by Dillon Tinsley

Created on: March 27, 2009

As a current college student, I've found the following ten study "tips" useful. Some may be a bit cliche, but that's just because they may actually help. Right, let's get into it, shall we?

#1. Deadlines. Simple as that. Know the deadlines. Whether it's a 5-page essay or 2 math problems, know if and when they are due. Test dates are important in order to gauge how long you have to study.

#2. Supplemental Work. Do all the work required, and then some. Sure, it may be a bit time consuming (until you reach tip number 4), but it's all worth it in the end. For example, in my Calculus 2 class (and the majority of math classes), it isn't required to do the problems assigned in the book. It is extremely beneficial though. Every math teacher I've had has taken their quiz questions almost directly from those problems.

#3. Repetition. Repeating problems or facts or questions can really help the material sink in. For my History tests, I'd write out the ID's over 10 times just to get them impacted into my memory. (Side note: try not to memory dump. e.g.: Don't memorize a million facts for test one, and then right after the test forget them all. Try to go back over the facts again even after the test is over.)

#4. (Here's the first cliche one) Time Management. Don't go all out for five hours once a week for whatever test you have the next day. That's bad for your brain and bad for your stress level. It's much easier just to study for about an hour or two each night, for a mixture of subjects, Sunday night through Thursday night. Everyone needs their weekends. If a homework assignment is due Thursday, work on it some Monday, a bit more Tuesday, spend the majority of time on it Wednesday, and finish it up Thursday before it's due (unless it's due in the morning, in which case, finish it Wednesday). But what if it's assigned Thursday morning, and you have a huge amount of work to do on top of that assignment? Look to tip number 5.

#5. Breaks. You've got to have something to look forward to, right? Breaks are the most beneficial to the mind. It gives the mind time to mull the material over. Continuing the Thursday-assigned homework example, work on it for about an hour at a time, taking short breaks by either working on something less important at the time, or working on your eating habits. Which leads into tip 6.

#6. Eating Habits. (Again, a bit cliche.) Some food makes you energetic, other food makes you feel tired and just plain crappy. If you live on campus, and eat the campus

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