomodoro technique.

Basically, the idea is to use a timer to divide your tasks into 25-minute blocks of time where you must fully focus on what you are doing, and interspersed with 5-minute rest periods.

Once you have completed a complete work cycle, that is, four blocks of 25 minutes, you take a long break that can be from 20 to 30 minutes.

This technique has helped many to improve their concentration and speed up.

The best thing is that there are several apps to help focus that include it creatively in their methodology, among them you can choose Forest, Goodtime, Pomodoro Timer, Focus To-Do, among others.

 

6. Check your progress

To verify that our study habits meet our needs, it is best to submit to small tests and questionnaires in which we can check the progress in the study and that we use techniques that give us greater performance.

Each student must be aware of their abilities, their ability to concentrate and, according to these factors, design habits and routines that make them move forward and feel that they are meeting their goals.

 

7. Avoid Procrastination

Procrastination is voluntarily putting off assigned tasks to finally carry them out at a time or date that is close to the deadline set to meet them.  Why do we leave things for later when we know that is not the best?

> Due to lack of self-control.

> We are not interested because we do not see the value of doing the task.

> We are afraid of failing.

> By character traits of each one

 

How to combat procrastination: 

Determine which subjects or topics are the most important, so that you can start there. Keep in mind that the most important thing is usually also the one with the greatest degree of difficulty. Study up to three important points per day and leave the simpler ones for when your tiredness is greater.

 

8. Study techniques 

Knowing the learning style that is most comfortable for us is essential, since it allows us to select the study techniques that best fit us. Usually, the most complex issues require the combination of different techniques to address them. Keep in mind that to remember a subject in the long term, you have to understand it at all cognitive levels.

•  Short-term memory: retains what is central at a given time. Most people manage to retain up to 7 elements in this type of memory, such as the address of a site.
• Long-term memory: it is the information located in the memory of short term that managed to be processed and passed to the memories, so that it is possible to quote after a long time.

Keys for memorizing: 

1. Choose: you can narrate roughly the favorite story of

your childhood, even if you haven’t read it for a long time, because

you chose to learn and you were interested in remembering it.

2. Visualize: Create mental images for each topic you need to remember. Take a few seconds to fix the image

mentally, so that you increase your chances of getting it back

after.

3. Link ideas and information: if you link the data

together you will build a chain of memories that will configure a

file easy to review later.

4. Repeat until overlearning: use your own words to explain the things you need to remember, so that you can achieve overlearning or automation.

Related: 200 “Favorite Things” Questions to Ask to Get to Know Someone Better

9. Review and self – assessment

1.  Importance of review

 

Information encoding and retrieval is an excellent exercise

to strengthen brain cell connections. Keeping your memory fresh with continual review is the best way to study and decrease forgetfulness. The mind selects the topics it wants

remember, so if something seems boring or uninteresting to you, it is likely that you forget it easily.

Avoid it by applying these tips:

> Define learning objectives before reading or attending class.

> Set the objectives in the short, medium and long term.

> Link them to your personal interests to stay motivated.

 

1. Tips to self – asses your knowledge 

 

• Reproduce the structure of the text

Write down the paragraphs after the first reading to master the subjects you study. Recite your content when you finish each chapter and record yourself to listen

your mistakes, which you will write to correct.

 

• Use the available tools

Solve the lists of questions, objectives or exercises provided by the author of the text or the teacher.

 

• Mess up the questions

Practicing the answers in a different order allows you to understand them better and carry out cross-training.

 

• Tell the material to someone else

Even if you have no one to explain it to, pretend you do. It helps to digest the information, understand its relevance, the crucial aspects and use

an understandable language that denotes the essence of what you study.

 

10. Reasoning is better than memorizing

If you can’t understand what you read, it will be difficult to assimilate the new knowledge.

If you only memorize, you run the risk of forgetting the information once you use it, for example, in a test; but if you understand what you study you will be able to make use of what you have learned.

Studying by just memorizing everything causes an effect that makes it appear that the subject is known, but in reality, the knowledge is not acquired at any time.

It is dangerous to study like this, since you can pass a subject, but not an entire degree.

The best thing is to study using reasoning.

