To become an effective student is not genetic. Rather it’s more about your own efforts and dedication. It may be that you were born as more genetically inclined towards studies and academics but your efficacy will eventually be determined by the time you spend in sticking to a routine.
What is routine, you will ask? By routine, we mean studying smarter not harder. A student can be a high school/college -going lad or a professional looking to sign up for a certification/degree on weekends. Being ‘student’ encompasses greater meaning but for now, we will limit our scope to studying for exams.
Following are some points that will ensure you develop effective study habits and in the process become an effective student.
1. Be Responsible
The first step to becoming effective is by realizing that your each class/lecture/session, its respective assignment and test are your responsibility, not your teacher/parents responsibility to remind you of. So if you own things you will naturally be more mindful of keeping check of your deadlines.
If you are facing any problem, you ask for help and consult your teacher or appoint a tutor who can assist you in the understanding of the subject. This habit will only come if are responsible for your studies. In addition, you can always go online to seek knowledge or to read about your topic area.
2. Time Management
Student or not, time management is important to be successful. In class, when the interaction with the teacher is the most but for a short duration, effective students sit in front rows instead of being backbenchers in order to hear teacher more clearly.
They keep away from distracting electronic devices and friends that will limit their attention to focus on what the teacher is saying. They constantly take notes of whatever is being taught in the class and are quick to raise a hand for the question if they don’t understand something or to clarify concepts.
3. Optimize Strengths
Learn to recognize your strengths. If you are sitting in a class that you think is a tough subject for you, try techniques like illustrations to help remember key concepts. If you can record sessions and if you prefer to jog, listen to them while running to help with your memory recall and vocabulary building (important terminologies and difficult words). Devise ways such as above to optimize your strengths.
4. Guard Against Your Weaknesses
Effective students are not perfect, but they know how to work on their weaknesses. If you are slow at note-taking, ask from a friend to copy notes from their notebook. If you are easily distracted then move your chair to the front row (as previously discussed under time management) and above all, ask for help.
Do ask for help from your teachers. Ask them to make time for you, show concern they will realize that you’re serious about your studies/grades/progress and good teachers usually, make time for students by telling them to meet after class or by giving extra time so that concepts can be revised/solutions can be provided.
5. Make Most Of The Available Resources
Effective students do not cram all their studies in one sitting when studying for exams. They carefully set day and take a topic or two one day at a time. Once finished, they move on to next topic. They decide to study x subject on say a Monday so they stick by and don’t procrastinate to Tuesday.
Also, they realize that by simply attending classes and reviewing notes is not all. To score great marks and stand out they start digging on their own as well (see point 1 above). They make use of the school/college library to read more about the topic and solve case studies, practice questions and you name it.
By following above measure you too can become an effective student
Author Bio: Kayla Brendan is a professor of media sciences at an online academic Essay Writing Service consultancy. She maintains a personal blog and he can be followed on and seeks to make difference with his writing in addition to her teaching expertise. You can follow him on his Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
