7 Popular Study Habits You Need to Break

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Let’s face it. If your current relationship with studying isn’t working, it’s time to break up. Do you relate to any of these red flags?

1. Studying with your friends.

Studying with your close friends seems like a great way to make something boring, less boring. That’s until those study sessions quickly turn into social time, where staying on task becomes nearly impossible. Even worse, is when the group is too large and no clear agenda is set. You’ll just end up forking out more time and effort studying together, than alone. 

Studying is very much a ‘you’ thing, not an ‘us’ thing. Instead, consider sitting down and spending time studying on your own. This also allows you to create a tailor-made study plan that fits your studying pace, style and needs. 

2. Listening to music and watching TV.

Multitasking while studying is a recipe for disaster. Research has proven that our human brains are not equipped to focus on more than one task at a time. Therefore, watching that latest episode of K-drama or listening to your favourite artist while revising, may actually cost you your efficiency. 

Keep distractions at bay by limiting your screen time or staying away from the TV. We’ve all been down the rabbit-hole of YouTube at some point. It also helps to keep studying time and relaxing time separate. Once you internalise the difference, you won’t feel deprived of either.

3. Getting too comfortable.

Having your study space is important, but optimising it is even more valuable. School is tiring and studying can get exhausting. Combine this with a cozy study spot, and you’re more likely to fall asleep, get distracted, or be unproductive. 

Keep an eye out for places that include a well lit and well ventilated environment, with plenty of good seating arrangements that won’t tempt you to lounge around. Quality studying is worth it!

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4. Studying for too long. 

Huh? If anything, how did this habit make it onto our list? Well, as it turns out, our brain cannot focus for lengthy periods of time without any breaks — just like how a car can’t run on the same tank of fuel forever. So how should we take breaks without getting carried away?

You can try the Pomodoro technique that breaks up your studying time into 20-25 minutes of concentrated studying. After each interval, you may give yourself a 5 minute break, which is enough time to visit the bathroom, or grab a quick snack. By repeating this process several times, you can slowly increase the length of each interval proportionately.

5. Last minute cramming.

We’ve all been there. Burning the midnight oil. Speed reading our textbooks. As exam season rolls around, a lack of time seems to be a recurring theme. The culprit? Procrastination. However, leaving everything to the last minute is actually counterproductive. Condensing a glut of content overnight causes a lack of sleep that will mess with our brain’s ability to retain the information learnt during the day. 

On the contrary, scheduling several short study sessions throughout the semester will help you retain more details on the subject being studied. 

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6. Simply revising without practicing.

Passively revising your notes is not a holistic method of learning. Not only will it be time-consuming, it has also been shown to be completely ineffective. Your brain is not a sponge, but rather, a complex machine that requires consistent operation for it to function well. 

Instead, you will learn more by routinely testing yourself. Studies have shown that self-testing is more effective than simply memorising a page of text. The only time you should touch your notes is when you need to consolidate them or consult them when you’ve made a mistake in your self-test.

7. Not asking the teacher questions.

Most students absorb the learning material in class, first. But what happens when the first steps are already awry? Poor in-class engagement, like not clarifying important concepts with your teacher, can lead to a multitude of problems later on. 

Learn to take down notes during classes and be proactive in asking questions. Stay one step ahead of your conceptual misunderstandings and get your explanations from the best source possible. 

Kick these popular bad habits today, and rise above as a student! Good luck.