10 Healthy Habits for Students

1. Keep a good diet

If you are a young student who has just launched ‘independence’, one of the most difficult challenges facing you is eating well.

Not being used to cooking regularly, the temptation to resort to precooked food is very strong, but you should opt for it only in exceptional situations.

It not only harms your health (because it contains large amounts of sugar and saturated fat) but also your academic performance, since a good physical condition helps to study better.

Therefore, prepare a good list of menus, which is as varied as possible, in which there is no lack of fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, dairy products, eggs, meat and fish, all in their proper measure.

 

2. Forget about unhealthy things

Do not resort to or, at least, do not abuse substances that are often used as supposed ‘help’ to study.

We are talking about coffee, energy drinks or drugs and vitamin tablets of different types, unless in the latter case it is recommended by a medical specialist.

All of them, without exception, can generate addiction.

And no addiction is good.

Caffeine, energy drinks and high-sugar foods are part of the daily life of many students who seek to perform well after a hectic routine and little rest.

Although a cup of coffee at the beginning of the day is very effective when it comes to providing energy shots throughout the day, the caffeine contained in this drink, when consumed too frequently, can have side effects on your health.

That´s why it´s good to sometimes alternate them with other natural energizers like vitamins B12, Gingko Biloba, green tea and dark chocolate.

 

3. Relaxation Exercises

Without a doubt, playing sports is a good way to release stress, but there are many others that you can add to your healthy routine.

One of them is to perform meditation or relaxation exercises, such as yoga or Pilates.

Something especially recommended during exam time but that can be carried out at any time in general.

Between 15 and 30 minutes a day may be enough.

Like for example transcendental meditation which is a technique from India that helps human beings use the full potential of their mind and is important because it allows full relaxation, increases communication skills and increases production at work.

 

4. Be water my friend

There are many advantages to drinking water.

The recommended daily intake of water is a topic of intense discussion.

We provide the answer: depending on your activity level, health, and complexion, between a liter and a half.

Fruits and vegetables, which should always be a part of your diet, are packed with water and will therefore add an additional half liter to your intake.

About 7 glasses of water per day are the foundation of your health, vitality, and well-being.

 

5. Learn how to manage your stress

Each person reacts to stress differently.

Some people find that the endorphin high they experience after working out is sufficient to help them relax and refocus.

Others find that it’s taking the time to unplug and engage in manual labor, such as preparing a balanced meal.

Spend some time figuring out what actually calms you down, releases tension, and helps you deal with overwhelming emotions or anxiety.

Sometimes all it takes to feel supported is a brief nap, some meditation, or a cup of coffee with friends.

 

6. Take good care of yourself

These days, studying involves spending a lot of time in front of screens, which can be quite taxing on your eyes, especially if you’re already taking classes online, watching TV, watching TikTok videos on your phone, and more.

So, remember to take good care of your eyes as well.

This entails keeping your screen at least an arms’ length away from your face, taking breaks from it, and possibly even investing in blue-light-filtering eyewear.

 

Additionally, you must be mindful of your posture.

How are you currently seated?

Make some quick, healthy adjustments if you’re slouching over a laptop or textbook.

Straighten your back while you sit and raise your textbook or screen to eye level.

If at all possible, purchase a laptop stand or simply place your laptop on top of some books to raise the screen to eye level.

Your shoulders and neck will be able to sit straight as you read your textbooks with the help of a cheap cookbook stand.

 

7. Walking around

Although it can be considered as an alternative activity similar to the ones mentioned in the previous point, walking deserves a separate point, because in addition to a playful or leisure activity, it is also one of the most complete physical exercises, so going out for a walk is doubly good for your mind and your body.

Going out, meeting people, interacting, is essential when you study at the university.

It will help you to know how things work in the city.

Nothing better, by the way, to force you to walk, and help you maintain healthy habits for university students, than staying in a location close to the university that allows you to walk.

 

8. Wake up early in the morning

An excellent habit that has many advantages is getting up early.

Students who get up early in the morning can begin the day with a relaxed attitude.

They don’t have to rush to get to school or complete the necessary tasks in the morning.

Additionally, they will have enough time in the morning to study.

They can begin the day in a positive manner in this way.

By getting up early in the morning, you can distribute your time better: exercise, meditate or take advantage of that space where your children sleep for a good read.

