The Stereotype of Studying: Breaking the Mold

Studies in high school or college have received such a bad rep. Name anyone who can actually say they like doing it; you won’t find many. The fact is studying is difficult. It’s time consuming, draining, and stressful. But guess what?

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There’s a Way to Battle the Lack of Motivation!

That is probably the number-one cause to a lack of studying habits: many students become unmotivated. Here’s why: take your job, for instance; if you don’t show up for the workday, your boss will definitely care, instilling you this motivation that says…. “I do not want to get fired!” However, with studying…. It’s a different story. You don’t study, and no one will care. Your fellow students won’t care, your professor won’t care, maybe even your parents won’t care. After all, you’re one your own, you’re paying for your tuition, room and board. Why should anyone else care?

This fundamental truth lends to you the true secret to motivating yourself, breaking the mold of un-motivation: it’s called a reward.

Reward Yourself? How So?

Seriously, reward yourself for studying so hard! Because you have so little reinforcement when it comes to studying, it’s up to you to pat yourself on the back when you do a good job. Your reward, of course, can be whatever you like it to be.

Try it and marvel at the results. The more you do it, the more you set up an actual routine. It’s like working out, only for the brain. Soon you’ll find your brain pumping iron so hard that it’ll make your bicep look like a bumpkin!

 

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Effective Reading

Burning the midnight oil never looked so unappealing — when it came to reading! Why? Because as a reader — one of the most paramount aspects of effective studying — you won’t be exemplary in it if you’re lacking in rest. In a nutshell, effective reading is restful reading.

Sometimes you can’t always read during the daylight hours in a coffee shop with a mocha frappuccino in hand, though. What do you do? Here are a few tips….

Reading list

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Slow Down!

Generally, you retain a lot more understanding if you give your brain some time to catch up. Sure, it takes longer, but that’s a small price to pay for the comprehension of your material. Obviously, when it’s late at night, your brain will lag a bit. Slowing down while reading will help.

Rephrase!

That simply means this: trick your brain into comprehending something you are saying to yourself, not what the book is saying to you. You’re more likely to listen to yourself when it’s late at night than you are to read the words on the pages, especially if your eyes blur from the fatigue.

Use Your Voice!

This means read aloud. That’s Reading 101 for little kids! So if it works for little kids, why not do it yourself? Your brain will hear a lot better if you’re using your voice; so don’t get self-conscious. Force yourself to read aloud and not worry about what others might think.

Effective, Yes?

It should be; you made it this far in the article! Hopefully you read this while the sun was still out, though. Happy reading!

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Less Noise, Better Score

So this is probably one of the most hidden secrets to the Key of Better Studying, and it’s a huge wonder as to why some might not notice it. Here’s a clue: it’s about college. What about college?

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Think about what it’s like in your dorm room. Do you have a roommate? Is your hall a “party” hall? Do you constantly get distracted by a TV, games, the opposite sex, and beer? Maybe you’re always rolling your neck, getting stressed at the time, cramming as you shouldn’t — because that doesn’t promote healthy studying habits — and eventually failing as you should.

It’s sad that you should fail because you’ve missed one key element to the quality of your studying. It’s simply this: less noise!

Typically, you do a lot better with studying, reading, and writing, if you don’t have a whole lot of noise around. Think about it. While you have your desk there in the dorm room, know that you may never get much done at all if you’re constantly bothered by other students, phone calls, and pizza.

So here’s the tip to solve it all…. Get out of the dorm room!

That means go somewhere quiet. Look for something outdoors, too — such as a forest preserve, local gardens, or just a bench in the quiet side of the downtown area. Let the air refresh you, let the quiet world calm you. And if it’s the middle of winter, simply find a Panera, Starbucks, or any other coffee shop or easy-going restaurant.

Whatever you do, get out of the college noise! You’ll get a better score for sure.

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Popular Studying Spots

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Finding the time and place to study is very important if you want to have a successful college career. Once you know when you have the time, you will need to figure out where. You will want a place that is quiet and where you won’t be disturbed. Popular places are a quiet place in your home or at a library.

A good study area will allow space for you and your books to spread out. You need room to study; you do not want to feel cramped. When you are studying, it is important that you feel comfortable and relaxed. Many people will study at a big desk or table. It is also important that you have plenty of light.

Try going somewhere where you will have no distractions and no temptations to get distracted such as a TV or a room full of people and loud noises. You may want to turn your phone off and avoid getting up often to go do something else. Try to keep yourself focused only on your schoolwork. If you need more information, contact Canada 411.

Wherever you choose to study, it is a good idea to study in the same place every time. This should be a comfortable place where you can focus. Having one place dedicated to studying will help you become more motivated and you will be able to get your work done. Avoid studying when you are tired; this is almost as bad as not studying at all. Your mind will not be able to focus and you will not be able to get the information you need.

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4 Study Habits You Should Employ Now

You should have already learned adequate study skills before you ever entered high school. If not, you should have learned them in high school, so the four study habits listed below may sound familiar, but there will be slight differences. Put together, the study habits you learned previously as well as the ways to build on them will make you a better college student.

Re-think the time of day you study.

When you were in high school, you probably had to wait until after school to study. This may not be necessarily true in college; you may have hours between some classes, or your classes may start later in the day.

If either of the above situations is true, utilize the extra time. It may be tempting to sleep in or to hang out instead of hitting the books, but using that time to study may give you more free time in the afternoons or evenings.

Re-think where you study.

Your room at home may have been the perfect study environment, but your college dorm room may not be. You may have to go to the library or other place in order to have the best study environment when pursuing a bachelor degree.

Re-think the order in which you study.

You may have one class three times a week, with a day in between. Or, again, you may have free time before a class is scheduled.

Re-think how you study.

The same tricks you used in high school may not work in college. There may be more reading than writing, or the opposite may be true, and you’ll need to make adjustments for that.

 

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How to Enroll in Online Courses at Your College

Enrolling in an online class is much easier than enrolling in a class for a traditional brick and mortar school. The reason is that everything is offered online. There are no more bursar lines to stand in, or hoping to get into a class. The online environment has completely streamlined the process so that it is easier to signup, easier to start, and faster to complete an online course.

The First Steps to Enrolling Online

The very first step you need to take is to find the class you want. There are online courses at elearners.com, and from this comprehensive list, you can make a decision as to when you would like to start. The next step is filling out the paperwork online to participate in the class. Some online schools will ask that you fill out financial aid paperwork, and like all things online, this is a simple process. Once all of the pertinent information has been submitted, you will receive an email stating that you are enrolled, the start time of the class, and the projected completion of the class.

You will need to wait on an instructor to provide you with the syllabus and class details regarding assignments. This will usually be sent to you via email the day class is scheduled to start. If the college that you are attending online has a special program to use for their classes, they will usually offer a training session on how to use this system before you begin your first class.

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