by Nan Keltie

Created on: July 20, 2009   Last Updated: July 21, 2009

Students who have good study habits learn faster, retain more and end up making better grades. If your current study habits leave you feeling lost in class, consider the following study tips:

A matter of time ~

Find your optimum "think time" and fix your study schedule accordingly. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Some students feel more alert and energetic at the beginning of each day. For them, setting the clock an hour earlier means a bit of study time before class starts. Other students focus better in the evening. For these students, an hour or so before supper or bedtime is productive.

If you aren't sure which will improve your grades, try studying in the morning for a week. Notice if you retain what you read and feel more prepared for class. If you're still unsure, study in the evenings for several days in a row. Chances are, one time or the other will be a more comfortable fit and help you reach peak performance as a student..

Your own study hall ~

Where you choose to study is almost as important as when you study. Chances are, you'll focus more if you're in a spot that is comfortable, uncluttered and geared toward work instead of play. Lounging on your bed is only going to make you sleepy, so don't go there.

A sturdy desk or table means you've got a good work surface and you'll sit up straighter. Good posture allows maximum blood flow and pumps fresh oxygen to the brain. If you slump when you study, everything inside your body gets squashed together. Sit up straight for maximum concentration.

Select a place where you can spread out your texts, reference books, charts, pens and highlighters or anything else you need. If everything is close at hand, you won't have to get up a dozen times to find your study tools. Being prepared saves energy and makes your work time more productive - which means you'll make better grades.

About those lights ~

If you've got some serious writing or studying to do, turn up the lights and chase away the shadows. Poor lighting produces eye strain and fatigue, and before you know it, you'll be fuzzy-brained. This, in turn, means you haven't been productive and you'll have to spend time rewriting or reading the material again.

Be sure your light source (bright window or lamp) doesn't produce shadows on your book or paper. If you're left-handed, put the light source on your right to avoid casting shadows on your paper. If you're right-handed, put it on your left side. Good lighting can help keep you alert

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