College can be an exciting place, and in the beginning, you may even feel a little overwhelmed with the sudden change in your living situation. It will probably be the first time for many of you to be living on your own, cooking for yourself, doing your laundry, etc. You will be able to meet new people, make friendships, go to parties, and do all kinds of fun things.

However, it can also be effortless to get distracted by everything that is happening around you. What good would college be if you failed at doing the one thing you went there to do in the first place – Studying.

I am not blaming you, and I understand how easy it can be to lose focus, but fortunately, there are some changes you can make to your routine to get more study time in. Whether you are new to college or someone who feels they are not doing well, here are 10 best study tips for college students.

Consistency is the key

Somedays, you don’t feel like even touching your books, and that is somewhat normal. I get it; however, this can land you in a cycle of procrastination that will cost you a lot of time and grades once it takes off.

Doing even a couple of hours of study each day is tremendously better than doing nothing and nervously watching the deadline inch closer day by day and then feeling helpless and overburdened.

Consistent studying is what will get you through college. Believe me; you will thank me when all is said and done. For now, make up your mind and put in a consistent amount of study time each day.

Stay organized

Take high-achievers from different walks of life and compare their stories. There is an excellent chance that the one thing they will all have in common is their discipline and organization. If you want to achieve good grades and get through college, you need to organize yourself better. There are no two ways about it.

Get yourself a planner. This can be a calendar, a notebook, or a piece of the chart. It will be better to hang it on your wall and mark all your appointments, events, deadlines, and other important dates. Staying ahead of the deadline will save you a lot of anxiety, and better yet, you will have free days where you know you will be able to study uninterrupted without worrying about some other task that you put on hold.

Note Taking is crucial.

One of the best ways to commit something to memory is to write it down. When you are in a lecture, make sure you are noting down all the class’s essential points. This makes after-study a breeze as you would only need to review the major points, and all the information will come running back in your head.

You can also supplement note-taking with audio recording if you want to do it right. You can record audio of the lecture on your smartphone and then later review the notes against the audio to better understand. However, make sure your college is fine with audio recording before you do this.

The routine goes a long way.

It would help if you had a consistent study routine to make it a habit. Ask yourself which time of the day or night, if you are a night owl, works best for you. What time do you have the most focus? Whatever your answer, try to design your study schedule around that time.

Making a separate study space in your room also is very helpful. It would help if you had an area that you can only associate with studying. Avoid your couch and bed at all costs and instead, use a desk that is empty of all distractions. If you don’t have a desk, then the library is a great quiet place as well.

Establish a study group

A great way to do a sort of a combined study is to get some of your friends from a particular class and hold a study group every week. This can be fun due to engagement and productivity at the same time. Talk amongst yourself, discuss what you learned in class, ask each other questions, and discuss test-taking strategies.

Eliminate all distractions

Our lives are getting increasingly dependent on technology, and while the modern digital world has a lot of advantages, it also is an enormous distraction. It’s everywhere, but most importantly, it’s in your pocket – your smartphone.

Make a rule that you will put your phone on silent during study hours and cast it out of your sight. This way, you won’t get distracted by every little notification.

The same goes for your TV and computer/laptop. The fewer distractions, the better your chances of uninterrupted study.

Reward yourself

Positive reinforcement is a great tool, and you should use it. Were you studied hard for so and so hours? Great. Now go out for a walk, maybe listen to some music or eat something nice. The idea is to reward yourself after you have achieved your daily goal of studying. This will associate learning with something good afterward, and voila, you would want to study more consistently.

Silence is not always golden.

I like studying in peace and calm, but I also know people who can’t stand complete silence and instead prefer light jazz music playing on their headphones while studying. If you find it difficult to concentrate in complete silence, such as in the library, you can search YouTube for “Concentration” or “study” music, and you will find a whole bunch of slow music for your background. Most of these videos contain hours long compilation of music, so you won’t have to press play repeatedly. Try out a few different ones and see which ones you like the most.

Adequate sleep is your friend.

Nothing is worse than getting inadequate sleep and then feeling like a zombie the next morning. This is all part of a good routine. If you go to bed at a fixed hour every night and then wake up consistently at a specified time in the morning, you will get a satisfying and deep sleep.

Moreover, there is an unworldly amount of research to back up the adverse effects of sleep deprivation on your mind, mainly your focus and concentration. If you want to study effectively, you have to fix your sleep first.

Don’t forget to exercise.

Studies have shown that in addition to keeping you physically fit, working out can also benefit your mind to a great extent. I am not saying you have to lift heavy weights every day, no. Even something as simple as going for a 15 min jog every day can have an incredibly positive effect on your focus and concentration. You will feel more active and energized.