Here are some tips to help you to become a top student
- Take notes by hand. This will help you remember more of the course materials and for a longer period of time than typing on the computer. I’ve followed both the writing in longhand and digital approaches for many years in the past.
- Study incrementally. Think of your knowledge as a set of layers. The first time you read the material you may go slowly and feel you’re “not getting it”. Start by scanning the headings and first paragraph of each section. Then you read it again in more detail and you’ll notice how your understanding will be much better while also you’ll be reading at a faster pace. Take handwritten notes of what seems most important to you. Then re-read your notes while typing them into a digital format. This will help you memorize the materials. You may want to take a look at the SQ3R reading method.
- Study strategically. After reading the materials a couple of times, you may notice that some areas are still a bit obscure. Focus on studying just those sections again, trust your memory on the other parts.
- Complement reading with other media formats. Although reading is an important part of learning, you can consolidate your learning with other types of media. For instance, you may find an audiobook or a video course is available on the topic. This is especially relevant for visual and auditory learners as opposed to reading learners.
- Practice what you learn. Put what you’ve learned to work by practicing. It’s amazing how often we believe we’ve got it, only to get stuck on a question we weren’t expecting. Top students practice in order to apply theory to problem-solving, and through that process, they transform their perspective and fill in the gaps.
- Set time goals. If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Even if you don’t actually create a study timetable, you should consciously define how many hours, days, or weeks you want to invest in studying the materials. This will help you manage your time more efficiently. When you reach the end of the materials you’ll be able to compare your initial expectation to the actual time it took and draw conclusions on your performance and how to improve.
- Don’t despair. Some days you may feel you’re not making progress at all. That’s OK, it happens to all of us. But that doesn’t mean you’re not going to achieve greatness. It’s part of the process. Take a step back, put it into perspective and keep a positive attitude. You can do it!
- Take breaks. Don’t fall into the long-hours rabbit hole. Your productivity will suffer if you do. Take a short break when you feel you’ve achieved something or when you’re stuck. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.
Becoming a top student is no easy feat, but it can certainly be achieved if you’re willing to put in the effort.
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