Mistakes Students Make While Studying And What To Do Instead

Studying Mistakes

Being a student can be tiresome, often imitating and feeling like a job. Taking multiple courses and having a schedule stacked to the rim makes for even more assignments and exams. Studying mistakes in such cases are common. As a student, managing your time and undoing any habit of procrastination is critical for this reason.

When studying, students often make mistakes that waste more time and learn less information in the process. Some common mistakes made in students’ day-to-day study habits prevent them from getting the grades they want.

Mistake #1: The Media Frenzy

Having a smartphone next to you when trying to complete homework assignments is basically asking for a distraction. You’ll begin an essay, and within an hour, only write one sentence because of the flooding notifications that steal your attention every time. 

Social media, texts, and other notifications will not only take away your focus, but they’ll also prevent you from being able to fully concentrate on the task at hand. Try silencing your phone completely, putting it on airplane mode, or leaving it in another room when working on the homework to avoid time wasted and improve focus!

Mistake #2: Multitasking To The Point Of Forgetting A Task

This bad habit is one every student has fallen into one way or another before. You will give yourself an allotted amount of time to complete a handful of tasks and, only to end up bouncing between each one. 

The problem with this habit is that our brains can only focus on so many things at once. If we have too many gears moving at once, we tend to forget one of the tasks. Try to create a list of the assignments you want to complete and start from the top and work your way to the bottom. Focus on one thing at a time, and you’d be surprised how much faster you’re able to get it done.

Mistake #3: Studying Late At Night, Retaining Little Information

More often than not, students think the perfect time to study for an exam or write an essay is the night before it’s due. No matter how early your teacher gives you the assignment or exam date, it’s easy to procrastinate all the time away to where there’s one day left and so much to do.

The problem with studying late at night after a long day is that your brain can only retain so much when it’s running on exhaustion and low energy. So no matter how long you stay up and how much you try to get done, your brain won’t be able to retain the information. Start a couple of weeks in advance. That way, the load is light, and you can gradually finish or study without the stress of a time crunch.

Solutions In Preventing Procrastination

Students can burn out weeks into a semester and grow tired of the assignments that seem to never stop coming. They can lose motivation and put things off because of mental exhaustion from classes and everyday highs and lows.

It’s important to learn healthy rhythms and routines to stick to that will help you manage your workload. Building healthy habits and boundaries will better prevent any chance of falling behind in classes and overall burnout as a busy student. 

Rest: 

Know when your body and mind need a break. This can include getting to bed at a decent time, waking up early, and scheduling out time slots daily for breaks to rest. Getting enough sleep is re-charging to both your body and mind.

Stay Hydrated And Eat:

Taking care of your body is more important than missing a meal for the sake of studying an extra hour. Not feeding your body the nutrients and hydration it needs is the same as going to the gas station and only filling up a quarter of a tank. Your brain needs “fuel” to function at its highest capacity.

Know When To Say Yes Or No

Sometimes you get caught up in fun activities, events, and functions with friends to where your body runs at a pace that ends up shipwrecking you. Being aware of your needs will better help you know when to say yes to additional outside extracurriculars and events. Find a nice balance in your schedule so that you’re able to take some time for yourself.

For more tips to avoid mistakes while studying check out this article Study Tips that Really Work.