It is your time to do what you like the most, it is your morning routine and you can accommodate it as you prefer.

9. Practice gratitude

Regularly experiencing gratitude, like other positive emotions, can have a significant impact on our lives.

Positive emotions are beneficial for our bodies, minds, and brains, according to brain research.

Positive feelings allow us to consider more options.

They improve our capacity to learn and make wise choices.

Gratitude is one of the feelings with the greatest power to attract abundance and well-being into our lives.

Gratitude is directly related to happiness.

When we feel grateful, we value what we have, enjoy our accomplishments, and feel energized.

 

10. Spend time alone

Get some alone time. I am aware that it is college.

You are free to conduct your own activities as you please.

There are numerous people and activities to engage in.

In college, it’s common to meet new people and network.

Just remember that you also have a personal life.

There is no time for oneself when one is constantly surrounded by others.

It may be exhausting and occasionally overwhelming.

Spending time by yourself is crucial when you need it for this reason.

Make yourself your top priority and make an investment in your stability.

Never fail to congratulate and recognize yourself for all the hard work you put in. Having good mental health is key.

Related: The Ultimate Guide on How to Flirt with a Girl Over Text or in Person

 

 

Bad Habits of College Students

1. Procrastination

One of the most common bad study habits in young people is procrastination.

This is nothing more than leaving things for later, especially studying or reviewing the topics seen in class.

Procrastination has important negative consequences in university students, such as loss of time, poor academic performance, increased stress, anxiety and depression. 

When it comes to studying, many people have distractions and choose to watch a series, a movie, call their partner on the phone and even go out to train so as not to spend the afternoon studying.

Although we can sometimes afford an afternoon off, procrastination affects our performance and controls our lives.

The procrastinator, unlike the slacker, intends to perform the action but his brain prefers the satisfaction of putting it off and instead replacing it with something easy and fun.

Those who suffer from this disease often have motivational problems and sustained attention, managing to get distracted by not knowing how to use their collective attention span.

 

2. Distractions

The majority of students undervalue the impact of their immediate environment on their ability to study.

Distractions reduce study time and lower the caliber of learning.

When attempting to concentrate on studying, it is crucial to banish all sources of distraction, including mobile devices, television, and computers.

Distractions reduce study time and lower the caliber of learning.

When attempting to concentrate on studying, it is crucial to banish all sources of distraction, including mobile devices, television, and computers.

Every effort should be made by students to study in a distraction-free environment that is quiet.

 

3. Lack of organization to study

Sometimes the only problem you have is that you don’t know how to organize your time and your activities.

In these cases, no matter how much you are interested in a subject, if you do not organize your day, there is no way to dedicate useful time to your study.

Being organized is crucial for students because it teaches them how to set and achieve goals, prioritize tasks, and manage their time effectively.

Additionally, having strong organizational abilities facilitates teamwork and boosts productivity and efficiency.

 

4. Making negative comments about yourself

Did you know that, perhaps unconsciously, we believe everything we tell ourselves?

Pay attention to how many times you say things like: “I am so stupid!”, “This is impossible”, “I hate English”, “learning English is too difficult”, or “I will never learn to speak English”.

With so much repetition, your brain will get the message, and you’ll certainly feel the effect on your grades.

How to counter this?

Watch your words and thoughts.

Put all negativity aside and replace that internal dialogue with positive thoughts.

How about you start by replacing “I hate English” with “studying English will help me achieve the things I want to achieve”?

You have nothing to lose by trying.

 

5. Leaving  everything for last minute

One of the worst study habits that we have all done at least once is to leave everything to the last minute.

Contrary to studying little by little and dividing a large workload over several days, we torment ourselves with leaving everything to the last and it is not the best strategy because the night before your stress increases, affecting your levels of concentration and organization.

Even if you think you can do it, you’ll probably always end up sleeping very late, learning little, and getting a bad grade.

It’s hard to stay focused for more than a couple of hours, so trying to spend a lot of time studying at night will mean that little by little you’ll lose interest in what you’re reading and the next day you won’t remember it.

You need to create the habit of studying with time.

 

6. Laying down on bed to study

It usually happens when you start studying at the last minute and you do it because you get sleepy or feel tired.

