If you have come this far, it is probably because you sometimes find it challenging to study, either because there is a lot of noise or interruptions at home, because you can’t concentrate or because you can’t find the motivation. The tasks pile up, and you end up the night before the exam studying at dawn without being able to get the rest you need before an exam.
On many occasions, you will spend hours in front of your books or notes and, however, you will hardly learn anything in those hours, so you get demotivated because you feel that you are wasting your time and being inefficient. Would you like to know how to study fast and well at home? In this article, I offer you 11 tips for studying at home.
Take care of the environment
It is essential to take care of the study environment when studying at home. If your home is noisy or you don’t have enough privacy, you should consider visiting a library. There should be as few distractions as possible in the study area. For example, if there is noise, we become distracted by it; if it is too cold or too hot, we become distracted by how uncomfortable we are, and so on.
On the other hand, it is also vital to have good lighting to avoid visual fatigue and body posture to avoid back or neck pain.
Planning
How to organize yourself to study at home? It is essential to have good planning. This should be realistic and flexible, as it is normal for unforeseen events to arise. The following factors should be taken into account when planning your studies:
- The subjects: have the most difficult ones at the beginning. Also, avoid studying two subjects in a row that interfere with each other, such as two languages.
- Time: establish a minimum and a maximum amount of time. The aim is to study as much as possible in as little time as possible.
- Breaks: every hour, rest for about five minutes, no more, no less.
Read
How to study at home? Read what you have to study. When you start, do a general reading of what you have to learn. This will help you get a general idea of the syllabus and see it globally to understand how the different sections are connected.
Take your time to do this. Although it is not an in-depth reading, you should concentrate and understand the main concepts. In addition, as a complement, you can write down next to each section what it consists of, for example, the “definition of X.”
Try to make summaries and outlines
Another recommendation for studying at home is to make summaries and outlines to synthesize the information. In addition, when you do so, you are not memorizing the information but understanding it and, therefore, learning.
Once you have done this, it will be much faster to study. The diagrams serve as a source of review of the information. When you see them, the knowledge you have stored is activated. Therefore, they are ideal for the moments before the exam.
Interpret
If we talk about tips for studying at home, you mustn’t simply memorize when you study. Try to understand what you are learning, relate concepts to each other and make sense of them. In this way, the information will not only be stored more quickly, but it will also remain in your brain for longer than if you had stored it.
Within this interpretation, we could also consider that you compare elements with each other to obtain their similarities and differences.
Elaboration and organization
We continue with more tips for studying at home. If you feel that a particular subject is getting too hard for you, you can divide the assignment into simpler parts—first, separate simple tasks from complex ones. For example, learning a foreign language vocabulary is a simple task, while complex tasks like researches or paper writings require thinking, summarizing, outlining, etc.
Second, establish steps in your study journey. A first step would be to underline the essential concepts. Once you have finished that step, you should go to the next one, which could elaborate an outline with those highlighted concepts. It is not necessary to do all the steps in one day.
Self-assess yourself
Taking self-tests is perfect for verifying what information you have managed to understand and retain and what information you have not. It is also a way to make sure that you spell each word correctly without making spelling mistakes. One way to self-test yourself, for example, is to ask someone to ask you random questions about the lesson. This way, you don’t have to waste too much time writing on theory-heavy subjects.
Avoid temptations
One of the rules for studying at home is to try not to have your cell phone at hand or the TV on. Allow yourself to look at your phone every hour to make sure you don’t do it all the time. On the other hand, it can be beneficial to use earplugs to avoid being distracted by external noises.
As we have seen, there are different advantages and disadvantages of studying at home. Temptations can be a problem if left unchecked. If you feel that your source of distraction is a problem you have, try to solve it before studying. If it is not possible, remind yourself that you can solve it later.
Habits
How to concentrate on studying at home? Logically, if you have not slept well or if your stomach is full and heavy because you have eaten a lot, it will be more challenging to concentrate. In addition, it is essential to do some physical activity so that you can move your body after sitting for many hours.
Setting aside time to study at home is the most effective strategy to learn quickly and effectively. Remember to clear your head and take a rest from time to time. Each day, try to schedule some time for disconnecting and leisure, whether it’s watching a show or meeting some friends. When the mind becomes fatigued, it is best to take a break and refresh. Additionally, resting improves study motivation. Learn about Abraham Maslow’s theory of human motivation.
Watch your thoughts
One of the tips for studying at home that you cannot miss is taking care of your thoughts. It will cost you much more to concentrate on studying if you constantly repeat to yourself that you are going to fail, that you do not have time, that it is challenging what you are learning, or that you are lazy. Try to repeat motivational and positive messages to yourself.
One way to do this may be to place post-it notes in your study area with motivational messages such as “you can do it” or “it’s not long now.” The idea is that you do this by thinking about what you would say to someone important in your life if that person were studying at home.
Do relaxations
If, as the exam approaches, your nerves get the better of you, try relaxation techniques. These can help you increase your ability to concentrate. An example of relaxation is to take slow, deep breaths and focus your attention on how those breaths are, how your stomach stretches, how the temperature of the incoming air is, and so on.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
