The key to becoming an effective student is learning how to study smarter, not harder. This becomes more and more true as you advance in your education. An hour or two of studying a day is usually sufficient to make it through high school with satisfactory grades, but when college arrives, there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all your studying in if you don’t know how to study smarter. While some students are able to breeze through school with minimal effort, this is the exception. The vast majority of successful students achieve their success by developing and applying effective study habits. The following are the top 10 study habits employed by highly successful students. So if you want to become a successful student, don’t get discouraged, don’t give up, just work to develop each of the study habits below and you’ll see your grades go up your knowledge increase, and your ability to learn and assimilate information improve.

Don’t attempt to cram all your semester content into one session

Ever find yourself up late at night expending more energy trying to keep your eyelids open than you are studying? If so, it’s time for a change. Successful students typically space their work out over shorter periods of time and rarely try to cram all of their studying into just one or two sessions. If you want to become a successful student then you need to learn to be consistent in your studies and to have regular, yet shorter, study periods.

Plan when you’re going to study

Successful students schedule specific times throughout the week when they are going to study and then they stick with their schedule. Students who study sporadically and whimsically typically do not perform as well as students who have a set study schedule. Even if you’re all caught up with your studies, creating a weekly routine, where you set aside a period of time a few days a week, to review your courses will ensure you develop habits that will enable you to succeed in your education long term.

Study at the same time if possible

Not only is it important that you plan when you’re going to study, but it’s also important you create a consistent, daily study routine. When you study at the same time each day and each week, you’re studying will become a regular part of your life. You’ll be mentally and emotionally more prepared for each study session and each study session will become more productive. If you have to change your schedule from time to time due to unexpected events, that’s okay, but get back on your routine as soon as the event has passed.

Each study time should have a specific goal you want to achieve

Simply studying without direction is not effective. You need to know exactly what you need to accomplish during each study session. Before you start studying, set a study session goal that supports your overall academic goal. This link will give you more information on how to improve your note-taking skills.

Never procrastinate in your planned study session

It’s very easy, and common, to put off your study session because of a lack of interest in the subject because you have other things you need to get done, or just because the assignment is hard. Successful students DO NOT procrastinate when it comes to their studying. If you procrastinate your study session, your studying will become much less effective and you may not get everything accomplished that you need to. Procrastination also leads to rushing, and rushing is the number one cause of errors.

Start with the most difficult subject first

As your most difficult assignment or subject will require the most effort and mental energy, you should start with it first. Once you’ve completed the most difficult work, it will be much easier to complete the rest of your work. Believe it or not, starting with the most difficult subject will greatly improve the effectiveness of your study sessions and your academic performance.

Always review your notes before starting an assignment

Obviously, before you can review your notes you must first have notes to review. Always make sure to take good notes in class. Before you start each study session, and before you start a particular assignment, review your notes thoroughly to make sure you know how to complete the assignment correctly. Reviewing your notes before each study session will help you remember important subject matter learned during the day, and make sure your studying is targeted and effective.

Make sure you’re not distracted while you’re studying

Everyone gets distracted by something. Maybe it’s the TV. Or maybe it’s your family. Or maybe it’s just too quiet. Some people actually study better with a little background noise. When you’re distracted while studying you lose your train of thought and are unable to focus, both of which will lead to very ineffective studying. Before you start studying, find a place where you won’t be disturbed or distracted. For some people, this is a quiet cubicle in the recesses of the library. For others, it is in a common area where there is little background noise.

Take short breaks

Studying too long may lead to exhaustion and in most cases, make it hard to understand what you read. As a result, make sure you make your study sessions about 45 minutes each. After each study session, take a short break and do something different. For example, engage in physical activity such as a short walk, watch a motivational clip, or a small workout.

Hire a private tutor

It is no shame to ask someone for help. It could be your older sibling, your mom, or your cousin. However, kids tend to feel shy or uncomfortable around their siblings or cousins. As a result, you should hire a tutor that could help you understand the material, teach you new study skills, and work with you to improve your grades. Many students have a fear or embarrassment to ask their peers or relatives for help so a private tutor may be the solution for that.

Use study groups effectively

Ever heard the phrase “two heads are better than one?” Well, this can be especially true when it comes to studying. Working in groups enables you to get help from others when you’re struggling to understand a concept, complete assignments more quickly, and teach others, thereby helping both the other students and yourself to internalize the subject matter. However, study groups can become very ineffective if they’re not structured and if group members come unprepared. Effective students use study groups effectively.

Review your notes, schoolwork, and other class materials over the weekend.

Successful students review what they’ve learned during the week over the weekend. This way they’re well prepared to continue learning new concepts that build upon previous coursework and knowledge acquired the previous week.

We are confident that if you’ll develop the habits outlined above that you’ll see a major improvement in your academic success. Schol life can be challenging but not impossible to conquer. With enough discipline and dedication, each of us can easily become a top-achieving student.