It is the worst thing you can do since being this relaxed will make you increasingly sleepy and your ability to concentrate will be impaired.

In addition, you run the risk of falling asleep and not finishing studying.

 

7. Not resting

Many people obsess over studying and don’t stop for hours, and it’s a lousy habit.

Your mind needs to rest from time to time to process what it learns and not overload it with matter that in the end you will not be able to retain.

Sleeping well is also an important part of the study, since your body and mind rest while you do it, that way you arrive in optimal conditions the next day to give your test.

Studying efficiently is important so that you can really learn what you are reading.

Don’t push yourself too hard or relax too much, as neither extreme will help you perform properly.

And always remember that the more attention you pay in class, the less you will have to review later at home.

 

8. Studying while doing other things

By this we mean eating, having breakfast, going on the subway, and even listening to a certain type of music.

You are wasting time that you have a rest for yourself, because you are not really 100% focused or attentive to what you are trying to study.

Rest, relax, eat and do whatever you have to do. Once those things are done, go back to the studio.

 

9. Choosing the wrong people to study with

Choosing the right people to study with is an important factor in your learning performance.

For example, studying with friends could be a great idea if you and your friends are motivated enough and know how to keep going through the more challenging parts of studying.

If you and your study partner end up chatting about other topics, it may be better to study separately. 

Or just get together to test each other with questions after everyone has learned the material on their own.

Studying in a group can be motivating at first, especially when leaving home to go to the library if you’ve met someone.

But it does not have many other benefits.

In fact, it can become a bad habit if you get carried away and end up all of you in the library cafeteria.

And it is not the same to see another person solving a complicated problem and think that you have already understood it than to do it yourself.

 

10. Superficiality

It is when we do things just to hand them in due to lack of interest or some other reason.

Not delving or investigating enough to have an optimal result of the activity or task that we are doing.

When you don´t care about learning or getting a good grade but just on handing something and not getting a lecture on why you´re not doing your assignments.

The lack of motivation to succeed is one of the worst enemies for any student because, without motivation there´s nothing.

Nothing will stay in your memory if you do everything without desire or motivation.

Related: Friendship Goals – The Ultimate Guide on Building Strong Friendships

How to create or acquire a study habit

How can you make studying a daily habit? How long does it take to form a study habit?

All of these queries will be addressed, along with an explanation of how to develop or pick up a study habit. 

 

Let’s start by explaining how the study habit develops.

It must be understood that persistence and tenacity are prerequisites for developing a habit.

Any behavior can be formed into a habit by repeating it regularly and adamantly under all circumstances.

Why is this important?

Because research has shown that the only way for our brain to turn a particular action into a habit is if we repeat it every day.

 

Although some experts claim that it takes 21 days to develop a study habit, science has shown that it actually takes 66 days to form any habit, whether it be one related to studying or not. 

 

For example, imagine that you have proposed that every day you will have dinner at 8:00 p.m. and right after dinner, at approximately 20:30, you will start studying until 23:00, then go to bed, read a little and sleep.

This means a change in habits, since until now you used to have dinner at 9:00 p.m. and after dinner you used to watch TV until 12:00.

Carrying out this change in habits and incorporating this study habit into your life will require an effort at first, but as you repeat this routine day by day, that effort will reduce, reaching the point of doing it almost without thinking, instinctively.

 

It’s crucial to follow your routine every day in order to develop a habit, in this case a study habit, especially during the first 66 days.

You might find it difficult at times, but try to keep things in perspective.

What if your daily routine is all that stands in the way of achieving your goals and doing what you truly want to do for the rest of your life?  

Isn’t achieving your goal, what you’ve always desired, worth the initial struggle? 

So, what are you waiting for, start now!

 

Final Thought on Good Habits for Students

Whether you’re trying to build a good habit or break a bad one, this list provides you with the all the habits that you might be doing or not to make your student years more enjoyable and easier.

I hope that in this guide you found ways to improve your life in different aspects and to become a better person! If you are interested in more self-development ideas from BLENDtw, check out these articles:

• 20 Places Where You Can Buy Used Textbooks

• 15 Best Websites to Download Free College Textbooks Online

• 5 Surprisingly Easy Ways Students Can Save Money Throughout College

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