As the year winds down, make a more effective study plan to increase success

By: Michelle Anstett
Editor-in-chief

Studying can be a difficult task, made even more insurmountable by the numerous distractions in the average dorm room: computer with Internet, television, stereo, cell phone, video games, friends, etc. But there are some secrets to success, if anyone wants my advice (not that I think anyone does, but I’m giving it freely anyway).

First, you find a place that works for you. This can be in the library (just not in one of those big comfortable chairs if you’re really tired or pressed for time), outside (if it’s nice enough), in a lounge somewhere, in a computer lab or, if you’re superiorly disciplined and can resist extreme amounts of temptation, your dorm room.

Second, make sure you are able to be relatively comfortable in whatever space you chose. Sitting in a hard-bottomed chair covered in needles sticking pointy end up, for example, will not amply facilitate studying. On the flip side, finding a place which is overly comfortable (see the caveat with the comfy library chairs, above) is not productive, as you will, inevitably, fall asleep. Find a happy medium. Place a cushion or pillow on a wooden chair, for example. This will give you a decent balance of comfort and stability which will, hopefully, keep you awake through those hours of reading and writing.

Third, be sure to have ample lighting. Sitting in a dark closet with only a small flashlight will not do. In fact, it will only cause you to spend money at the eye doctor’s office either getting glasses or upping your prescription. Preferably, find a place with both an overhead light, for general area lighting, and a small lamp, for more focused light which can be placed directly on your books. This way, you will be able to see and read every word in your assignment, and you shouldn’t have too many excuses for not having something completed correctly.

Fourth, gather all the materials you will need to study, and have them within a relatively close proximity to your workspace. Gather pens, pencils, books, notebooks, highlighters, computer, etc., and keep them near enough to you that you don’t have to get up when you need something. Getting up at crucial studying moments can increase your chance of distraction, thereby lowering your chance of success.

Finally, make a priority list of what needs to be completed first. Go through your list of assignments and start with the most important, lengthy or difficult assignments. Getting those out of the way first, when your attention span is best, will help you complete more things during your allotted study time. If you spend all your time early on working on quick, easy assignments, you are not making the best use of your focus, and will only lead to distraction and potential failure as time wears on.

If you follow some of these (relatively) simple steps for studying success, you may just see that pile of homework shrinking more quickly than usual.