To develop effective study skills, one must first begin with a plan and a schedule. One must also be flexible and cultivate self-discipline. Whether in grade school, high school, or college, or even as an adult re-entering academia, one must set aside the proper amount of time to efficiently prepare for classes.
Let us begin with elementary school. Typically a young student begins to have nightly homework assignments in about the third or fourth grade. This is an excellent time to develop a study habit: a particular place to study, perhaps the kitchen table; a definitive time to study, such as right after dinner; and a method to break down tasks and have a plan of action.
For the elementary student, studying and completing homework at the kitchen table allows for good lighting, plenty of room to spread out books and papers, and quick access to parents if any questions arise. Parents must resist the urge to step in until they are asked; this is work for the student, and he must learn how to pace himself and how to persevere without interference.
Studying after dinner allows the student some "down" time immediately after returning home from school, time to play or exercise, and also provides a built-in window in case of after-school activities.
Often elementary kids will have a list, or a planner, in which they've written the day's assignments. Allow them to choose which to do first, but ensure that they complete each subject before moving on to the next. These habits, learned at a young age when homework is perhaps not so overwhelming, can be strengthened and further developed as the child progresses into high school.
The high school homework load typically intensifies. Many students may need a quieter place to study, such as a workspace or desk in their rooms as opposed to the kitchen table. However, the same principles apply: space, a certain time of day (and after dinner is still an excellent time, especially allowing for after-school sports or jobs), and a continuum of the plan they followed in earlier grade levels.
Highschoolers, however, should also be prepared for the next day's lessons as well as completing the current homework assignment; for this reason, developing a habit of reading a chapter ahead is an excellent idea. This will also set the groundwork for college-type studying in just a couple years. Reading ahead, or even re-reading a difficult topic or section or paragraph, will prepare the student much more thoroughly for upcoming tests than merely doing homework and trying to "cram" the night before that test.
Kids in school, up through high school at least, should have one primary responsibility: their education. Sports, jobs, friends, phones should all be secondary. By starting good study habits early, most kids can become proficient and continue those habits for a lifetime.
When a student enters college, a whole new world opens up for them. If they have developed good study skills and can maintain self-discipline in the face of numerous new temptations, they will do well. Many students must juggle studying and working hours while in college, but usually have the time available; everyone has the same 168 hours in a week, but those who are successful in their college careers are more adept at using those hours.
Certainly it helps if one can request and receive a relatively sane, predictable work schedule; study times may need to be broken down into blocks of free time, instead of completed at one certain time of day. This can be accomplished by determining, in the first weeks of the semester, approximately how many hours each class will require for studying, assignments, and so forth. Once this is done, the student can budget his time as needed.
This may require not being able to sleep until noon; this may call for drastic collegiate measures of not staying out till all hours. This, obviously, requires self-discipline. If a student has not learned how to do this in elementary school and practiced it rather faithfully in high school, college will be a much bigger challenge.
For the college student who is just beginning to learn to study: take those first few weeks to not only determine how much studying will be necessary for each class, but also to write down exactly how you do spend your time. The results could be surprising - you probably had no idea how much time was spent surfing the Internet or texting or going out to parties and to eat. Think about it. And while you're thinking, be sure to get enough sleep (and this does not mean 12-15 hours per night) and to eat properly; listen to your mom and take your vitamins!
Adults going back to school would do well to heed the preceding advice to first-time college students. You, however, must make time for your spouse, your children, your pets, your household chores, and so forth. Re-entering college can be very exciting and remind you of the "good ol' days", which can infuse you with a burst of energy and trick you into believing you really CAN do it all. You cannot. Face facts.
But, you can allow certain things to pass by, like dusting; you can delegate more to your spouse and kids; you can live, for a short time, on less sleep. You, too, may need to study at odd times and places; this can be done. You have a whole lifetime worth of experience to apply to college coursework, so this time around you are generally better prepared than your 18-year-old classmates, yet you will find yourself in the position of their mentor more often than not. This creates added pressure. Focus on yourself, and the future you've mapped out.
Just like any skill, habit, talent, and so forth, it's best to start early give your kids the opportunity to succeed by instilling good habits, be they for studying or in other areas of their lives. Allow them to practice these things and become proficient and therefore successful.