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Academic Problems and Skills
9 Tips for Becoming a Better Student
Students need to know how to deal effectively with everyday distractions.
Posted December 16, 2023 Reviewed by Ray Parker
Key points
- Studying is more effective when electronic distractions are minimized.
- Video games can be highly engaging and lead to neglecting study time. Solution: Set timers.
- Visualizing what was learned creates connections: drawing diagrams, mind maps, or doodles.
In the 21st century, people have the benefit of having multiple venues from which they can learn, including traditional school lectures, books, museums, apprenticeships, interactions with friends, and field trips, and from modern educational videos, podcasts, interactive computer programs, as well as synchronous and non-synchronous online education.
The flip side of easily available modern educational fare is that people face more distractions than ever from the same electronic devices that provide enhanced educational opportunities. These distractions can become a major impediment to learning.
Thus, the first part of this post provides four tips to improve learning during the electronics era.
Put the Phone Down
Smartphones can easily distract students from studying because they provide access to texts from friends, enticing videos, social media channels that provide information related to the student's interests, and video games that offer greater pleasure than completing homework.
To enhance success, students can turn off their phone WiFi access (e.g., by putting it into airplane mode) and place their phones face down or in another room. If students need to consult friends about their homework via phone, this should be done during brief periods. Maintaining continual contact with friends through electronics while doing homework typically leads to a lot of social distractions that inhibit the learning process.
Use a Timer
Because video games can be so engrossing, it is important that the student remains aware of the time allotted to this activity. One way of doing so is to set a timer that limits gaming to a reasonable time and permits sufficient time for studying.
Because it is sometimes difficult to stop a video game in the middle, students might set their timers to go off 10 minutes before they plan to stop the game, giving them sufficient time to reach an acceptable pause in their gaming.
Minimize Other Electronics Distractions
When students must study online, they can be distracted by open computer desktop tabs other than the one they use for studying. Ideally, all other tabs should be closed. Further, notifications for emails or other interactive media should be silenced. The television set should be off as well when students are studying.
Take Ownership of Learning
Each student is the only one who knows how well they understand the material they are studying. Students should remember that difficult educational material provides the best learning opportunities. Thus, students should embrace educational challenges rather than avoid them, striving to reach beyond their scholarly comfort zone.
If students don't understand an educational concept, they must figure it out, perhaps by asking a teacher or friend or consulting a textbook or video. When students move on in their studies without a good understanding of certain concepts, this can lead to difficulties in future classes that build on these concepts.
The following five tips have helped students throughout the ages:
Be An Active Learner
Learning is best accomplished when concepts are applied immediately rather than just observed passively, such as listening to a lecture or memorization. Therefore, students should look for opportunities to engage with new material by asking their instructors clarifying questions and finding ways to relate the subject matter to themselves and their interests.
Visualizing what was learned through reading is a great way to process and engage with new information. Establishing a study group at the beginning of a course can open the door for asking more questions—getting to know classmates along the way—and allows students to learn by considering their classmates' questions. Further, teaching material to others (e.g., quizzing study partners or working as a teaching assistant) is another excellent way to hone understanding of a subject.
Learn from Mistakes
Most students study in preparation for their school tests to enhance their academic performance. However, it is equally important to review the test results carefully, question by question, if possible. This provides a great learning opportunity. Each time they gave a wrong answer, students should evaluate why this occurred and how they might prevent such a mistake in the future.
For instance, was an answer wrong because it was provided carelessly, e.g., the question was not read carefully? Because the student had not mastered the material beforehand? Because the student was anxious? These possible causes for a wrong answer would lead to a different type of future corrective action.
For example, a student whose test performance was affected by anxiety could benefit by learning to employ stress-reduction techniques, such as mindfulness or hypnosis.
Be Judicious With Time
Some students experience difficulties managing their study time because of their large course load or because they have other time commitments, such as participation in after-school activities, family functions, or a job. It can be very helpful to plan a daily schedule, hour by hour so that a proper amount of time is allocated to studying (not too much or too little).
In making a schedule, it is helpful to prioritize tasks so that the most important ones are accomplished in a timely fashion. It is also important to schedule adequate time for sleep, hygiene, eating properly, being well-hydrated, study breaks, and social activities.
Set Realistic Goals
When confronted with a long-term assignment, some students procrastinate because it is difficult to get started, or they become overwhelmed by thinking of the entire project. Students can help themselves by breaking down the assignment into daily steps that they begin to implement as soon as they are given the assignment.
Find the Right Space
In addition to avoiding distractions from electronics, students can benefit from studying in a quiet environment. Some students do better in areas that are clean and organized. Listening to music can help focus some students, but others can be distracted by it. Thus, students should employ learning environments that are best suited to them.
Takeaway
The key to doing well as a student in this era is to use electronic devices in a helpful way while minimizing distractions, as well as applying other study methods that have proven beneficial over millennia.
